FINE ARTS LIBRARIES AND COLLECTIONS IN BRITAIN
| Pages | 57-69 |
| Published date | 01 February 1950 |
| Date | 01 February 1950 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb026153 |
| Author | R.L. COLLISON |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
The Journal
of
DOCUMENTATION
Volume
6
JUNE
1950 Number 2
FINE
ARTS LIBRARIES AND COLLECTIONS
IN
BRITAIN
by R. L. COLLISON
Reference
Librarian,
Westminster
City
Libraries
THE
wealth of special and general libraries in Great Britain justifies the
assertion that there are few serious inquiries which cannot be answered satis-
factorily by one or other of them. In the field of fine arts Britain is especially
strong and, although the majority of the great collections on this subject are
concentrated in London, the existence of important art libraries—particularly
on the subjects of textiles and ceramics—in the provinces must not be over-
looked. Moreover, the sources of information on the fine arts comprise not
only the special libraries and the appropriate departments of the university
libraries but also the special departments of several great public libraries—
such as the Hornby Collection at Liverpool—the private collections of
experts such as the Raymond Mander and Joe Mitchenson Theatre Research
Collection, and the information bureaux such as those maintained by trade
organizations and by various foreign governments.
Caution must, however, be observed in one's relations with these sources.
Most of them are maintained from private funds and serve particular sections
of the public. One cannot approach them with the same sense of right of
access with which one makes use of a public service. The recent case, for
instance, of an assistant ,in one special library who, on ascertaining that a
certain book was in stock in another special library, stated baldly that he
would send for
it,
is an example of the kind of attitude which must be avoided
at all costs if the good spirit of co-operation and goodwill which at present
exists is to continue unimpaired. It is advisable also to study carefully the
conditions of
use
of each library and to note its hours of opening and any
special periods when it is closed for such reasons as holidays or stock-taking.
In this article these points are for the most part omitted since they are subject
to many changes and are best ascertained by contacting each library regularly
at intervals of (say) three months. Records are best kept on cards on which
should be noted the name, address, and telephone number and extension, the
name and official description of its librarian, and the name of a useful
'contact' on the
staff,
together with a brief description of the holdings of
F
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