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A panel discussion held during the art libraries society of North America annual conference, Boston, MA, February 22, 1982
L.ibmr_~ Acquisitions:
Practice and Theory, Vol. 7,
pp. 34, 1983
Printed in the USA. All rights reserved.
03~~08/83/01~3~2$03.~/0
Copyright Q 1983 Pergamon Press Ltd
ART LIBRARIES: COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT IN THE 1980s
A Panel Discussion Held During the Art Li3xari~ Society of North America Annuai Conference, Boston, MA, February 22,1982 THE LAPjr REPORT WANDA V. DOLE Regional Sales Manager, Northeast Blackwell North America, 1001 Fries Mill Road, Blackwood. NJ 08012
INTRODUCTION Like other librarians in the 198Os, the art librarian is facing the problems of shrinking budgets and rising costs of materials and personnel coupled with an increasingly demanding user population. The art librarian’s problems are compounded by the high unit cost of materials and the difficulties associated with obtaining specialized and unique materials such as exhibition catalogs. In the summer of 1981, before the impact of Reaganomics and decreased federal support to educational and cultural institutions had become as hard-felt as it is today, a survey of the members of the Academic Type of Library (TOL) of the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) revealed that collection development in the art library in the 1980s was a topic of major concern. It was this concern that led to the Academic TOL program, “Collection Development in the 198Os,” during the tenth annual ARLIS/NA conference in Boston, February 1982. A panel composed of art librarians from two types of institutions and vendors, both full-service and those specializing in art materials, addressed various problems involved in finding economical and efficient methods of identifying, selecting and acquiring materials for the art library. The central issues discussed in the program included the question of whether there is one best method of collection development for the art library, the merits of various methods of acquiring art exhibition catalogs and whether title-by-title selection is preferable to the use of approval or gathering plans. 3
4
WANDA
V. DOLE
Nadene Byrne (School of the Art Institute of Chicago) began the session with a talk entitled “Selection and Acquisition in an Art School Library.” Byrne presented the results of an informal survey on collection policies and acquisitions budgets of art school libraries. Emphasizing the unique needs of the art school library, she maintained that a variety of acquisition methods are necessary to meet these needs. Byrne spoke against the use of approval plans. In “Acquisitions Approaches to Exhibition Catalogues,” Brian Gold (Worldwide Books) presented an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of several common methods of acquiring exhibition catalogs. He emphasized the economic advantages of standing order selection services offered by specialized vendors. Douglas Duchin (Yankee Book Peddler) discussed the role of the full-service book jobber in collection development in the art library. In his presentation, “The Jobber as a Surrogate Acquisitions Librarian,” he maintained that an approval plan with a full-service vendor was an appropriate method of acquiring new and “obvious” titles. He also discussed the role of approval plans in the acquisition of exhibition catalogs. Jane Anne Snider (Herron School of Art) read a paper on “Art Books on Approval: Why Not?” prepared by Don Stave (Blackwell North America). Stave’s paper also emphasized the applications of approval plans to collection development in the fine arts. He illustrated the magnitude of the selection decisions facing the art librarian by citing the number and cost of art titles offered on approval in the fine arts in 1981. These papers are a selection of those presented by the panelists at the discussion. Although they have a definite special slant to art libraries, it is evident that many of the same problems and solutions are common to all libraries in these times.
Practice and Theory, Vol. 7,
pp. 34, 1983
Printed in the USA. All rights reserved.
03~~08/83/01~3~2$03.~/0
Copyright Q 1983 Pergamon Press Ltd
ART LIBRARIES: COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT IN THE 1980s
A Panel Discussion Held During the Art Li3xari~ Society of North America Annuai Conference, Boston, MA, February 22,1982 THE LAPjr REPORT WANDA V. DOLE Regional Sales Manager, Northeast Blackwell North America, 1001 Fries Mill Road, Blackwood. NJ 08012
INTRODUCTION Like other librarians in the 198Os, the art librarian is facing the problems of shrinking budgets and rising costs of materials and personnel coupled with an increasingly demanding user population. The art librarian’s problems are compounded by the high unit cost of materials and the difficulties associated with obtaining specialized and unique materials such as exhibition catalogs. In the summer of 1981, before the impact of Reaganomics and decreased federal support to educational and cultural institutions had become as hard-felt as it is today, a survey of the members of the Academic Type of Library (TOL) of the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) revealed that collection development in the art library in the 1980s was a topic of major concern. It was this concern that led to the Academic TOL program, “Collection Development in the 198Os,” during the tenth annual ARLIS/NA conference in Boston, February 1982. A panel composed of art librarians from two types of institutions and vendors, both full-service and those specializing in art materials, addressed various problems involved in finding economical and efficient methods of identifying, selecting and acquiring materials for the art library. The central issues discussed in the program included the question of whether there is one best method of collection development for the art library, the merits of various methods of acquiring art exhibition catalogs and whether title-by-title selection is preferable to the use of approval or gathering plans. 3
4
WANDA
V. DOLE
Nadene Byrne (School of the Art Institute of Chicago) began the session with a talk entitled “Selection and Acquisition in an Art School Library.” Byrne presented the results of an informal survey on collection policies and acquisitions budgets of art school libraries. Emphasizing the unique needs of the art school library, she maintained that a variety of acquisition methods are necessary to meet these needs. Byrne spoke against the use of approval plans. In “Acquisitions Approaches to Exhibition Catalogues,” Brian Gold (Worldwide Books) presented an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of several common methods of acquiring exhibition catalogs. He emphasized the economic advantages of standing order selection services offered by specialized vendors. Douglas Duchin (Yankee Book Peddler) discussed the role of the full-service book jobber in collection development in the art library. In his presentation, “The Jobber as a Surrogate Acquisitions Librarian,” he maintained that an approval plan with a full-service vendor was an appropriate method of acquiring new and “obvious” titles. He also discussed the role of approval plans in the acquisition of exhibition catalogs. Jane Anne Snider (Herron School of Art) read a paper on “Art Books on Approval: Why Not?” prepared by Don Stave (Blackwell North America). Stave’s paper also emphasized the applications of approval plans to collection development in the fine arts. He illustrated the magnitude of the selection decisions facing the art librarian by citing the number and cost of art titles offered on approval in the fine arts in 1981. These papers are a selection of those presented by the panelists at the discussion. Although they have a definite special slant to art libraries, it is evident that many of the same problems and solutions are common to all libraries in these times.