ARLIS/TXMX - News: Museum Libraries

The Menil Collection Library Gifts

Thu, 15 May 2008 11:42:05 -0400

The Menil Collection Library Gifts

The Menil Collection Library is pleased to announce the recent arrivals of three gifts of artbook collections from the following gracious donors:
1. The late David Whitney, life partner of the late Philip Johnson, independent curator, and a Menil Foundation trustee: his second marvelous gift (35 boxes) of books (first was in 1998) concentrating on United States artists of the post-World War II period. Many of the books are inscribed by the artists, to whom David was a fervent supporter—it includes my favorite “find” so far while pawing through the boxes: an Andy Warhol monograph inscribed on one page “To David with love” and on the following page “To David with hate”. Classic Warholian scampishness!

News: Allen Townsend takes head librarian position at Yale University

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:49:15 -0400

After four years of service as the Director of the Amon Carter Musem's Library and Archives, Allen Townsend has left to take a position at Yale University.

Allen began his new job as Director of the Yale University Arts Library on July 16th, 2007.

We wish Allen all the best in his new endeavor!

Jon Evans
Reference Librarian, Hirsch Library
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

News: Hirsch Library displays books and photographs by Lee Friedlander

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:48:27 -0400

This Hirsch Library is currently featuring the books and photographs of Lee Friedlander, who has long been recognized as one of the most talented, prolific and influential photographers of the 20th and 21st centuries. The exhibition will be on view from August 21, 2007 – January 13, 2008.

Friedlander’s exploration of genres ranging from portraiture and documentary to landscape and still life show his abiding interest in capturing the world around us in its many guises, often with great candor and humor. His vision bears witness to every day life in such a way that the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Included are nine books, seven photographs and one print ranging from the beginning of his career to his latest endeavors, emphasizing the continuity as well as the breadth of his oeuvre. For more information, please see: http://www.mfah.org/main.asp?target=exhibition&par1=1&par2=1&par3=512.

News: Update from the Hirsch Library, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:47:48 -0400

Along with several other Texas RLG libraries, the Hirsch Library converted cataloging and interlibrary loan systems from RLIN to OCLC this summer. Training and revising procedures was time-consuming, but should lead to good results. For those members already using OCLC, if you notice the distinctive holdings symbol “FNE,” that is the Hirsch’s new symbol.

Two significant memorial gifts enabled the Hirsch Library to strengthen its collection over the past few months. The family and friends of Joyce Rader donated funds in her memory for the purchase of two substantial works: Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet (2 volumes, Zurich, 2001) and Les Miniatures du XVIIIe Siécle: Portraits de Femmes, (Paris, 1913). Fellow MFAH Guild members and friends of Anne Koehler contributed funds to purchase 22 books in her memory on the art of Pompeii and Roman art and culture to assist docents in preparing for the Pompeii exhibition opening in March of 2008.

News: Wittliff Gallery features Lonesome Dove photographs and new book

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:47:01 -0400

The Wittliff Gallery of Southwestern & Mexican Photography at Texas State University-San Marcos presents the 10th publication in its series, A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove by Bill Wittliff, bringing the sweeping visual imagery of the CBS miniseries to the printed page at last.

The major archive of these photographs (a total of 215), gifted by Wittliff and his wife Sally, resides in the Gallery’s permanent collection at Texas State’s Alkek Library; 60 of the images will be on view from August 23, 2007 -March 30, 2008. An exhibit reception/book launch is scheduled for October 13.

News: Southwestern Writers Collection presents first exhibition from the King of the Hill Archive

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:40:56 -0400

This special exhibition entitled, The Making of King of the Hill, comes from the King of the Hill Archives at the Southwestern Writers Collection and is on view from September 1 – December 14, 2007. It features episode drafts, whiteboards, a bird’s-eye illustration of Hank’s neighborhood, “interviews” with the characters, results from the writers’ research trips, and music from and inspired by the show. The materials and memorabilia reveal the creative team at work and round out the back story of the Hill family’s life and times.

News: Kimbell Art Museum featured in upcoming issue of Apollo

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:37:21 -0400

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth will be featured with articles by the director and curators in the October 2007 issue of Apollo magazine (http://www.apollo-magazine.com/). Other recent issues have featured the collections of The Yale Center for British Art (April 2007), as well as the J. Paul Getty Museum (February 2006).

Patricia Cummings Loud
Curator of Architecture/Archivist
Kimbell Art Museum

News: Amon Carter Museum

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:10:59 -0400

Amon Carter Museum Library Projects

Many of you know that the Library staff, along with most other Museum departments, have been moved to a temporary offsite facility while the expansion project is completed. Library staff are using the downtime to focus on a few projects, including creating collection-level records for our ephemera files, completing a periodical retrospective conversion project, and reorganizing the auction catalog collection for better access. Thanks to all of you who have shared your advise and expertise on these projects.

Building expansion program continues on schedule at the Amon Carter Museum

News: Dallas Museum of Art News

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:09:49 -0400

The Education Resource Center at the DMA includes four departments which are directed by the Head (Librarian) and are part of the Public Programs Division of the museum. Recent hiring has taken place and now we are fully staffed.

