Dear Janine,
Thank you for posting this sad news, indeed.
There were many who knew Lois better than I did, but she and I always
greeted each other warmly, both in person and online, and she always
took an interest in my work, as I did in hers.
I had the distinct privilege of being able to review the third edition
of her seminal Art Information (1990) for Art Libraries Journal, under
the guidance of Alex Ross (the Book Review editor) and Philip Pacey (the
editor), and it was the first of several in-depth review articles I did
for ALJ.
Without having done that review of Lois's book, I probably never would
have forced myself to read her entire text, for I had never read the
entire texts of the first and second editions of her wonderful book,
1978 and 1984 respectively.
To prepare for the review, which developed into a review article, I read
every word and, as I recall, checked every source. Those who read my
review know to the exhaustive and exhausting lengths I went to dissect
its smallest detail and to evaluate its broadest statements.
I loved doing that review, and my admiration for Lois Swan Jones soared
as I worked through her book.
Anyone who has used it in Library school, and/or her Internet title of
1999, as a student or teacher, or who used it, as I did, as text for
courses I taught on Research Methods and Resources in the Visual Arts,
first for M.A. art history and Senior undergraduate art history majors
in the Art Department of Oberlin College and most recently for senior
art history majors and incoming M.A. art history students in the Art and
Art History Department of University of Missouri-Kansas City, know full
well its immense value.
Lois was one of the pioneers of our profession. Her works and her
person affected most, if not all, of our lives to some extent. She will
be sorely missed.
Peace Peace Peace
Jeffrey
Dr. Jeffrey Weidman
Senior Librarian, Public Services & Collection Development
Spencer Art Reference Library
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
4525 Oak Street
Kansas City, MO 64111
Tel: 816-751-1215
FAX: 816-561-1229
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: ART LIBRARIES SOCIETY DISCUSSION LIST [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Janine Henri
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 12:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ARLIS-L] Sad news (Lois Swan Jones)
Dear colleagues,
I'm sorry to be the bearer of sad news. The following obituary
appeared in the Dallas Morning News today. Our colleague Caroline
Backlund, one of Lois' dear friends, will be attending the memorial,
thus ARLIS/NA will have at least one representative at the service.
Please note that there is an online guest book and that memorial
gifts can be made to ARLIS/NA or to ARLIS/Texas-Mexico.
Janine Henri
>Lois Swan Jones
>JONES, LOIS SWAN 79, of Dallas died August 7, 2006. Born at Baylor
>Hospital, Lois graduated from Highland Park High School and received
>a PhB, BS, and MS from the University of Chicago and a PhD from the
>University of North Texas. For 40 years, Lois and her family-first
>with her father, Hugo Swan, and then her two sons, Preston and
>Jeffrey-photographed art and architecture throughout Eastern and
>Western Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Russia, and North America.
>These European photographs, made during more than 33 trips, were
>used in her art history courses at the University of North Texas
>where she taught for more than 20 years and as the bases for the
>Development of Christian Symbolism Video Series, which she wrote and
>co-produced with her son Preston. Professor Jones's last
>publication--Art Information and the Internet: How to Find It, How
>to Use It (Oryx Press, 1999)--was the first in-depth book on
>research methodology incorporating data from the World Wide Web. The
>work won the Worldwide Books 2000 Award. Her other books include Art
>Information: Research Methods and Resources (3rd edition Kendall
>Hunt, 1990) and Art Libraries and Information Services: Development,
>Organization, and Management, with Sarah Scott Gibson (Academic
>Press, 1986). Since 1978, Dr. Jones has been listed in Who's Who in
>American Art. In 1992, the ARLIS/Texas Chapter established the Lois
>Swan Jones Professional Development Award in her honor. In April
>1997, she received the ARLIS/NA Distinguished Service Award. She was
>a member of the Art Libraries Society/North America (ARLIS/NA), Art
>Libraries Society/Texas (ARLIS/TX), the College Art Association, the
>Visual Resources Association, the Shakespeare Study Club, and the
>Dallas Country Club. Dr. Jones is survived by two sons and their
>wives-Robert Preston and Lisa Jones of Dallas and Jeffrey Swan and
>Kathleen Jones of New York City-and two granddaughters-Elizabeth
>Swan Jones and Veronica Jones. She is also survived by her sister,
>Phyllis Swan Dorsey of Cleveland; her brother and his wife, Hugo and
>Penny Swan, of Victoria, Texas; and a number of wonderful nieces and
>nephews. Memorial Service will be held Friday August 11th at 10:00AM
>at the chapel at Sparkman-Hillcrest followed by a graveside service.
>In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions may be made to Art
>Libraries Society/North America (ARLIS/NA), the Art Libraries
>Society/Texas (ARLIS/TX), or a library of your choice. Dignity
>Memorial Sparkman Hillcrest 7405 W. Northwest Hwy. Dallas (214)
>363-5401
>
>OB6 Obituaries, Notices
>Published in the Dallas Morning News on 8/9/2006.
>Guest Book:
>http://www.legacy.com/dallasmorningnews/Guestbook.asp?Page=GuestBook&Pe
rsonID=18807690
__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
For information about joining ARLIS/NA see:
http://www.arlisna.org/join.html
Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
to [log in to unmask]
ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at:
[log in to unmask]
__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
For information about joining ARLIS/NA see:
http://www.arlisna.org/join.html
Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
to [log in to unmask]
ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask]
