One of the most challenging reference questions that I get 2-3 times a year comes from faculty outside of art or art history who want a "picture" to put on the cover of their soon-to-be-published book. Sometimes they have a specific work in mind but more often they want to describe to me the subject of the work and ask me to suggest an appropriate picture. That is hard enough to deal with but can be done.

It's the next step when I try to explain about getting permission to use the work that I really need help. Does anyone know of an article or book that walks a novice author through the process of getting permissions? I love Susan Bielstein's book, Permissions: A Survival Guide, and do recommend it but I'm wondering if there's additional information that would help introduce faculty from non-art areas to the process. In the old days, publishers had picture research departments but now, the expectation is that authors will do that work and most haven't a clue. 

Susan Craig
Art & Architecture Librarian
Univ. of Kansas
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