Art library collections at research universities: Challenges and opportunities for collaborative collection development

Abstract

Collection development for the arts at large research universities presents certain issues that can be challenging for the librarians responsible. Some of these issues include: collaborating with other selectors, managing multiple library locations, preventing unnecessary duplication, acquiring non-traditional material, working with non-academic publishers, and varying circulation policies. In this article, the Librarian for the Fine Arts and the Head of the Institute of Fine Arts Library at New York University will discuss their experience navigating these challenges in the first two and a half years of their collaboration. The authors will present strategies for leveraging these challenges as opportunities and will share the benefits they have experienced from this effort.