ARLIS/UK AFFILIATES WITH ARLIS/NA AT AGMAuthor(s): Stanley T. Lewis and Connie KoppelmanSource: ARLIS/NA Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 4/5 (SUMMER 1973), pp. 11-13Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Art Libraries Society of NorthAmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27945185 .

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I LIATE S ^ITH

ARLIS7NA AT AGM

^communicates ?ie following message: At its

^1 Mating on f> April 1973,? ARLIS/UK voted

t?it io its Restitution

which would enable it to er pjjraniza?ipns. Members also voted for

with>RLB/NA. ARLIS/UK warmly wel ppprtunity to promote art librarianship by coop --^o?e?fes wj?mutici interests. ARLIS/UK

ap^d]?3ev??<mment^)f ARLIS/NA with great

ery success.

NUAJL GENERAL MEETING

'hdd on-April 6, 1973 at the St.

^ Altlans, Hertfordshire. Representing the

JVFeeting^were Constance Koppel

Uj?Wsit^ of New York at Stony Brook)

s CfJbrary Science, Queens College, City

{). Thc?follovtfing does not attempt to

ons \wiich t<fok place, but are selective * interest to your representatives.

Jofan (Courtauld Institute of Art) offi

^warmth, and discussed the hope of ?r representation of ARLIS/UK at our forthcoming

in enthusiastic vote resulted in formal affili iS/?K ancf^A, in accordance withtthe UK Con

^^P^^f.comnjittees ?nd working parties were

er^t. to ?s in revealing the current status of UK

ails will aot be gone into here, since full discus

si! ARLIS/UJC Newsletters, Major reports '~ the Education Committee, actively preparing

art iirr?ajianship and working towards establishing t?e

?ducation of art librarians. The Standards

lang F^fP^ies%chieved a major and innovating contribu

to the^'field in^ts Statement on Standards in Art and De

\ibraHes (AkLIS/$K Newsletter, No.14, March 1973). [Iwrkei4 liooe? that this statement will be studied and

Issed it? i?l^ii'onsr?iprtQ.NAjart library problems at our

ix-hftijion Catalogue Working Party and the

|t^ii||fcqui$ition and Preservation Schemes repor luesticinnaires which had been sent to the member

\ retuifis of which are in the process of being coor

ily fajeinatittg to u& was the Microform Working ' effotfs navi been recorded in the December

blette*' The Issue includes a complete cross

Srmatiln: publishing, bibliographic |factu|ers, institutions, microforms

irts, ?id a bibliography, as well as

iyideofcxperimentation.

The Periodi lurvel of current library subscrip ; its ffidings during the current

* *. ? : npr.eked with the ongoing activities of

son&ny ofj-our NA professional organi

?xcitftig anmial conventions and accom

Ittie a collective Mature.?turing^the rest of the year,

^M??tinj^i?^^ted that.tfce annual get-together was to tact&tfra ofrthe ??lff^rent groups, during the year and to

?e?/^f?policy decisiohs, with thfe real heart and life zati.on bein^whatVcmbers achieve working in

VOLUME 1, NUMBERS SUMMER 1973

groups between the annual meetings. Groups are comprised of members from different geographic regions and different

types of libraries, yet they seem highly unified in terms of fraternal spirit and commonly-shared goals. Is it too idealistic

to hope that our newly affiliated status will serve to imbue us

with an equal enthusiasm in establishing reasonable goals not

being dealt with by other societies and then steadfastly work

ing towards fulfilling them? Among the newly elected officers are Trevor Fawcett,

Chairman (University of East Anglia Library) and Gaye Smith, Secretary (Manchester Polytechnic). The chief speaker at the

meeting was Ian Gibb, of the British Library. He explained that the British Library has been created by the British Library

