New From OCLC: Sustaining Art Research Collections

Sustaining Art Research Collections is the second in a two-part series describing findings from the Operationalizing the Art Research Collective Collection project, which is supported through a grant by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation with significant co-investment from OCLC. The first report, Sustaining Art Research Collections: Using Data to Explore Collaboration, models how library collection and resource sharing data can support decision-making about partnership opportunities.

The report features three case studies from the following:

  • Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Rice University—A museum library’s partnership with a neighboring university library focusing on shared access to and storage of library materials.   
  • OCAD University and the Ontario Council of University Libraries—A small art and design university’s membership in a regional consortium with 20 other university libraries of various sizes and types.   
  • Worcester Art Museum and College of the Holy Cross—A museum library’s partnership with a neighboring university, which includes a shared staffing model, cataloging and ILL infrastructure, and reciprocal access to the collections of both institutions. 

These case studies document the practical experiences and lessons learned from collaborations involving art and academic libraries to identify successful collaboration characteristics and typical challenges when planning, implementing, and sustaining a partnership.  

Abstract

The full text of the report may be downloaded in PDF here.

Part One of this two-part investigation is also available: 

Citation

Massie, Dennis, Chela Scott Weber, Mercy Procaccini, and Brian Lavoie. 2023. Sustaining Art Research Collections: Case Studies in Collaboration. With a foreword by Amelia Nelson. Dublin, OH: OCLC Research. https://doi.org/10.25333/kc2z-an73.