Enfilade

The Future of Art Bibliography in the 21st Century
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 20 April 2010

The Getty Research Institute has received a grant from the Kress Foundation to convene an international task force of art librarians, scholars, and information specialists from Europe and the United States to discuss the question of the future of art bibliography. Recent events, including discussions of art library closures, scant funding resources for ongoing support of art libraries and projects internationally, and the cessation of the Getty’s support for the continuation of BHA provide the catalyst to review current practices, take stock of changes, and seriously consider developing more sustainable and collaborative ways of supporting the bibliography of art history in the future.

The organizers of the task force (Kathleen Salomon, Getty Research Institute; Rüdiger Hoyer, Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte, Munich, and Jan Simane, Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz and Chair of the Art Libraries Section of IFLA) wish to extend an invitation to the art historical community to participate in a discussion on this topic to be held on Tuesday, April 20th in New York.  The meeting will be from 1:00-5:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (courtesy of Kenneth Soehner). Two panels presenting “thoughts from the field” will be followed by open discussion. The issues that come forward in the open meeting will help to lay the groundwork for the subsequent meeting of the smaller task force that will address what is and is not feasible for art bibliography in the future. The outcomes of the meeting and next steps will be posted and shared with the wider art historical community. If you would like to attend the open meeting, please note that seating is limited and must be reserved ahead of time. Please RSVP to Diane Lazar at dlazar@getty.edu by April 12th.

If you are unable to attend this meeting, note that there will be a recap and discussion session at ARLIS in Boston on Sunday April 25th, from 2:30-3:30, as well as at the IFLA Art Libraries Section meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, in August.