The Community User in the Academic Art LibraryAuthor(s): Terrie L. WilsonSource: Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, Vol. 24,No. 2 (Fall 2005), pp. 38-42Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Art Libraries Society of NorthAmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27949374 .

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The Community User in the Academic Art Library Tenie L. Wilson

Academic art libraries are frequented by a variety of patrons other than their primary clientele. The issues surrounding service to this secondary clientele have been addressed in only one article to date, Derek Toyne's 1987 "The Community Role of Academic

Art Libraries."1 Toyne's observations, and my own experiences at the Fine Arts Library (FAL) at Michigan State University (MSU), serve as inspiration and a point of departure for this article. Although much has been said in the general library litera ture about "community users," the issues surrounding service to

those who frequent the art library in particular are due for exam ination. Toyne wrote from the perspective of serving community users in British academic art libraries, but, cultural differences

aside, many issues he raised may be applicable to academic art libraries today. Others, particularly those concerning technolog ical change, are new to art librarians and patrons alike.

Among the issues this article addresses are: the definition of community users (also referred to as secondary or unaffili ated users, or simply "the public"; for purposes of consistency, the term "community user" will be used here); the community user's needs; the academic art librarian's responsibility to these

individuals; service, access, and collections issues related to

community users; and finally, ways of dealing with the commu

nity user's needs in a proactive and positive manner.

The General Consensus... While the literature on the subject of the community user

in the general academic library is abundant, it tends to draw

primarily negative conclusions. Rather than provide an exhaus

tive literature review of the topic, I prefer instead to address a

summary of key points raised throughout the articles. The discussion of this topic must begin with the writings of

two individuals, Derek Toyne and Clive Phillpot. Toyne focuses on the academic art library as a hub of information primarily as it relates to the local art movement. He presents a threefold

argument for allowing community users access to the academic art library. First, the nature of art is such that it contributes to the common good, and all should have the opportunity to

partake in things art-related; second, the nature of education is similar to that of art and should be available to all; and third, the

community has a natural relationship with local art. At the risk of labeling Toyne's article a "feel-good" piece, it is very idealistic in its argument that the academic art library should be a focal

point of the community user's art experience:

They, like our primary clientele, will need sources of inspiration. They will need a place to meet, to

exchange ideas, and to keep abreast of developments in the field of art. It is my suggestion that the academic art

library of the future take on this role of meeting place; it should become the local center for the exchange of art ideas and information.2

This Utopian ideal has yet to be realized by most academic art libraries, due to budget, staff, and time constraints, but the basic idea of the academic art library having a presence in the

community is feasible. Ideas for connecting with the community will be discussed below.

Clive Phillpot is equally concerned with the art library and the role it plays in society. Although Phillpot does not

directly address issues in academic art libraries, he speaks to the availability of art information for all.3 Taking a cue from

Ranganathan's principles of library science, Phillpot draws the

following conclusions:

Art and reading are beneficial to the people Art publications exist to be used

All persons should receive the art publication they seek

Every art publication should be matched with its reader

Every art library is a living part of a growing worldwide

organism

Art libraries are for all the people4 What is most relevant about Toyne's and Phillpot's remarks

is that they represent the positive ideal that art librarians should keep in mind when dealing with a variety of clientele,

including the community user. What is also significant is that

Toyne and Phillpot stand apart from the majority of writers who address the subject of community users in academic libraries.

Most writers take a more negative view toward the community patron. The title of Nancy Courtney's 2001 article, "Barbarians at the Gates: A Half-Century of Unaffiliated Users in Academic

Libraries," is a good example of this attitude, although the article is nevertheless an excellent introduction to the subject, because

Courtney provides the history of the issue from the 1950s to the

present.5 However, her choice of the word "barbarians" in the

title hints at the general opinion of many authors on the topic of

community users in the academic library, whom they consider a less than desirable clientele, presenting a host of problems. In 2003 Courtney followed this article with another in which she

presented survey results from 814 academic libraries and the

privileges they extend (or not) to unaffiliated users.6

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Who Are Community Users and What Do They Want?