Act, which created a Board which went into effect the preced

ing week (so that he was really sharing important news with

us.) The plan of the Act is that five institutions are to be brought

together: the National Lending Library for Science and Tech

nology, the British Museum, the National Central Library, the

British National Bibliography, and the National Reference Li

brary of Science and Invention. The new amalgamation will be

run by a government-funded Board, on which Mr. Gibb will

serve as an Assistant Director of the Science Library. By the

time you read this report there should have been achieved an

administrative combination of the various components. There

will be three operational units of the British Library reference

services (to be housed in a building to be constructed opposite the British Museum by the mid-1980's), lending services, and

bibliographic services. All national resources will be incorpora ted within these three areas, which will be coordinated by a

Central Secretariat. The reason I cite Gibb's report is to indicate the major im

port of his position, the newness of the operation, and the fact

that he was at the ARLIS/UK meeting to solicit the help of art librarians in this vast national undertaking. He stated that

the British Library is seeking guidance ? its services must be

based on facts, that it must be assured that its programs will

benefit people. He pointed out the problem that there are

unclear boundaries of what is worthwhile within the fields

of the social sciences and the humanities, and he specifically stated that he "wants subject pressure from ARLIS." Gibb

showed that while his own field is science he had been studying the art literature, since he spoke of problems of pamphlets and

exhibition catalogues, the. Victoria and Albert collecting in this

field, microform cassettes as being cheaper than computer

printouts, eventual online access to research data, etc. It was

thrilling to observe the respect for the knowledge of art librar

ians paid by this national project, and the official governmen tal challenge that ARLIS provide expertise input into the British Library from its very inception. One cannot help but

contrast this experience with the nature of the impact of art

librarianship on our side of the Atlantic.

During the social part of the meeting your representatives were warmly welcomed by many members who discussed their

personal and institutional activities and problems with vigor, and were anxious to learn of our concerns. Among the publi cations given us was Peter Moore's Comic Stnp Bibliography (Sheffield Polytechnic School of Art & Design Library), and

Annette Kuhn and Anne Poole's The Background and Career

of the Graduate Librarian (Higher Education Research Unit,

Department of Sociological Studies, Sheffield University).

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Before leaving St. Albans mention should be made of the School of Art's excellent library, headed by Philip Pacey (the editor of the ARLIS/UK Newsletter). It seems that practically every art library visited has well-designed, informative publi cations for the user or visitor. In the case of St. Albans the annual Prospectus of the School, a glossy-covered catalog which

gives extensive information on the Library, is supplemented with two additional library booklets. One, the Library Guide,

gives full data on the scope and organization of the library, its classification system, a ground plan showing the location of all aspects of the collection, a listing of the non-book "spe cial collections," a discussioni of periodicals, including how to use Art Index and B?tish Humanities Index, interlibrary loan

arrangements, and a listing of other libraries and art bookshops. The second booklet is Library Services to Schools and Colleges," which concentrates on the library's role within the network of the Hertfordshire County Council. It offers its collections and services to the public and to teachers and students on all

levels. One section deals with the Slide Loan Service, pointing out the non-art value of the collection, to teachers of history,

English, science and technology, etc., stating, for example, "The 'visual stimuli' section might have especial value in the

primary school." The user is referred to the printed catalog listing over 25,000 slides available to the community, copies of which are sent to the librarian of each school or college that

registers with the library to borrow slides. The tone of the li

brary is indicated by this sentence: "Teachers are warmly in

vited to make use of the library in these ways, and to exploit the information service and the expertise in matters of art books

and slides, which is offered by the library staff." The visitor is left with the feeling that the British professional art school li braries are unique and dedicated, worthy of a full study of

their educational and functional relationships to those in our

countries. Thanks must be paid to those individuals who did every

thing possible to make sure that our time was well spent. (By the time we left we felt that between us we had been to every art library,collection, bookshop and gallery in the country!) Chairman Michael Doran saw to it that we felt at home in

every way; between his efforts and the magic word "ARLIS" all doors were opened; more in fact than we could enter?we

hope that those collections we did not get to realize that they will be bombarded soon by others of us! Then we must thank

Philip Pacey, who not only saw to our comfort in St. Albans, but as the Newsletter editor gave us full access to information

on the organization. Most of all, this writer must acknowledge with gratitude the interest in the U.S. visitors shown by Clive

Phillpot, Librarian of the Chelsea School of Art, London.