Robin Works Davis was hired in November as the Manager of Educational Technology. She coordinates the DMA's web site, works with Education managers to develop teaching tools and manages the Collections Information Center. The CIC will be renovated shortly and starting in 2000 will begin using eMuseum from Gallery Systems to disseminate public information about the DMA's art objects. Robin was most recently a librarian in Farmers Branch where she worked with their web site, and art gallery. She has also published books on the subjects of art and children and educational multimedia.

News: The Amon Carter Museum Library is On the Move!

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:09:00 -0400

On July 12, movers began packing and moving library materials to an offsite facility where the staff will work until the Museum expansion is completed in the fall of 2001. Library services will tentatively resume around September 1. The main museum telephone number will remain the same, (817) 738-1933, although extensions may change. Email addresses should also stay the same.

Sam Duncan
Amon Carter Museum

News: Hirsch Library Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:07:11 -0400

News from Hirsch Library Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

This November we christened our new on-line public access catalog, Endeavor's Voyager system. We were very happy to see several major libraries buying Endeavor after we had signed our contract: The Library of Congress, National Library of Medicine, Pierpont Morgan Library, and SMU, to name a few. Since this is our first system, we had some major projects to do: 1. The entire collection was barcoded (38,000+ books) by a volunteer team headed by Jacqui Allen 2. Margaret Ford supervised the linking of the books to the records in the system using part-time staff (We are now 2/3 of the way finished, discovering missing books in the process!) 3. Lea Whittington and Katrina Moorhead input records for each item in the backlog (we are now 1/2 of the way through the 2000+ items) 4. Lea and Mailena Braun input circulation records for each check-out card in the file (over 1,500) 5. Jon Evans, library assistant for reference and acquisitions, has input records for all our vendors, and has been using the system for book orders since May.

News: Museum of Modern Art Appoints Milan Hughston Chief of Library and Museum Archives

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 17:43:10 -0400

We know all of our ARLIS/NA colleagues will want to join us in congratulating Milan Hughston on his appointment as the new Chief of Library and Museum Archives at The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Excerpts from the text of the MoMA press release follow. For the full release select 28-Jul-99 at http://www.moma.org/docs.cfm/press/1999

Sam Duncan
Amon Carter Museum

The Museum of Modern Art Appoints a Chief of Library and Museum Archives

Glenn D. Lowry, Director of The Museum of Modern Art, announced the appointment of Milan R. Hughston to the newly created position of Chief of Library and Museum Archives effective September 7. Mr. Hughston, who comes to MoMA after twenty years at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, will lead the centralization of the Museum's research resources, consisting of the Library and Museum Archives. He will report to Patterson Sims, Deputy Director for Education and Research Resources.

News: An International Partnership

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 19:43:13 -0400

The Hirsch Library of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has entered into a partnership with the Gulbenkian Foundation Library in Lisbon, Portugal.

Close ties between the directors of the two libraries developed over the past year through IFLA Section of Art Library activities. Both libraries are very similar in mission, type of collection, and size. Ana Paula Gordo visited the Hirsch Library in March, prior to participating in the ARLIS/NA conference in Vancouver. She and Jeannette Dixon each made a presentation at the Ask ARLIS session on international librarianship.

Then, in April, the art reference librarian of the Gulbenkian, Ana Cristina Barata, worked at the Hirsch Library for two weeks. By setting achievable goals for the visit, much was accomplished and the weeks were eventful and productive for all involved. Ana developed a searching aid for curatorial staff to consult when using Grove's Dictionary of Art Online and assisted staff and public with daily reference requests. Ana conveniently served as our own "International Librarian" during a meeting we hosted for the Houston Area Special Libraries Association. By coincidence, the meeting topic was International Librarianship! The Hirsch staff wanted to expose Ana to the vast research resources in the area, so tours were booked at local libraries. Thanks to Margaret Culbertson, we visited four of University of Houston's subject libraries, and saw the Opera House in the Moores Music Building. Ana also visited Phil Heagy at the Menil Collection Library and the Electronic-Text Center at Rice University. Night-time entertainment included dinner with filmmaker, Mwerze Nagangura and photographer, George Krause. She was also here for our famous, Art Car Parade. As you can see, it was a very full two weeks! Through staff exchanges and on-line communication, we hope to learn much from each other.

News: Jacqui Allen Takes Position at DMA

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 19:08:14 -0400

Jacqui Allen has accepted a new position as Head of Libraries and Archives for the Dallas Museum of Art. She will be leaving Houston in June, and will begin her new duties on July 1st.

News: Staff and Exhibition News from the Amon Carter Museum

Sun, 13 Aug 2006 22:15:38 -0400

The Amon Carter Museum is pleased to welcome back Dr. Ron Tyler, former Curator of History, as the ACM's new Director. Ron spent the intervening 20 years in Austin on the history faculty of UT, and serving as the Director of the Texas State Historical Association. It’s great to have such a distinguished scholar back in the fold!

The library and archives also has new appointments to announce:

Sam Duncan has been promoted to the position of Technical Services Librarian. Congratulations Sam!

Jonathan Frembling, former Archives intern, has been appointed to the position of Library and Archives Reference Coordinator. Jon is a recent graduate of the UTA archives concentration MA in history program, and is the department's new "public face," covering the library's weekly public hours.