Print Identification Tools in Art Museum Libraries A Collection Evaluation and Survey

Background Very few print identification tools, yet print i.d. a common problem Two types of print identifiers Physical: Kind of print (etching, engraving etc.) Biographical: Printer’s monogram or collector’s mark Establish need for online print identification resource

Very few print identification tools, yet print i.d. a common problem

Two types of print identifiers

Physical: Kind of print (etching, engraving etc.)

Biographical: Printer’s monogram or collector’s mark

Establish need for online print identification resource

Print Identifiers Collector’s Mark (Galichon) Printmaker’s Monogram (Goltzius) Etching (Schirmer) Engraving (Morghen) Biographical Physical

Data Collection Part 1: Collection Evaluation of Museum Library OPACs Five key books for print identification Part 2: Brief survey of art museum librarians Web-based

Part 1: Collection Evaluation of Museum Library OPACs

Five key books for print identification

Part 2: Brief survey of art museum librarians

Web-based

Sample Sample will be chosen from the American Association of Museums Museum Financial Information 2003 Art museums divided by funding and collection size, ideally a ten institution sample for each permutation Size 1: less than 10,000 items Size 2: 10,000 to 50,000 items Size 3: more than 50,000 items Funding 1: less than $7 million Funding 2: $7 to $14 million Funding 3: over $14 million Size3 Funding: 3 Size: 2 Funding: 3 Size: 1 Funding: 3 Size: 3 Funding: 2 Size: 2 Funding: 2 Size: 1 Funding: 2 Size: 3 Funding: 1 Size: 2 Funding:1 Size: 1 Funding: 1

Sample will be chosen from the American Association of Museums Museum Financial Information 2003

Art museums divided by funding and collection size, ideally a ten institution sample for each permutation

Procedures Part 1: Collection evaluation of OPACs Part 2: Brief online survey of art museum librarians whose OPACs were evaluated Key Questions Approximately how many requests a month do you get regarding prints? How many of these questions deal with print identification? What print identification resources do you use the most?

Part 1: Collection evaluation of OPACs

Part 2: Brief online survey of art museum librarians whose OPACs were evaluated

Key Questions

Approximately how many requests a month do you get regarding prints?

How many of these questions deal with print identification?

What print identification resources do you use the most?

Instruments Part 1: Collection evaluation data sheet Check sheet Book titles Institution name Institution funding and collection size level Part 2: Online survey Letter sent to librarians directing them to website HTML survey using drop boxes, radio buttons, free text fields

Part 1: Collection evaluation data sheet

Check sheet

Book titles

Institution name

Institution funding and collection size level

Part 2: Online survey

Letter sent to librarians directing them to website

HTML survey using drop boxes, radio buttons, free text fields

Expected Results Few libraries will have all five sources Librarians will have received requests for print identification that they do not have the resources to answer

Few libraries will have all five sources

Librarians will have received requests for print identification that they do not have the resources to answer