Clive has written various historical summaries of ARLIS, and

shared with us his author's proofs of an important article on

problems of contemporary art documentation scheduled to

appear in the May issue of Studio International, which pro vides an international survey. We made numerous visits to his

library, and he presented full insight into the problems of the art library profession in Britain, the role of the library within the professional art school concerned with both traditional

and experimental media, and the variety of forms of contem

porary documentation being collected and experimented with.

So many individuals helped us: Mrs. V.C. Wilson and Lucy Close of the National Gallery, who showed us the complete

photographic operation and services there; Vera Kaden, who

explained the exhibition catalog collection of the Victoria and

Albert Museum with us; John A. Walker, who discussed his

forthcoming book Art Labels, dealing with movements, styles, etc.; Christine Scull, Librarian at Soane House, who made avail

able many of the Robert Adam sketchbooks; James Mosley, Librarian of St. Bride's Printing Library, who allowed us to

study rare 18th-century printed books...but the list would be

endless ?

everyone helped us see everything we wanted to and

gave unlimited time.

To end with an American note ? considerable time was

spent at the offices of the Arts Council of Great Britain, study

ing its history and publications. At the time the Council was

presenting at the Serpentine Gallery the exhibition Photo-Realism, which represented not only the first major show of this new

realist trend so associated with our country, but also the first

Serpentine display not devoted to the work of young British 12 artists. It was wonderful to end our stay with a Sunday at this

gallery, jam-packed with concerned young students and artists, fellow tourists, and just people out to have a good ?mt, and to realize how this show of U.S. artists was symbolic of our own small attempt to cement a relationship between NA and UK art librarians.

?Stanley T. Lewis

MORE IMPRESSIONS

April in London! If I were writing a travel guideT'd recommend the place, the people (especially art librarians) and the season: less tourists, less rain, no fog. (I wonder how Turner would have

managed without the fog?) Best of all it is a country in which one can "almost" understand the language.

This was my second trip to England but the first visit, to the cathedral city of St. Albans. The occasion was the Annual Gen eral Meeting of ARLIS/UK held at the St. Albans School of ?rt on Friday, April 6. A short walking tour of the city, prior to the meeting, brought me to the Roman theatre, restored medieval

houses, and the cathedral, thereby setting an appropriate mood for the discussion of topics related to the history of^art.

Several weeks earlier I had received a warm welcoming letter of invitation from Michael Doran, Chairman of ARLiS/ UK, and librarian at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Arriving in

gon don, I discovered that the Institute was walking distance fr?rn

my hotel. In spite of the short notice arid his busy schedule,/ Michael took the time to brief me on the agenda for the A'GM and review some aspects of art librarianship peculiar to the 0K. He also suggested several libraries I might wan % to visit and |ave me names of people to look for at the AGM. )\ tt

The day at St. Albans was most rewarding, ? feeling of Cama raderie prevailed as an interchange of information tot?k plae?. I believe it was Trevor Fawcett who said "ARLIS/UK was farmed for the sake of gossip." Although gossio as "idle talk?-' is ai& imperfect description of what happenea, the discussions ov|* lunch and later at tea, set the tone for

further'devel(|pmenjpf ideas and for a genuine feeling of friendship bjbrn oj?fike inj?rests and similar problems. t ?? . fl The language at the meeting was of course gnglish, although

there were times when I felt like "a stranger in theTand," as? familiar words were used in a new context. "Open Day" =?

"Open House" minus the tea and crumpets, and referred

library tours arranged for ARLIS members. I'm still not sure if the agenda item "matters arising" means announcements?, or old or new business, nor what "hiving off" means. "Co-opabn" seems to mean that you draft someone to work on a commit tee. A "working party" seems to be an "ad hoc committee" but, as in the case of the microforms working party, they were asked to continue functioning as a sort of watchdog for new

developments in the field of microfilming. A "circular letter" =

a questionnaire, a local agent

= a local group and post = mail.

