IFLA Art Libraries Section Newsletter international federation of library associations and institutions № 59, 2006 Contents Editorial Editorial Another busy year is lying ahead of us. In 2007 the Call for Papers 2 Art Libraries Section will participate in the Durban Brief History and Cooperative Conference in August with an Open Session and Scheme of Art Museum Workshop. The call for papers is published in this Libraries in Japan Today 3 issue and we hope to attract good papers. International Art Libraries In this issue there are many interesting articles. Networking 7 We can learn about Japanese art libraries and their Collecting of Rare Materials at St. Petersburg Library 9 cooperative partnership, about the Virtual Cata- National Reports logue for Art History and it’s current developments, Australia and about rare materials at St. Petersburg Library. Canada 2 Through national reports we are able to learn Germany 3 about various activities and projects library associa- Russia 3 tions and single countries are dealing with. Spain 5 Soon it will also be time for nominating candidates United Kingdom 6 United States 7 for the ALS Standing Committee. New Publications 8 We hope that our Section members will consider ALS Standing Committee 20 possible candidates and use the opportunity to submit nominations. Thank you for all the contributions to this Newsletter! Eila Rämö Editor 2 ifla art libraries section newsletter • 59/2006 Call for Papers The programme of the Art Libraries be preserved into the future with the Section is planned under the general help of technology. theme of the World Library and You are invited to take part by Information Congress: 73rd IFLA submitting a paper for presentation. General Conference and Council to Alternatively we welcome recom- be held 9–23 August 2007, in Durban, mendations of speakers who are well South Africa. qualified to address any aspect of the IFLA Art Libraries topic. Section Newsletter “Libraries for the future: Progress, The Proposal for a paper should Development and Partnerships.” include the following details: ISSN 026-52X (print) * Author’s name ISSN 87-633X (online) The Art Libraries Section is pleased * Institution (with address, to announce its intention to hold telephone, facsimile and e-mail) Editor a 2-hour session and a workshop * Biographical sketch Eila Rämö during the conference. The themes of * Title of paper University of Art and Design. the Open session and the Workshop * Original language version (Chinese, Library are co-ordinated with the president’s English, French, German, Russian, Hämeentie 35 C theme of Partnerships and also the Spanish) 00560 Helsinki general IFLA theme. * Technical support required (e.g. Finland computer projection, overhead E-mail: eramo@uiah.fi theme for the open session: projection, slide projection) Layout “Developing and documenting Jani Pulkka contemporary indigenous and deadlines: minority culture” Proposals for papers are due to 20th Printed by of January 2007. Please include the Multiprint, Helsinki, Finland theme for the workshop: title and an abstract of the proposed “Art library outreach” paper between 00 and 200 words. Illustrations * working with other institutions to Notification of acceptance of IFLA and the authors. increase the relevance of libraries in your paper will be given by 20th of the modern world February 2007. The full paper must The Newsletter is produced and including partnerships and outreach be completed and sent to the Chair distributed with the generous * support of the Getty Research to indigenous communities of the Art Libraries Section by st of Library. April 2007. We suggest to focus on the role of the Papers should be no more than 8 The Newsletter is available also art libraries and their partners in docu- pages on A4 paper, double spaced. in electronic form on IFLANET at menting and preserving threatened http://www.ifla.org/VII/s30/index. cultures. please send your proposal to: htm#Newsletter These themes reflect the philosophi- Olga Sinitsyna, Chair cal and practical sides of the same IFLA Art Libraries Section Next Issue issue. All-Russia State Library for Copy deadline is 30th April 2007. It is also hoped to arrange a visit/s to Foreign Literature libraries Nikoloyamskaya St., Contributions should be sent to the Editor. In order to maintain an up- With these topics the Art Libraries 0989, Moscow, Russia to-date Mailing List please ensure Section could further fit with the IFLA Tel: +7 495 95 362 that your address details are correct. interest in indigenous cultures and Fax: +7 495 95 3637 Send any changes and corrections to their rich heritage, whose loss is often E-mail: olgas@libfl.ru the Editor. caused in part by technology, and can ifla art libraries section newsletter • 59/2006 3 Brief History and Cooperative Scheme of Art Museum Libraries in Japan Today: Centering on ‘exhibition catalogs’ – art librarians’ most valuable materials 1) Takeshi Mizutani MOT: Museum of Contemporary Art, national membership base, co-orga- Chief, Planning Office for Tokyo nized