Art Librarians,
I've been thinking about the relationship between librarians and
artists books. The benefit to artists books is obvious: librarians have
fostered the medium from the beginning by purchasing, preserving,
offering critical perspective, and acting as defenders of the medium.
What
is less discussed is how librarians and libraries benefit from their
relationship with artists books. Of course there is pleasure in
collecting as well as fulfilling the mission to preserve the cultural
objects of our time. But is there a passion for artists books that, I
think, borders the mysterious.
How can I better understand the personal and passionate interest of so many art librarians and curators in artists books?
For
instance, how would a librarian be effected if their institution's
collection of artists books was absorbed by another department or
perhaps, sold off? The large collections of artists books seem to be in
art libraries,and often in art museum libraries. Why not in art museum
curatorial departments? How does the presence of artists book in
library collection effect the morale of librarians?
What do artists books signify to librarians?
I'm wondering
if anyone has any notions or personal anecdotes about why artists books
are so very valuable to the profession of librarianship?
I would be very grateful for your comments, observations or references to interesting articles.
Jenny Beard
Graduate Assistant, Image Cataloger
Pratt SILS
MLIS Candidate, 2011
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