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Dear Amanda,
I am the librarian at The Cloisters Library (a branch of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art). The library staff is also very small--just
myself (full time) and one part time assistant. The physical plan of the
library and ajoining offices means that we can not even lock up the library
after hours or on weekends--consequently staff have free use of the library
any time they are in the building. This has created many problems over the
years, not the least of which are missing books and general chaos to the
collection at times. We have several other storage rooms in other parts of
the building and we try to assign special materials to those rooms, but this
creates even more problems with curators who think they should have access
to all areas simply because they can use the library whenever they want.
(I've also had folks go through my desk drawers and take materials from
projects while I was working on them because of a severe lack of work
space--I have no office and no work room). Additional problems have come
from staff members letting in friends and relatives and using the library
space as a waiting room. Some of these problems have been curtailed, but if
you have good security control over your collections, think carefully about
changing procedures. While it is important for some staff members to have
access as often as possible, it is also important for there to be some
security control over the collections. I guess it depends on the staff size
and the individuals involved. I yearn for a greater ability to control
access on weekends and holidays--I wouldn't have to spend so much time
chasing down books and other materials that walk out of the library without
being signed out.
Good Luck!
Lauren Jackson-Beck
Associate Museum Librarian
The Cloisters Library
email: [log in to unmask]
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I am the Librarian at a one-person library at the Museum of
>Contemporary Art, Chicago. The Library is open to users only when I,
>or the Photo Archivist who shares the library space, are here in the
>building. Several museum staff members have inquired about use of the
>Library when no library staff is available. This requires that
>security let them in to use the Library unattended. Does anyone have
>any suggestions for how this kind of situation has been handled at
>similar institutions? Thank you.
>
>Amanda M. Kaiser
>Librarian
>Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
>
>