The issues discussed below appear consistently in much of the literature, but are here addressed specifically as they pertain to the academic art library.7

The community user could be just about anyone who is not affiliated with the college or university as students, staff and

faculty are, but we tend to see certain categories of commu

nity members on a frequent basis. This group of individuals

includes, but is not limited to, university alumni, students and teachers from local high schools or community colleges, local

professionals, campus visitors, members of library "friends"

groups, and the general public.8 In an art library, the user may be a local artist, appraiser, collector, gallery owner, independent researcher, or most frequently,

an individual wishing to research

a work of art he or she owns. What does the community user want from the academic

art library? As the type of user varies so widely, the reasons for

visiting an academic art library are equally diverse. The inde

pendent researcher or gallery owner likely has a specific need

(perhaps for auction data) and possibly the skills to do research on his/her own. A high school student or teacher may also have a specific need but may be unfamiliar with the resources and layout of the art library; for instance, he/she may not know how to find pictures of a certain subject. Members of the

general public, perhaps inspired by episodes of the PBS program "Antiques Roadshow," may not have any idea where to begin

with research on a work of art in their home. Frequently, these individuals contact the academic art library in their region, either on their own or as the result of a referral from a local public library, an appraiser, or the local art museum. Their expectations of service vary: the novice user is grateful for any assistance, while the frequent visitor, based on prior visits to the library, has

developed a certain level of expectation for service.

What Is the Academic Art Library's Obligation to Community Users?

We know who the community users are and why they come to the academic art library, but what is our obligation to serve

them, and to what extent? How does this impact service to our

primary users? Can Clive Ph?Tpot's ideals of serving all for the greater good be achieved in a fair manner? To what extent should we pursue Toyne's goal of being a part of the greater community? These are just a few of the questions that academic librarians face when confronted with community users.

As previously mentioned, most of the literature addressing this topic tends to focus on the negative impact of the commu

nity user in an academic library. Problems discussed include all

aspects of library services, from reference help to collections and

physical use of space. Juxtaposed to these issues are arguments that we should serve the public. The first issue is that of taxes and the public university (private universities may not feel as

burdened by this argument); the public pays taxes to the state, which in turn funds higher education, i.e., the university. Most

taxpayers do not know or care if funds generated from taxes go to the art library or not; rather, they perceive that their hard-earned

money has, in some manner, gone to support the university.9 Another argument for serving the community is the rela

tionship of community and university that extends beyond tax

dollars. At MSU, there is a strong tie to the community, as it was the first land-grant institution in the United States (promoting agricultural education and in turn bringing that knowledge to the communities in the region). There is a strong sense of pride and allegiance from the community toward the university. Its

members root for our sports teams, have children who attend school here or are themselves graduates. This is the case in many university and college towns. The sense of "you owe me access"

due to tax contributions may be less of an issue than "I support you in many ways, so won't you help me with my research?" This sentiment, coupled with the ideas set forth by both Phillpot and Toyne, may make the academic art librarian feel obligated to assist the community user in some manner. What, then, can the

community user expect when visiting the academic art library?

Serving the Community User-Access and the Electronic Dilemma

MSU does not charge the community user for access to the

library. That is, it does not charge a fee to borrow materials or make use of in-house resources, either print or electronic.10

Community users may access the Internet or their e-mail account

when visiting the library, but this privilege is limited to one transaction every thirty days. Anyone eighteen years or older

may obtain a borrower's card, as long as he/she can present a

Michigan driver's license or state identification card. Levels of access and service to community users vary at other institutions.