exhibitions with major media Art Informatics NACT: The National Art Center, Tokyo companies and/or other art institu- Independent Administrative TMMP: Tokyo Metropolitan Museum tions, and special exhibitions planned Institution National Museum of Photography by NACT’s own curatorial staff. of Art Librarian, Art Library NMWA: Museum of Western Art, Tokyo All formerly state-run museums in The National Museum of YMA: Yokohama Museum of Art Japan were semi-privatized in 200. Modern Art, Tokyo Nine national museums are now orga- 1. About the National nized under the wings of two admin- resume Art Center, Tokyo istrative institutions: Art libraries of The National Museum The National Art Center, Tokyo of Modern Art, Tokyo [MOMAT], The [NACT] (URL: http://www.nact.jp), independent administrative National Museum of Western Art Japan’s fifth national art institution, institution national museum [NMWA], Museum of Contemporary will open to the public on January 2, of art Art, Tokyo [MOT] and Yokohama 2007, in Roppongi, an area of Tokyo * The National Museum of Modern Museum of Art [YMA] form the Art that has been redeveloping as an artis- Art Tokyo [MOMAT] Libraries’ Consortium [ALC] in the tic and cultural district. (See Fig.) * The National Museum of Modern hope of promoting partnership be- NACT is the first national art insti- Art, Kyoto tween art libraries in Japan. The Art tution without a permanent collec- * The National Museum of Western Library of The National Art Center, tion, and has three pillars of functions: Art [NMWA] Tokyo [NACT] will also be joining ALC Exhibiting, Education/Outreach * The National Museum of Art, Osaka. upon its opening in late January 2007. Programming, and Information * The National Art Center, Tokyo Author describes a brief history of Services. [NACT] Japanese art libraries and their co- In regard to exhibiting, NACT has operative partnership today, while a total of 4,000 square meters of floor independent administrative emphasizing the necessity of resource space for exhibitions, the largest scale institution national museum sharing among art libraries and librar- in Japan. It will focus on serving as * Tokyo National Museum ians. ALC has been playing a key role a venue for different types of art exhi- * Kyoto National Museum in introducing standardized guide- bitions such as annual exhibitions of * Nara National Museum lines for art exhibition publications, private artist associations with a * Kyushu National Museum and centralizing information in its cross retrieval OPAC (virtual union catalog, URL: http://alc.opac.jp), a fig. 1 The logo and the exterior joint initiative which started in March of The National Art Center, 2004 to share collections and services Tokyo Distinctive design characterized by its undulating across art museum libraries. glass façade, which lets off a clear, steady glow like a paper abbreviations: lantern in the evening, is the ACL: Art Catalog Library of the work of renowned architect Japan Association for Cultural Kisho Kurokawa. The logo on the upper left, a stylized take Exchange(ACE Japan). on the character “shin”, which ALC: Art Libraries’ Consortium means “new” and is part of the JAC: Japan Art Catalog Project NACT’s Japanese name, was JADS: Japan Art Documentation designed by Kashiwa Sato, a Society graphic designer on the rise. MOMAT: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo 4 ifla art libraries section newsletter • 59/2006 Since NACT is a national art facility libraries, especially those of exhibition fascinating fort of exhibition catalogs without a permanent collection, its catalogs. TheNACT Art Library, which that brings fantasy of art exhibitions function of centrally collecting and is planning to join ALC upon its open- to mind. ³⁾ disseminating art-related information ing in January 2007, is expected to assumes high importance. Especially, contribute its share of the responsibil- 2. A Prehistory of alc and jads securing a comprehensive collection of ity by supplementing the ALC catalog 2006 is the 20th anniversary of exhibition publications is crucial to the with the cataloging records of its post- IFLA General Conference in Tokyo, NACT Art Library. WWII exhibition catalog collection. that took place in August 986. As a The fundamental problem of When NACT was still a preparatory matter of fact, IFLA Tokyo⁴⁾ is closely building a comprehensive collection of office, I wrote a short essay about related to the course of development Japanese exhibition catalogs is museum, exhibition, catalog and their for Japanese art libraries. As we all deeply related to the Japanese copy- relationship, placing my hopes on know, IFLA has sections according to right law, which defines an exhibition the new art library to be set up. In the different subjects under the Division catalog as a booklet for the purpose of essay I published in the “Setsuritsu of Special Libraries, and the meeting introducing/interpreting the pieces on Junbishitsu News (News Letter of The of the Section of Art Libraries was display to the visitors of the show.