MUSEUM TOL: Confessions of an Art Museum LibrarianAuthor(s): Jack Miller and Laurie B. ReeseSource: Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, Vol. 6,No. 4 (Winter 1987), pp. 168-169Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Art Libraries Society of NorthAmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27947827 .

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168 Art Documentation, Winter 1987

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ACADEMIC TOL edited by Lee Sorensen

Art Bulletin's "The State of Research" An exciting series reviewing the literature of art history has

appeared in five recent issues of the Art Bulletin, Although most academic art librarians are familiar with "The State of Research"1 series, a careful reading of each of them is par ticularly rewarding for those who are responsible for under graduate and graduate art libraries. Despite editor Richard Spear's caveat that the series' "purpose is not bibliographic,"2 the series has largely been an intellectual tour of what's hot in art history and why. The list of proposed participants in cludes Brunhilde Sismondo Rigway, Herbert Kessler, William Hood, Larry Silver, Sandra Hindman, Elizabeth Cropper and Charles Dempsey, Egbert Haverkamp-Begemann, Barbara Stafford, Richard Shiff, Donald Kuspit,and Wanda Corn.

The series is useful for academic librarians in a variety of ways. First, as a literature review, it allows librarians to check individual library holdings against a list drawn up by eminent scholars. Second, it brushes up reference skills in literature? both old and new?which we as librarians may have forgot ten or never known. Third, it offers an interdisciplinary look at the field and the direction it is taking.

The most interdisciplinary of the essays published thus far is the first on ancient art by Brunhilde Sismondo Rigway. Professor Rigway examines the serials in her field and the kinds of articles on ancient art they are likely to print. Next she briefly reviews monographs and some current debates in classical archaeology which are causing a flurry of publica tion. Sociological approaches and the renewed interest in Hellenism receive thoughtful treatment, as do her citations of painting studies which help fill in "the grievous losses from the classical past." Librarians will sympathize with Dr. Rigway

when she notes on page 20 and in note 119 the dramatic rise in cost and size of Festschriften on classical topics. Perhaps

more than the others in the series, the footnotes of her arti cle read like enumerative bibliography drawing its material from archaeology, sociology, connoisseurship, laboratory re

search, iconography and, yes, art history.3 Complementary articles by Larry Silver and Sandra Hind

man appeared two issues later on northern Renaissance art. These articles differ in approach from the first, but are in no way less valuable for the art librarian. Professor Silver dis cusses hermeneutics and interpretation theory as they apply to art history in general and specifically to the Renaissance art of the North. Authors as different as Foucault, Ringb0m and P?cht are contrasted against the (now) standard mono graphs by Panofsky and Baxandall. Dr. Hindman's addendum on the literature of illustrated books of the period, "il luminating" as it is, points to the discouraging fact that there is little overview material for beginning students on northern

Renaissance book production. Donald Kuspit's treatment of twentieth-century art his

toriography in the March 1987 issue helps clarify many of the new critical approaches to the subject. Contrasting the "semiotic/deconstructive approach"?his phrase?with Geistesgeschichte and positivism, Kuspit orders the ap proaches of art history dominated by scholars from other fields. Since a bibliography of this art historical genre has not been attempted, this is a valuable review, if, admit tedly, subjective. Like the Silver/Hindman piece, Kuspit's foot notes contain a high number of journal articles. When the series is complete, college and university art librarians should possess a valuable and current study of trends and methodologies of art history.

NOTES 1Brunhilde Sismondo Rigway, "The State of Research on Ancient Art/' Art

Bulletin 68 (March 1986): 7-23; reply, Art Bulletin 68 (September 1986): 480-1 and 481-2; Larry Silver, "Northern European Art of the Renaissance Era," Art Bulletin 68 (December 1986): 518-35; Sandra Hindman, "The illuminated Book, an Addendum to the State of Research of Northern Renaissance Art/' Art

Bulletin 68 (December 1986): 536-42; Donald Kuspit, "Conflicting Logic: Twen tieth Century Art History at the Crossroads," Art Bulletin 68 (March 1987): 6. 2"From the Editor/' Art Bulletin 68 (March 1986): 6. 3Her disclaimer that she does not consider herself an art historian may, in part, explain why art librarians see so few students of archaeology in our libraries.