In terms of materials, there are two distinct issues of

access, that is, access to print materials and access to electronic

resources. For the academic art library, access to print materials

is a lesser issue than access to electronic resources. Unless the

public is forbidden to enter a university library, the community user can at minimum browse the art library collection. Even if

borrowing is not allowed or comes with a fee, the community user can look through art books for information or inspiration. Although this type of use may be accompanied by the need for reference assistance (to be discussed later), it seems most in line

with Phillpot and Toyne's ideas of opening the library to all as a source of inspiration and artistic identity within a community. Phillpot reminded us of the critical relationship art libraries have to artists, who are the "progenitors of the imagery without which such libraries would not exist."11 Lending materials has more

impact, from the need for service by circulation staff to check out the materials, to the issues of overdue or damaged materials.12

Circulation of materials at the MSU FAL has not been a major issue to date, unless community users ask for special permis

sion, for example, to borrow materials that normally do not

leave the building (i.e., catalogues raisonn?s, "medium-rare"

items, supersized volumes, etc.). No written policy is in place to

prevent special loans of such material, but to be consistent and

fair, such loans are not generally granted to community users

(nor are they granted to most primary users, either.) Community users at MSU receive a two-week loan period for materials, the shortest loan period for any category of user.

Electronic resources pose a far greater problem in terms of

community patron access. Twenty years ago, a community user

would enter an art library and consult the print volumes of Art Index to find articles on a given topic. A quick trip to the card

catalog or maybe an OP AC, then to the shelf, and the patron had the article in hand. Now the community user must rely upon

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an electronic resource to do the same thing. In 1983, Phillpot had an accurate if somewhat idealistic vision that technology would benefit the art library patron, but with the benefits of electronic resources come new problems for all patrons, particu

larly those not affiliated with the academic library.13 At some academic libraries, computer workstations allow access to elec

tronic resources without authentication, but many libraries do not provide this service. The community user may not be able to access art periodical databases or similar resources even if

he/she is allowed access to the library. Some institutions allow access for a fee or access to government information as required

by law, but access to licensed resources may not be an option for the community user. The art librarian should have alter natives on hand for these situations, for example, referring a

community user to another library or resource that can be used

in place of the academic art library's licensed resources. There

may exist an online resource provided by state libraries, such as the Michigan eLibrary (MeL), that would allow users access to electronic resources at no cost.14 Referral to another (generally

public) library may be an option as well. If time permits, medi ated searching for the patron is a possibility.

Can Academic Art Libraries Collect for All? The FAL has a suggestion box for patrons. One of the first

suggestion slips routed to me when I began my position here was from a patron who wanted the library to acquire more technique and instruction books for the art collection. I believed that sugges tion to be one from a community user, and it raised numerous

questions in my mind. My collection development policy state ment for the FAL art collection places primary importance on

supporting the curricular needs of the art department. Although there is mention of the community at large, it is the lowest

priority.15 Technique books are not purchased frequently, as it is assumed that the primary clientele, the students and faculty of the art library, are actively engaged in technique and instruction in the classroom. Also, many of the technique books are more

commonly found in public libraries; they are less scholarly and

border on being "hobby" publications. On the other hand, one of

my patrons had made the suggestion; I was not entirely certain it was a community user and not a student or staff member,

and I felt obliged to satisfy the needs of my patrons. I bought a few general instruction books on painting and drawing, and on occasion I continue to purchase books on technique for those media and for photography and sculpture when more scholarly titles become available. I see this as a reasonable compromise. A

minimal portion of my budget is spent on this type of material

compared to scholarly materials purchased for research, yet I am able to satisfy the needs of a different type of clientele. I also have

justification for not purchasing large quantities of a type of mate rial that would be available in the local public libraries.

