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Hello List,

Two weeks ago I submitted the following query to the list:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hello list,

On behalf of the Head Librarian at the Worcester Art Museum (WAM), Rebecca
Morin, I have volunteered to research information related to collecting
print auction catalogs.  The WAM has collected and kept decades of
Christie's, Parke-Bernet, and Skinner print auction catalogs, like many
libraries.  I reviewed the listserv archive and see that over the years
many academic and museum libraries have removed these items from their
collections.  At the same time I notice that requests for scans from
auction catalogs are just as frequent over the listserv.  On June 17, 2013
Susan Ferrer-Vinent offered a great summary to her query about experiences
using online "equivalents" of auction catalogs or the information within
them http://lsv.arlisna.org/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ARLIS-L;44b31d7d.1306   I
guess my starting question(s) at this point is this: how are we as a
profession ensuring that we aren't all getting rid of our print auction
catalogs?  Do any major academic or museum libraries retain full runs as a
matter of mission or do we have a running list of who has what?

I see that there is an auction catalogs sig with its own listserv that I am
not currently subscribed to.  If the membership thinks I should join and
prefers that I move this conversation there, please advise.

Thank you in advance,
Janis
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I received replies from nine individuals, thank you!  Here are some
highlights of the replies:

- institutional holdings are not a comprehensive run
- kept in off-site storage and can be requested
- have kept what has been collected and are in the process of cataloging
them
- collect/keep catalogs with items related to the museum's collection and
enhance their catalog records with this information
- some libraries catalog the auction catalogs, some have lists, others have
no holdings information
- have subscriptions to the print auction catalogs

Only one librarian mentioned the SCIPIO auction sales cataloging project
https://artlibraries.on.worldcat.org/advancedsearch  and
https://help.oclc.org/Discovery_and_Reference/FirstSearch/FirstSearch_databases/SCIPIO
This blog entry from the Getty Research Institute Library provides some
additional information for those (like me) who were unfamiliar with SCIPIO
https://blogs.getty.edu/library/2017/07/11/scipio-art-and-rare-book-sales-catalogs/
It is unclear however if SCIPIO still exists as a standalone database and
whether it's presence in the Art Discovery Group Catalogue provides
holdings for all SCIPIO-participating institutions.  And I still don't know
what SCIPIO actually stands for!
I am curious whether those libraries that are cataloging their auction
catalogs are providing their holdings information to OCLC and whether this
information gets into SCIPIO by default or if that requires an extra step
or formalized participation?

I will be passing this information on to the librarian at the Worcester Art
Museum.  I am very grateful for the replies that I received.

Sincerely,
Janis
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*JANIS DESMARAIS, *MA MS
College of the Holy Cross
Visual Literacy & Arts Librarian
phone: (508) 793-2453
Worcester, Massachusetts


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