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MUSEUM TOL edited by Jack Miller

Confessions of an Art Museum Librarian The most fundamental question that an art museum li

brarian faces is why anyone would choose, today, to follow such a career. In the realm of librarianship, the academic library offers far more in the way of scholarship, while con tact with people and/or book collections would certainly be broader in one of the many grand public libraries. Then, there is the art world. Yet, surely, if one wants an active role in the arts, the group to join?the real movers and shapers?must be the museum directors, gallery owners, curators, critics, collectors, and the artists themselves, not librarians. Another way of putting the question: Aren't museum librarians little more than filing clerks and research assistants combined?

Reviewing my own meandering path to the library of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, I find tentative answers to such questions. The role of museum librarian does include tedious filing, paperwork, possible assistance with research, and uninspiring processing of library materials. Many mu seums are unable to provide support staff, leaving the pro fessional librarians to do the menial tasks. For all these chores, there is nonetheless a mission for the librarian which directors, curators, and art librarians themselves are now

coming to realize. Only the librarian can manage, process, and make usable the onrush of information pouring forth from galleries, museums, artists, various news and periodical media, and the artworld generally.

Controlling information in the arts involves major consid erations that need to be decided in conjunction with the objectives of the museum. First, there is collection develop ment. Will the library collect only works relevant to the mu seum's collection of art? What other museum catalogs will be sought, either on exchange or for purchase? What sort of research must be supported? What auction catalogues are needed? Which of the countless art periodicals will be se lected? Few museum libraries are not seriously limited in budget and in space. Hence, collection policy is often Spar tan; selection is thus all the more critical.

The second major consideration is patronage. Will the li brary serve: curators only, the museum staff, museum mem bers and docents, scholars doing special research, or the public? My memories of researching various twentieth-cen tury artists for my doctoral dissertation bring to mind the frustrations I felt when informed that this or that museum library was not open to the public. Though the policy usually stated, "museum staff only," I gathered that the restriction was really an elitist one, that the select "aristocrats" of the artworld alone had access to these libraries. This theory was usually confirmed when I persisted by explaining my creden tials and my connections with academia.

Many museums, of which the High Museum is one, simply do not have the space nor the facilities for general library use by the public, or even by members (some 20,000 in the case of the High). Working toward the goal of making the museum library more accessible and more visible, eventually raising the appreciation of the casual viewer of art, is another crucial aim art librarians are recognizing.

In addition to the ideals of museum librarianship, there are also a few perquisites. Museum staff are usually the first to know of future exhibitions. There are also openings and re ceptions to attend. I have to confess that viewing the colorful and witty New Yorker cartoons in our recent "Art of the New Yorker" show in our downtown branch museum, as I sipped excellent champagne and nibbled fresh salmon, was a de light. The show also provided the opportunity for exchanging

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Art Documentation, Winter 1987 169

?deas with a variety of art lovers. Anyone who enjoys art, or even being involved with those connected with the arts, gen erally will find the museum library a congenial environment.

At best, the position of art librarian in a museum offers the possibility of providing the library users with a broad, synop tic vision of art and the artworld. Museum librarians may further have the responsibility of teaching in adult programs within the museum, or of teaching courses in affiliate art colleges, thereby expanding their expertise. From perusing major catalogues of shows around the country, to scanning art periodicals, the librarian ought to be aware of the artistic currents that run deeper than fads and trends. Harold Rosen berg wrote of the museum's need for coherence and vision in The De-Definition of Art (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1983: p. 242):

The dilemma of the museum is that it takes its aes thetic stand on the basis of art history, which it is help ing to liquidate. The blending of painting and sculpture into the decorative media, the adulteration of styles, the

mixing of genres in order to create an 'environment' for the spectator have completed the erosion of values de rived exclusively from the art of the past which was begun by the avant-garde art movements. What is needed to replace those values is a critical outlook to ward history and the part played by creation in con temporary culture, politics, and technology.

Unlike the Earth, the artworld is hurtling not toward a single, but many constellations. With all of the arts becoming more complex, approaching chaos in some cases, there is a pro found need for anyone who can provide order, direction, and a coherent overview. This is the special province of the art librarian.

