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Fine Arts Librarianship may be for YOU, if you are interested in the
following:
- Directing an art library in an academic, art museum, or research
institution
- Working in an art or arts division of a public library
- Providing visual arts reference services
- Organizing and managing visual arts collections, e.g., slides and
photographs, or visual arts documentation
Coursework for specialization in Fine Arts Librarianship:
SLIS and the School of
Fine Arts/Art History offer a combined Master
of Library Science/Master of Arts in Art History degree. This program is
designed to prepare students for professional library and information specialist
positions in fine arts and related libraries and information centers. Students
who already have a strong academic background in art and/or art history, but who
don't want to pursue a Master's Degree in this area, may enroll in the courses
providing a specialization in fine arts librarianship. Along with the MLS core
courses, your elective courses must include:
- A575:
Research Sources in Art History
- Historiography of Western Art
- L596:
Internship in Library and Information Science (in a Fine Arts related area)
- L630:
Seminar in Art Librarianship
Job Outlook for this field:
- Nearly all the SLIS students specializing in art librarianship have found
relevant positions.
- Recent IU-SLIS graduates have been placed as art or visual resources
librarians at Arizona State University, Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson
& Burnham Libraries, Chicago Public Library, Herron School of Art
Library, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Metropolit an Museum of Art and other
art museums, academic and public library institutions across the nation.
- Over forty position openings were listed on the Art
Libraries Society Discussion List (ARLIS-L) during 1997. This number
does not include positions which may have been listed separately in College
& Research Libraries News, the Chronicle of Higher Education, or other
publications or distribution lists.
- Typical job titles include: Head Librarian, Reference Librarian, Catalog
Librarian, Head of Public Services, Slide Librarian/Visual Resources
Curator.
- Graduates with geographic mobility increase their chances of obtaining a
position in the contemporary world of art and visual reference
librarianship.
Qualities employers seek:
- Strong art history background
- Knowledge of library automation and electronic resources in the art field
- Knowledge of one or more foreign languages
- Academic, art museum, research art libraries and public library art
divisions normally seek applicants who hold a graduate degree in art history
and a Master's degree from a school accredited by the American Library
Association.
Opportunities to gain experience in this field:
Professional Associations:
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