Collaborative Collection BuildingArt and Architecture Libraries

Real Problems Real Problems & Practical Solutions& Practical Solutions

Nedda AhmedDenison University

Jane CarlinUniversity of Cincinnati

Barbara Prior, Oberlin College

A Bit About Art Libraries….

Centrality of Images• Historical approach & monograph driven

• Books are heavy, oversized, expensive, and published in short runs

• Prevalence of “library use only” books

The Text Image problem• Titles are not very descriptive + the image is the goal

• Much research is done by a very focused kind of browsing the stacks (a.k.a.) “visual reference”

The Few, The Proud, The… …Uncooperative?

Art patrons need printed books; e-books are unsatisfactory: • Image availability

• Image quality

• Niche market so less likely to be digitized

• Comparison of many, many images

Art patrons need their books on site:• Visual research (browsing)

• Prevalence of “library use only” books

So why cooperate?

Contemporary Art• Short run exhibition catalogs, often purchased

blind• Limited holdings in OhioLINK Central Catalog

• Need a “wide net”

Foreign language art publishers• Not well represented in OhioLINK Central

Catalog

OhioLINKArt & Architecture Subject Group

What?What? Loose affiliation of visual arts librarians and bibliographers

Who?Who? No central list of who collects in the visual arts on OhioLINK

Where?Where? Only real “connection” is a voluntary, largely inactive, electronic discussion list

Serious leadership vacuumSerious leadership vacuum

Art & Architecture Subject Group

Projects

1. ArtSTOR training

2. “Not Bought In Ohio” (NBIO)• Yankee Book Peddler

(Statewide approval vendor)• Worldwide Books (Exhibition catalog vendor)

3. Art Abstracts journal holdings in the OhioLINK Central Catalog

ArtSTOR Training

Denison University, November 2004

Co-Organized by Nedda and Jane

Trainers from ArtSTORTo get ArtSTOR trainers we needed:• 15 people from one institution or• any number of people, but from at least 5

different institutions

“Not Bought In Ohio” Project Yankee Book Peddler (YBP)

• YBP has developed a mechanism to track books not purchased by OhioLINK members

• Lists can be created, stored/saved, and reviewed for purchase

How were the records collected?

Searches done 6 months after release date; allowed regular ordering to occur.

Titles Not Bought in Ohio via YBP: • Placed in a folder in GOBI

• Searched in the OhioLINK Central Catalog

• Notes added to titles available in the OhioLINK Central Catalog

Ordering was handled differently by each library,

in consultation with local Acquisitions Specialists.

Cooperative Collection DevelopmentExhibition Catalogs

Six Ohio libraries have accounts with Worldwide Books:

• Oberlin College• Columbus College of Art and Design• Ohio State University• University of Cincinnati• Cleveland Institute of Arts• Miami University

Worldwide Books“NBIO” Project

Less sophisticated• No fancy software• Manual checking of titles in Central Catalog

(no GOBItween)• Results distributed via e-mail

Easier to start-up• No passwords/training needed• No new routines for acquisitions staff

Worldwide Books “NBIO” Project

Concept could be applied to many subject specialty book vendors, as long as libraries have the infrastructure in place:• Appropriate bibliographers and reference staff

on an electronic discussion list• An up-to-date/live Central Catalog• Available student staff (to search the Central

Catalog)

The Results…

Would We Do It Again?

• Effective

• Useful

• Flexible

• Satisfying

• Took some effort• Confusion about procedures• Worth it?

Project 3:Core Journals in OhioLINK

Art Abstracts is a core index for Art research

Project: 1. Identify Art Abstract journal holdings in the OhioLINK Central Catalog

2. Make that information available to OhioLINK Art and Architecture bibliographers

When Next We Meet…

Review current projects:• ArtSTOR Training • Worldwide & YBP Not Bought in Ohio

projects• Art Abstracts coverage in OhioLINK

Central Catalog

What’s Next?

• Better coverage of foreign titles?• Work with OP book dealers to expand acquisition

of important OP materials?• Expand coverage of non-western art?• Consider ways allow limited loans of non-

circulating items between OhioLINK Art & Architecture libraries?

• Artists’ books cooperative collection development?

• Digital projects for OhioLINK Digital Commons?

…A Work in Progress

The Art & Architecture Subject Group….