Art Documentation

Art Documentation is the official bulletin of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 1982-present. It includes articles and information relevant to art librarianship and visual resources curatorship. Since 1996, it has been published twice yearly (spring and fall). Art Documentation is published for ARLIS/NA by University of Chicago Press, which supports green open access for all of its journals. The subscription to Art Documentation is included as part of membership in ARLIS/NA.

Members-only Access

ARLIS/NA members may access Art Documentation electronically via a controlled access site:

Members-only Access to Art Documentation

Authors

Authors who wish to publish their work in Art Documentation should consult the Contributor Guidelines.

Authors may self-archive their own articles and make them freely available through institutional repositories after a one-year embargo. Authors may also post their articles in their published form on their personal or departmental web pages or personal social media pages, use the article in teaching or research presentations, provide single copies in print or electronic form to their colleagues, or republish the article in a subsequent work, subject to giving proper credit to the original publication of the article in Art Documentation, including reproducing the exact copyright notice as it appears in the journal.

Non-member Access to Journal

To purchase individual issues please contact University of Chicago Press customer service online; by email at subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu; or via the phone at +1 877-705-1878 (toll-free, U.S. & Canada), or +1 773-753-3347 (International).

Tables of Contents

To search Art Documentation contents 1982-present, visit the journal home page with the University of Chicago Press.

Current Issue Abstracts

Art Documentation vol. 42, no. 1 (Spring 2023)

The War on the Cultural Heritage of Ukraine

Mary Kandiuk

Abstract— The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the ensuing devastating conflict have resulted in the deliberate targeting and destruction of the cultural heritage of Ukraine. This article examines the strategies being employed to document the destruction of material, intangible and digital Ukrainian cultural heritage, the local, national and global efforts undertaken to record and preserve this heritage, and the creative response of the Ukrainian cultural heritage community within Ukraine and around the world in reaction to the war.

Counts Count: Collections Analysis and Gender Equity at the National Gallery of Australia Research Library and Archives

Elizabeth Little and Lea Simpson

Abstract— In 2019, the National Gallery of Australia committed to a gender equity program and exhibition titled Know My Name. This article details how the Research Library and Archives has contributed to the understanding of gender equity across the Gallery, and specifically within the print monographs and exhibition catalogs.

Artists’ Books in Hand: Two Approaches to Circulating Artists’ Books in Academic Libraries

Giana Ricci and Marsha Taichman

Abstract— This article considers the artists’ book collections in two academic libraries: New York University, where books circulate routinely, and Cornell University, where books circulate by special arrangement. The authors examine how these collections were formed, their evolution, the challenges and advantages to having open collections, recommendations for libraries considering making their holdings available to patrons in the open stacks, and how these initiatives can contribute to a more equitable and inclusive library environment. The authors focus on how these endeavors can bridge gaps between patrons from marginalized communities and academic libraries.

Reactivation and Remediation through Artistic Intervention: Exploring Futures for Raw and Unedited Time-Based Media

Lelland Reed and Ali Dixon

Abstract— Unedited and raw video media—dailies, rushes, scratches, original or source footage, B-roll, and more—go by different names depending on the context of creation. This article examines the collecting, preservation, and access practices of raw, unedited, and auxiliary media through the lens of initial findings of a scoping review underway by the authors. Exploring the literature and incorporating post-custodial and media archeology frameworks expanded the authors’ research design to embrace the potential of access, reuse, and reactivation of materials as means of remediation. This paper discusses the potential raw, unedited, and auxiliary media pose for galleries, libraries, archives, and museums, as well as broader communities, and it encourages readers to embrace relationships with raw and unedited media, reuse, and resistance by way of community and artistic intervention.

Conceptual Violence in the Museum: A Brief Look at the Colonial Legacy in Art Museums, as Seen through a History of Harm and Misrepresentation in Museum Knowledge Organization Practices

Esther Momand

Abstract— Within the disciplines of information science and museum studies, the legacy of colonialism can be found within both museum collections and the knowledge organization systems used to categorize them. Knowledge organization systems reflect the context in which they were developed and mirror the biases and prejudices of their geographic and historical context. Apparently neutral systems of cultural heritage collection management may mask deeply entrenched racist structures that marginalize Indigenous and minority communities, perpetuating oppressive colonial legacies. As museum collections are increasingly digitized and made publicly available, the promise of unimpeded access to cultural heritage is not realized to its full potential and may instead be exacerbated by the same cultural hegemonic frameworks, albeit in a new form. Focusing on a recent exhibition at Oslo’s Munch Museum (MUNCH), Call Me by My Name, which invited audiences to participate in the renaming of paintings with titles containing discriminatory terms, this paper uses a decolonial archival theoretical framework to explore and critique the documentation that classifies and interprets museum collections. Brenda Leibowitz’s non-hegemonizing approach to knowledge offers a mechanism to examine this exhibition, one of a growing number of attempts to decolonize the museum.

Developing Information Competencies for Historic Preservation: Research and Procedure

Robert Adams and Dana B. Sly

Abstract— Following the 2016 publication of the Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, information literacy standards evolved to prioritize conceptual understandings and tangible learning skills that students could apply throughout the research process. With these new goals and focuses in mind, in 2018 the Art Libraries Society of North America began an updated and expanded collection of subject-specific core competencies that incorporate both the ACRL Framework, as well as the ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. This article describes the processes used to develop the core competencies for the newest report for historic preservation.

Metric Analysis of the Bibliographic Presence of Alfredo Sosabravo, Osneldo García Díaz, and Lesbia Vent Dumois in the Collection of the Cuban National Fine Arts Museum Library

Beatriz Tarré Alonso

Abstract— A metric analysis of the bibliographic information for three National Plastic Arts Award winners—Alfredo Sosabravo, Osneldo García Díaz, and Lesbia Vent Dumois—preserved in the Cuban National Fine Arts Museum’s library is presented in this article. The author collected a total of 136 physical documents (books, chapters of books, journals, articles, catalogs, and dossiers) for review. She performed documentary analysis based on a metric perspective, using chronological classification, documental typology, artistic manifestations, and editorial quality as indicators. Finally, a thematic productivity indicator allowed a subject analysis and contributed to information for dialogue and assistance in informational processes at the institution.