Herein lies another critical issue of collecting for the commu

nity user: where does the public library's role end and the academic library's begin? It is my assumption that community users would start with the art collection at their public library, then, if not satisfied, they would make their way to the academic art library. I aim to build our collection around the needs of our primary clientele, and if funds are available, buy selected materials beyond that primary focus.16 The desire to have a well rounded art library is tempered by the reality of restricted or

shrinking collections budgets and increasing costs of resources, in particular for electronic items. Phillpot reminds us that "no

art library's collection can satisfy all the requests made upon it...there is no such thing as a complete collection."17 This is

an important fact to remember when developing one's collec

tion and when considering the needs of the community user or "secondary" clientele. The art librarian should remain well informed about resources outside his or her own collection that could be useful to the community patron, in order to make effec tive referrals and to enable users to track down the information or materials they desire.

It has been suggested that academic libraries that cater to the public might discourage public libraries from developing their collections due to reliance on the academic library.18 This is less likely to be the case if academic art librarians are careful to serve their primary clientele's needs via appropriate collection

development, while maintaining an awareness of regional art

collections, both public and academic. A suggestion by Toyne to collect all documentation related to the local art community is a good one to follow,19 if it does not duplicate policies in local

public libraries. The FAL collects everything from ephemera for the vertical files to publications that relate to the art or architec ture of the region. This type of material serves all categories of

patron and offers the academic art library the chance to develop a strong collection of regional art information.

Service Issues

Perhaps the most obvious impact of serving the commu

nity in an academic art library is in the day-to-day contact with

patrons, whether it be in person, by phone, or via e-mail, and

may involve circulation, general reference, or research. The

issue of service may also be the deciding factor in what level of

privileges the academic art library offers to community users. If

community users are overwhelming in number or require exten

sive time for assistance, the academic art library may be forced to

develop a policy regarding community user privileges.20 Impact at the circulation desk, at least in my particular situ

ation, has been minimal. From a circulation perspective, the

interactions with community borrowers that take the most time are those that involve a fine on the patron's account. Aside from

that, check-in and out of materials for this category of user has been absorbed into the regular workflow.

What takes more time, and is most likely to impact the

librarian, are interactions at the reference desk. Even the more

skilled library user, such as a private researcher, may have trouble locating a resource or may want suggestions on how to

pursue a topic. The majority of community users are not familiar with the academic art library, its layout, collections, resources, or online catalog. They require assistance with almost everything, from looking up a book in the OP AC to actually finding the item on the shelf. They may or may not be comfortable using electronic resources, including the library's catalog. Extensive interactions with these patrons may leave the primary clientele

waiting for assistance.21

On the other hand, many libraries are seeing a decrease in foot traffic to the reference desk (perhaps offset by increased e-mail or virtual reference transactions.) As librarians see fewer

primary clientele, is the matter of reference service to the commu

nity less of an issue? Many of the reference transactions with the

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public at the FAL occur over the phone or via e-mail. My priority is always to the "live" patron, that is, the one standing at the service counter, so I warn e-mail and phone patrons that it may take me a while to answer their question. I take the number of the caller and ask if I may return the call within the next day or two. Almost all are willing to do this, and most are grateful that I am willing to look for information relating to their question. E-mail reference is no different. If I am unable to reply with an answer in a timely fashion, I acknowledge receipt of the ques tion and inform the patron that I am working on an answer. In a way, this is a self-imposed tiered service policy, allowing me time to help my primary clientele while serving the community user when I am no longer engaged at the service desk.

The types of questions received from community users vary. As mentioned earlier, my interactions with private researchers and gallery owners tend to be minimal; they take a more "self

help" approach to using the library's collection. Questions

requiring assistance from a librarian come most frequently from parents helping their high-school age children find books on a topic, local schoolteachers who need to borrow materials or find images in the picture file for classroom use, or commu

nity members who, being unable to find books on a particular topic at their local library, were referred to the FAL collections.

