The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship

An international team of contributors wrote the essays in this essential handbook, which examines methods of innovative librarianship in art and design libraries throughout the world. With a focus on the intersection of best practices and best opportunities, the book brings together the philosophies and realities of the most creative librarians working in the field of art and design librarianship today and serves as a field guide to art and design libraries in the twenty-first century. Key topics include: The role of liaison to the visual arts; Visual literacy for highly literate viewers; Art history pedagogy and special collections; Technology in an art and design library; Collection management, renewal, and de-accession; New forms of scholarly communication and their impact on art librarianship; The making of the 21st century art library. This timely book is essential reading for all information professionals working in art and design environments. It will also be of interest to library and information science students interested in the challenges currently facing professionals working in this specialized area.