Jack Miller High Museum of Art

Observations on Docent Training and the Library The Toledo Museum of Art was the host, and the kaleide

scope the theme, of the 1987 National Docent Symposium. From March 24-26, over 400 docents and professional mu seum educators from art museums, aquariums, botanical

gardens, historic sites, metroparks, natural history museums, and zoos in the United States and Canada came together to share ideas on the administration and content of docent pro grams and on the future of museum education as a neces

sary and acknowledged component of museum services. The symposium's objectives were three-fold: "To impart an awareness of the factors which influence the learning pro cess in museums; to provide docents with background infor mation on specific areas of museum collections; and to provide opportunities for creative and effective management of docent organizations." Highlights of sessions included the communication and learning styles of museum audiences and talks which focused on the Toledo Museum's own splen did and diverse holdings. Field trips took conference at tendees outside the museum to the Toledo Zoo, Crosby Gardens and Wildwood Metropark, and to the Wolcott House Museum complex. Steering Committee efforts left no stone unturned, all of which resulted in a beautifully executed and highly informative symposium. The National Gallery of Art will host the next such gathering to be held in May of 1989.

The place of the library in and its relevance to docent pro gramming, however, were absent from the symposium's own

scheduling and post-session discussions. Novel, or otherwise explicit, uses of the museum library were not brought out. Of the sessions I attended, I heard but one docent organizer, representing a natural history museum, refer to her institu tion's library as a regular component of docent training.

Upon questioning individual conference attendees, I was able to learn of two ways in which docents go about satisfy ing their informational needs: they purchase their own books in order to complete assignments; and, they use docent-run libraries, collections of materials separate from their institu tion's own information center. While some docents com

mended the involvement and availability of their museum librarian in docent training, others commented on the lack of space available for study in their museum library still others on a "curators-only" atmosphere within the library pervasive enough to inhibit, if not dissuade, use.

The future of museum education lies in the quality of pro grams and services offered to the mass of visitors who enter our museums daily. Surely the quality of a museum library's collections and services is in part responsible for docent suc cess in reaching such a varied public and docent ability to keep this public coming back for more. I call upon museum librarians who do participate in docent training to broadcast their activity?in print and in person at conferences?to ar

gue for more space to house collections and readers, and to open their doors to all who are responsible for communicat ing with visitors in a museum.

Laurie B. Reese Los Angeles Public Library

PUBLIC TOL edited by Paula Baker

Public Art Project: A Further Look at Slide/Tape Production and Book Publication at

the Onondaga Public Library, Syracuse, N.Y.

Background In February 1985, OCPL received a grant from the New York

State Council on the Arts to carry out a project designed to identify and document works of art in public places in Syr acuse and Onondaga County. The bulk of project activity occurred from March 18, 1985, until December 12, 1985, and included a slide/tape show, "Public Art in Syracuse and

Onondaga County," and a 32-page book of the same title, published by OCPL in cooperation with a local arts organiza tion. Because being involved in both the production of the show and the book go beyond usual library activities, we would like to share our experiences with those who might consider such an undertaking.

Hiring the photographer We chose to work with photographer Rich Kampas of Pho

tomedia in Syracuse because we were familiar with his con sistent high-quality work, he had a genuine interest in public art, he had worked with government agencies before and understood our constraints, and he would accept a contract for the complete package of the slide/tape show. This last point was very important to us since he worked with an outstanding sound man, Mike Riposo.

Because Kampas was the one person accepting final re

sponsibility for the production of the complete package, we eliminated the risk of being given the runaround in the case of any problems. We were asked to draft our own contract on behalf of the library and the county. We had no experience but we did get some sample contracts and also asked other people for input so we wouldn't forget anything important, a

In the beginning Our first meeting with the photographer was an oppor

tunity to have a "short course" in slide/tape production. We knew what kinds of information we wanted to communicate but he advised us on the length and writing style for the narrative. It is especially important to be comfortable writing for the voice to speak rather than for the eyes to read! He also discussed how we could plan for the use of the photo graphs in our book while we simultaneously did the slides.

At the beginning of July, a shooting script of artworks to be photographed was delivered to the photographer along with a letter of introduction so that he would gain access to art works on public view in privately owned places. Soon after, a

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