Later in my travels I was introduced to the "urban clear way" =

no parking, "smokeless zone" = pollution control area, and I

learned that the not always convenient "conveniences" =

public bathroom without the b?th. I was on safer ground when using art terms, international

Gothic, slip ware, and Roman arch are familiar terms to art librarians. However, indexing and cross-referencing the multi

plicity of new movements and ideas are another matter. Does

pavement art mean street art? Various libraries handle material not found in existing bibliographies, in a variety of ways depen ding on staff time and user nee?s. Sound familiar?

As I travelled from library to library, often from "cultivated shabbiness" to "crowded modern," I discovered a plethora of classification schemes especially the home grown kind. I find this frustrating, although not unique to England. I saw equip

ment and arrangements which were new to me and recalled the old cliche "a picture is wo?th a lpOO words;" better yet,

"seeing is believing." Therein lies theiimportance of bridging the communication gap across the seas.

The funniest description I heard was "ill fitted for art and

prejudicial to health." Almost everywhere I went, I found the lament of lack of space and/or staff.

Since my special interest is library orientation, or educating the user, I was especially pleased when Clive Phillpot of the

Chelsea School of Art made contact for me with several Tutor

Librarians. At the Central School of Art and Design in London, I met Donald Watts. He has the distinction of being the'first

appointed Tutor Librarian in England.

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Catriona Robertson of the St. Martin's School of Art was

especially helpful in explaining her library and her function within the school. You will recall, perhaps, that the library at St. Martin's was the one from which the famous Clement

Greenberg book Art and Culture was borrowed by John Latham in order to be the object of the "Event" called "Still and Chew."

Many artists, students, and critics helped chew the pages which were later immersed in acid, etc., and converted to a form of

sugar which was bottled, labelled, and returned to the library. I forgot to ask Catriona if she was the astonished librarian who

reluctantly accepted the distilled remains of Art and Culture. 1 learned that DipAD means Diploma in Art and Design, but

education for art librarianship is as vague in England as it is here. ARLIS/UK has already had a conference devoted to this

topic and has set up an Education Committee. This is an area

worth reviewing, bearing in mind that education for librarian

ship in England is different from that in the U.S. Art librarians within the British Isles have the distinct ad

vantage of being in close proximity. It is not unusual for a stu

dent to bypass the inter-library loan system because the librar ian is willing to "ring up" (telephone) a colleague and send the student to another library. Nor is it overly difficult to gather

ARL?S members for visits to each other's libraries or hold

workshops and seminars on relevant topics. Committee meet

ings are also somewhat easier to arrange. For those members who still find the distances too great, there is always the op tion of the local agent or group. This seems to be the direc tion ARLIS/NA is taking with the organization of regional groups.

For the general membership the Newsletter is the binding force and the voice for those who care to contribute. Within the Newsletter as at the AGM, dissenting voices were heard on

topics ranging from the raising of dues to a disagreement about the role of the tutor-librarian. Whatever the topic all views are

thoroughly aired, especially if a vote is to be taken. From our point of view the most important vote at the AGM

was the vote for an affiliation of ARLIS/NA and ARLIS/UK. We have much to share and much to learn from the projects ARLIS/UK has already undertaken. The prospect for future collaboration on projects of mutual interest is intriguing. The

exchange of delegates at our AGMs is only one line of communi cation. My visit was all too short, but I left with the feeling there would be another April in London.

?Connie Koppelman

ARL?S/NA ELECTED TO CNLA

ARLIS/NA was elected to membership in the Council of Na tional Library Associations on 4 May 1973. We now join asso

ciations such as ALA, SLA, American Association of Law Li

braries, Medical Library Association, Music Library Association and Theater Library Association. The purpose of CNLA is to

"promote a closer relationship among the national library asso ciations of the United States and Canada by providing a cen

tral agency to foster cooperation in matters of mutual interest,

by gathering and exchanging information among its member

associations, and by cooperating with learned, professional, and scientific societies in forwarding matters of common interest." ARLIS/NA is honored to join these library associations and

by this mutual endeavor foster the purposes of cooperation among all library associations.