However, the majority of the questions received from commu

nity users involve research concerning an art object or the artists who created the piece. The popularity of "Antiques Roadshow" seems to have, in part, spurred an interest in collecting art and

antiquities, or researching those already in one's home. In fact,

the frequency of these questions has been such that I developed an online research guide to provide assistance to the community patron. The guide, titled "A Rembrandt in the Attic? Researching Artists and Finding the Value of Works of Art," is geared specifi cally toward community patrons. Staff members in the FAL

make use of the guide when I am unavailable for consultation.22

Originally, I developed the guide as a print handout for in-house use, but in order to assist staff members at the general reference desk that is not close to the FAL, I mounted it as a Web guide. They receive questions of this nature from time to time, particu larly during weekend shifts.

The Proactive Approach A few authors writing on the topic of community users in

academic libraries have suggested a more proactive and simul

taneously positive approach to serving the community patron. Whether one merely answers questions as they arise or devises a more extensive outreach program will depend on availability of staffing, budgets, time commitment, and institutional poli cies. My example of an online guide and print handout for

community users demonstrates a fairly simple, inexpensive, and not terribly time-consuming form of assistance, while at the same time saving myself and my colleagues time by giving the community patron some direction to conduct his or her own research independently. The guide was also the basis of a

presentation I did at Kresge Art Museum, the art museum for the MSU and regional community. As part of the museum lecture series, I gave an hour-long talk on researching works of art in one's own collection. Despite bitterly cold weather and lots of snow, the session was very well attended, almost exclusively by members of the community. I hope to offer a similar session

sometime in the future, perhaps as part of a library lecture event.

Teaching community users to do research on their own could save the librarian time in the long run.

Many programs that have been created as partnerships between the library and the community have a K-12 education

focus.23 One of the first groups to which I gave instruction in

my position at MSU was the local "Picture Ladies." The Picture Ladies program involves volunteer mothers presenting a series of art works in the elementary classroom and engaging students in a discussion about art. They came to the FAL to learn about

conducting some basic research on the works of art they would

present. Although some members of the Picture Ladies and a few teachers continue to visit the FAL, the majority of my inter actions are not with the K-12 community. Time permitting, the art librarian has the potential to create links to many other

community user groups. I know of other art librarians who have

given lectures to the community, similar to mine, on researching works of art. This may involve staying late one night, making some handouts and/or a visual presentation, but the overall

preparation time is not significant. Another suggestion would be to provide some space in or near the art library for exhibits of

community art work.24 One would have to have administrative

support to go forward with this, and developing criteria and

requirements for display is wise, but this would be an excel lent liaison activity with the community. The aforementioned

Web guide is another fairly simple way to assist community users without detracting from one's work with primary clien tele. If Web guides are not appropriate, a paper handout could

accomplish the same results (and is always helpful to the "tech

nophobes" who visit the library). An indirect way to work with the public might be to assist

local librarians, either at public or community college libraries, with questions they encounter but are not able to answer. I have received calls from public libraries, either asking for assistance or

making sure a referral of one of their patrons to the MSU FAL is allowed. When some librarians from the largest public library in the area were given a tour of the main MSU library, I requested that they at least be brought by the FAL so that they would know

what services it offered. Whether working in groups, such as the Picture Ladies, or

as individual community visitors who want more information

about a work of art in their homes, the community user pres ents the academic art librarian with a chance to assist a larger,

more varied client base. Most are grateful for any assistance one

can provide (although there are exceptions!), and working with them fosters good relations. I hope to continue working with the

public and would like to do more in terms of general art research instruction, outside of course instruction. I am eager to learn

what ways my fellow art librarians have found to work with the

community, especially in terms of outreach or programming.

Community Users7 Hidden Identities What would members of the community think of academic

libraries and librarians if they read the literature on their use of our facilities? They would be shocked and a bit insulted to see how they are treated as a nuisance in most articles on the topic. In many cases, community users feel a sense of allegiance and

connection to the local college or university; they come to fine and performing arts events; provide support for special projects

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(often financially); and they share their pride in the beauty of our campuses by bringing visitors to see the university. Many times, the community visitors to the academic art library are donors (whether recognized as such by the staff or not), alumni,

important members of the artistic community, or prospective students.25 They are not our primary clientele, but they have a

presence in our patron base.

