Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-s9k8s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-11T17:27:19.149Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The impact of electronic developments on museum librarians1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2016

Geert-Jan Koot*
Affiliation:
Jan Luykenstraat 1A, Postbox 74888, NL-1070 DN Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Get access

Abstract

According to a survey by Esther Bierbaum, museum libraries have poor status within their parent institutions, where they are often isolated entities. Yet current electronic developments as part of the information service model are resulting in a repositioning of such libraries within the organisational structure, as well as making them the best locations for museum information centres. Museum librarians are natural guardians of knowledge, and need to focus on supporting the development of information about the museum collections and taking on a leading role as information strategists.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Art Libraries Society 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Revised version of paper given at the ARLIS/UK & Ireland Annual Conference in Cambridge, The changing agenda for art librarians, 6-9 July 2000.Google Scholar
2. Bierbaum, E. Green. ‘Museum libraries: the more things change…Special libraries vol. 87 1996, p.7487.Google Scholar
3. Ibid. p. 83.Google Scholar
4. Davenport, T. H. and Prusak, L.Blow up the corporate library.’ International journal of information management vol. 13 1993, p.405413.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Orna, E. and Pettitt, C. Information management in museums. 2nd ed. Aldershot: Gower, 1998.Google Scholar
6. Ibid., p.2930.Google Scholar
7. Ibid., p.37.Google Scholar
8. Orna, E.Helping users to come to terms with the documentation’. Terminology for museums. Proceedings of an international conference held in Cambridge, England 21–24 September 1988. Cambridge: Museum Documentation Association, 1990, p.538.Google Scholar
9. Bierbaum, E. Green. ‘Records and access: museum registration and library cataloguing’. Cataloging and classification quarterly vol. 9 1988, p.97111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. REACH Project Summary Report, December 1998 http://www.rlg.org/reach.html.Google Scholar
11. Orna, E. and Pettitt, C., op. cit., p.52.Google Scholar
12. Will, L.Museums as information centres’. Museum international vol. 46 1994, p.21.Google Scholar
13. Ibid., p.21.Google Scholar
14. Burnett, J.Museum scholarship in the information age.’ Information: the hidden resource, museums and the Internet. Proceedings of the seventh international conference of the MDA held in Edinburgh, Scotland 6-7 November 1995. Cambridge: Museum Documentation Association, 1995, p.250.Google Scholar
15. Virtual Reference Desk http://www.vrd.org/.Google Scholar
16. Stahl, J.Have a question? Click here. Electronic reference at the National Museum of American Art.’ Art documentation vol. 17 1998, p.1012.Google Scholar
17. Orna, E. and Pettitt, C., op. cit., p.195201.Google Scholar
18. Ibid., p.104.Google Scholar
19. Lanzi, E.Improving access to art information: the REACH and VISION projects’. Art documentation vol. 17 1998, p. 1519.Google Scholar
20. Green, D. L.Networking cultural heritage: introducing NINCH (National Heritage for a Networked Cultural Heritage).’ Art documentation vol. 16 1997, p.1517.Google Scholar
21. Owen, T. and Johnson, R.Libraries, museums and archives collaborating in the United Kingdom and Europe.’ Art libraries journal vol. 24 no. 4 1999, p. 1013. The Commission has now been renamed Resource: the Commission for Museums, Archives and Libraries.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22. Allen, N. S.The role and function of libraries in art museums’. The Bulletin of Japan Art Documentation Society vol. 5 1996, p.19.Google Scholar