We are entitled to two representatives. Accepting this assign ment are William Walker (1973/74-1974/75) and Stanley T. Lewis (1973/74-1975/76.) Meetings are held in New York City in the spring and in the fall. REPORT OF CNLA MEETING ON COPYRIGHT

Fourteen library associations were represented by thirteen

people at the June 5th meeting on copyright, sponsored by the Council of National Library Associations, and held at the Hay Adams Hotel in Washington, virtually a stone's throw from the White House. Participants came from as far afield as Baltimore, Princeton, Plainfield, N.J., and New York City. This meeting was ably chaired by the Secretary-Treasurer of CNLA, Ms. Jane L. Hammond, from the Law Library of Villanova University.

The purpose of the meeting was to prepare a draft statement of libraries' position on the proposed new copyright bill, which statement is to be submitted to the member associations for consideration as the uniform position for libraries and librarians. Each participant was sent in advance a formidable amount of

background material, including the text of the Senate draft

of the copyright law itself: S. 1361, introduced March 26, 1973,

by Senator McClellan. An 85-page document, the bill is com

posed of three main sections: Title I, General revision of copy

right law, Title II,, National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works-, and Title III, Protection of orna

mental designs of useful articles. In the day allotted to the meeting (9:30 to 5:00, with time

off for a most pleasant lunch in the hotel) no attempt was made

to review the entire bill. Rather we concentrated on three sec

tions. Some time was devoted initially to discussing the urgent need for passage of Title II, regarding the formation of a Na

tional Commission. The greatest part of the day's discussion, however, was given

over to two sections of Title I which are most pertinent to

libraries, namely, section 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use, and 108, Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduc tion by libraries and archives. The language of section 107 was

deemed acceptable as set forth, though those attending the conference felt the need to spell out for Congressional commit tees the factors which librarians consider in determining fair

use, such as immediacy of need of the user. (Each library asso

ciation is urged to supply examples of "fair use" to the CNLA for inclusion in the full statement to the committee.)

Section 108 was a source of considerable comment, as its

language included a number of factors unacceptable to those

present. It came as a rude surprise to this writer that, for

example (in paragraph (d) of section 108) "The rights of repro duction and distribution under this section apply to a copy of a work, other than a musical work, a pictorial, graphic or sculp tural work, or a motion picture or other audio-visual work, made at the request of a user...including a user who makes his re

quest through another library..." (Italics are mine.) The reader

should consult the full text of the bill, as I have omitted con

siderable text and a number of critical qualifying phrases, but

passage of the bill into law, in this form, would seem to outlaw the copying by art libraries of illustrations or photogr?phs of

works of art! Similarly, the representative of the Music Library Association voiced strong opposition to the total exclusion of music scores from copying under the fair use principle. I quote

again from the report of our meeting:

"S 108. (d). This section was deemed unacceptable in many respects. The arbitrary exclusion of certain fields of investiga tion, such as music and the fine arts, was totally unacceptable.

The participants thought the exclusion of motion pictures and other audio-visual works undesirable, but agreed to leave it in

since the same exclusion had been made many places in the bill. However, the participants would recommend deletion un

less a cogent argument for the exclusion for the purposes of this section is forthcoming." Three alternative texts to replace section 108 (d) were proposed by the participants of the meet

ing, Discussion of several other parts of section 108 led to sug

gested changes, though none so extensive as (d). The conclusion of the report of the meeting points to nec

essary action :

"The participants recommend the following procedures for action on this statement:

1st: That the statement be adopted or endorsed by each con

stituent member of the Council of National Library Associations, without amendment.

2d: That the Chairman of the Council be notified immedi

ately of any action taken on these recommendations.

3d: That the statement then be promulgated by the Council and its constituent members as "the" library position on the copyright bill.

4th: That distribution be made to the following bodies, among others:

(a) The Subcommittee on patents, trademarks and copy

right of each House of Congress, particularly the

chief counsel of each subcommittee.

(b) The National Commission of Libraries and Infor

mation Science, urging them to promote its adop tion by Congress.

(c) The Washington Office of the American Library Association, for their recommendations on further

steps which might be taken to assure adoption of 13 these recommendations."

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