There is no harm in taking some time to assist community users. Common sense should determine when to draw the line with unreasonable requests, just as it would with the library's primary clientele. Service to the community fosters good public relations, and for public universities, shows a commitment to

the public.26 As both Phillpot and Toyne have pointed out, art is

something enjoyed and cherished by many groups of people. As a vital part of the artistic community, the academic art library and its staff must keep in mind that many people will come to them for service and assistance, not just a select few. Being prepared for all types of users, and having a good attitude about serving different categories of clientele, will allow the academic art librarian to deal with community users in a positive and produc tive manner. We may not find Utopia together, but we can grow and nurture a vital and welcoming facility for all to enjoy.

Notes

1. Derek Toyne, "The Community Role of Academic Art

Libraries," Art Libraries Journal 12, no. 3 (1987): 35-38. 2. Ibid., 38.

3. Clive Phillpot, "Art Libraries for the People," Art Libraries Journal 10, no. 4 (1985): 3-11.

4. Ibid., 11.

5. Nancy Courtney, "Barbarians at the Gates: A Half

Century of Unaffiliated Users in Academic Art Libraries," The

Journal of Academic Librarianship 27, no.6 (2001): 473-80. 6. Nancy Courtney, "Unaffiliated Users' Access to

Academic Libraries: A Survey," The Journal of Academic Librari

anship 29, no.l (2003): 3-7. 7. This article would be incomplete without mentioning an

article by Catharine Jansen, "Art Museum Libraries: Automa

tion and Services to the Public," Art Documentation 22, no. 1

(Spring 2003): 21-28. Jansen's study of services to the public in an art museum library setting presents an excellent overview of issues within that particular environment.

8. Courtney, "Unaffiliated Users," 3-4, and also Lloyd M.

Jansen, "Welcome or Not, Here They Come: Unaffiliated Users

of Academic Libraries," Reference Services Review 21, no.l (1992): 7-14.

9. Much has been said by authors to argue against this idea that the community must be served due to a perceived level of

support by tax dollars. See Lloyd Jansen, "Welcome or Not," 10. 10. For a good discussion of fees charged to the public,

see Rita Barson, "Library Web Pages and Policies Toward Outsiders': Is the Information There?" Public Services Quarterly

, .4 (2003): 11-27. 11. Clive Phillpot, "The Social Role of the Art Library," Art

Documentation 2, no.6 (1983): 177. 12. Peggy Johnson, "Serving Unaffiliated Users in Publicly

Funded Academic Libraries," Technicalities 18, no.l (1998): 8-11. 13. Phillpot, "The Social Role of the Art Library," 177. 14. See http://elibrary.mel.org/ 15. See http://www.lib.msu.edu/coll man/policy/

artlibrary.htm 16. Johnson, "Serving Unaffiliated Users," 10. 17. Phillpot, "Art Libraries for the People," 6. 18. Mary Ellen Bobp and Debora Richey, "Serving

Secondary Users: Can It Continue?" College & Undergraduate Libraries 1, no.2 (1994): 9.

19. Toyne, "Community Role," 36.

20. Bobp and Richey. A detailed discussion of tiered service

policies is presented throughout the article. 21. Lloyd Jansen, "Welcome or Not," 9.

22. See http: //www.lib.msu.edu/wilso398/guides/Value.htm 23. Jill McKinstry, "Building Communities @ Your Library,"

College & Research Libraries News 62, no.2 (2001): 165-67. 24. Tina M. Schneider, "The Regional Campus Library and

Service to the Public," The Journal of Academic Librarianship 27, no.2 (2001): 122-27.

25. Johnson, "Serving Unaffiliated Users," 10. 26. Ibid., 11.

Tervi? L. Wilson, Art Librarian, Michigan State University, East Lansing, wilso398@msu.edu

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