Policies & Procedures

• Collection Development Services
• University Profile
• University Libraries Profile
• Collection Priorities
• Collection Development
  Responsibilities
• Materials Budget
• Cooperative
  Collection Development
• Collection Development Criteria
• Collection Assessments
• Subject-specific policies
• Weeding
• Preservation

Click here for print version of complete general collection development policy statement.

Art Collection Development Policy

 PURPOSE

The purpose is to support teaching and research in Art History, Studio Art and Art Education. The collection also supports research carried out by students in the Master of Arts degree program in the Humanities. Other programs having an interest in one or more areas of art are computer science, history, philosophy, theatre, women’s studies, and urban studies. Related collection development policies would be in history, humanities and philosophy. The growth and development goals of this collection policy are to bring the collection to the listed collection levels.

DESCRIPTION OF INSTITUTION/DEPARTMENT CLIENTELE

Old Dominion University is Virginia's forward-focused, public doctoral research university for high-performing students from around the world who want a rigorous academic experience in a fast-paced and profoundly multi-cultural community. With an enrollment of more than 23,000 students, the university offers 70 bachelor's, 60 master's and 36 doctoral degree programs and 2 educational specialists degrees. In addition to its 185-acre main campus in Norfolk, Old Dominion operates higher education centers in Hampton, Virginia Beach, and Portsmouth and a thriving distance learning network.

The Art Department at Old Dominion University offers its majors the benefits of a small liberal arts college coupled with the resources and visibility of a major university. Both BA and BFA degrees are offered.   The undergraduate major is open to any student who has met the required prerequisites for the declaration of a major at Old Dominion University. Faculty members have achieved national recognition for their scholarly and creative work. Their fields of expertise include art and architectural history, art education, and such studio areas as drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, graphic design, sculpture, fibers, clay, ceramics and metalsmithing. Undergraduate degrees in Art Education are offered through the ODU Darden College of Education.

OVERVIEW OF THE ART LIBRARY

Located inside the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center, the Elise N. Hofheimer Art Library includes a collection of over 10,000 volumes on architecture, sculpture, drawing, painting, print media, photography, and arts & crafts.  The Elise N. Hofheimer Art Library also includes an art reference section, over 40 periodical subscriptions, and a guide to selected art resources on the Internet.  Special features in the Art Library include:  current displays of new art books, catalogs & news bulletins, rotating exhibits in both the Art Library and Diehn Performing Arts Center Atrium, computer workstations with access to online resources and Adobe Photoshop, DVDs with DVD players & monitors, a high-resolution scanner and a photocopy machine.

GENERAL COLLECTION GUIDELINES

Languages: English is the primary language of the collection, but books published in French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish are purchased in rare circumstances. Books published in languages other than English are purchased only at the behest of faculty. Foreign language DVDs and other audiovisual materials with adequate English subtitles/ translations may be purchased.

Chronological Guidelines: No limitations.

Geographical Guidelines: No limitations. While art of the Americas, Asia and Western Europe (including Greek, Roman, and Egyptian) are emphasized, no geographical area is excluded. Materials pertaining to American and world Folk and Outsider Art are also heavily emphasized.

Treatment of Subject: Although scholarly treatments of a subject are emphasized, there is some variation in what is needed for Studio Art and Art History.

• Art History: The materials needed for art courses include primary and secondary sources necessary to sustain instruction and research, and scholarly studies of the works of one particular artist or one particular work of art. Books that focus on the reproductions of an artist’s work, with little or no text, are also purchased when the quality of the reproductions is especially good.
• Studio Art: Some instruction books are purchased when appropriate for studio art, including techniques for all media and materials. Anatomy books are acquired very selectively to support figure drawing.

Types of Materials: These include monographs and serial publications, both general and subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and directories; museum and gallery guides and reports; and exhibition catalogs from museum, galleries, or private collections. Out of print ordering is minimal and is done if the title would receive frequent use or support faculty research. Audiovisual materials are collected selectively if supportive of the curriculum. The purchase of DVDs is preferable to VHS. The Art Library also selectively collects government documents pertaining to the fields of Art and Architecture.

Special Collections: A modest collection of non-circulating rare books, photographs and manuscripts are designated for in-library-use only under the supervision of the Art Library Supervisor. Highlights include the Parker Lesley Rare Book Art History Library and a number of special edition artist books.

Electronic Resources

• Selection of Electronic Resources: Selection of electronic resources must always be done in consultation with the Collection Development Officer. In addition to the criteria applied to evaluate Art & Architecture print resources, the following criteria should apply:
• General. All electronic publications must support the research and teaching activities of Old Dominion University. They should be of a scholarly nature or likely to advance scholarly research or education relevant to the university. ArtStor is an excellent example of a high-quality image database that supports teaching, learning and research in the subjects of Art & Architecture. Electronic versions of paper publications currently owned or subscribed to by Old Dominion University are obvious candidates. In the field of Art and Architecture, selectors should consider the advantages and usefulness of printed publications, especially in relation to their image content, pricing and scope of coverage.
• Quality. The selector should ensure the quality of an e-resource by looking at such indicators as peer review, review of the publication by other librarians, review of the publication by artists and art historians, an authoritative sponsor, and evidence of continuous support.
• Consistency with Print Version. The electronic version of a publication may differ significantly from its counterpart in print. For example, an electronic publication may omit articles, illustrations, or reviews found in print. The electronic version may also be more up-to-date, and may add content more frequently. It may also have different content altogether. If an electronic publication has a print counterpart, the selector should look for consistency among the formats. Electronic access should ideally include complete articles, chapters and essays, accompanying images, illustrations, graphics, tables, references, and text, as well as an official citation. However, some electronic publications with limited or no full-text capabilities are desirable for research in the fields of Art and Architecture. The Avery Architecture Database is a prime example.
• Number of Issues. Electronic publications may not follow the traditional print format. The selector should try to ensure that no, or few, gaps in coverage occur. Ideally, journals that have or commit to a significant run of issues available in a full-text format should be added to the collection. Sample issues alone are not desirable.
• Bundling of Titles. If bundling occurs, the selector should determine the exact content of the package and ensure that all desired titles will be included.
• Updates and Currency. The selector should determine how frequently a publisher makes updates and current issues available, especially in comparison to print.
• Time Limits on Access to Back Issues. A selector should consider how long a publisher will allow access to subscribed issues, especially since some publishers may not allow an institution to maintain indefinite access to electronic back issues.
• Access to Online Issues Published Prior to Subscription. Many publishers include past years of online content with an online subscription, and selectors should determine whether this option is available.
• Free Web-Based Reference Resources: Web-based, free resources of potential value are plentiful. Free, Web-based resources often lack print counterparts and established reputations, which requires the exercise of judicious selection.
• Criteria: Electronic resources selected as reference resources either for the Art & Architecture subject reference page or for class-specific pages should meet the same selection criteria as purchased resources. Selection should be based on the site's ability to support and enhance the research and teaching activities of Old Dominion University. They should be of a scholarly nature or likely to advance scholarly research or education programs in Art. Relevance to departmental teaching and research needs should be the primary selection criterion.
• The quality and content of the electronic resource: quality indicators include peer review of the site, review by other library professionals, review by art historians and artists, an authoritative sponsor, and evidence of ongoing support.
• Emphasis should be placed on maintaining a selective collection that highlights key resources rather than a comprehensive listing.
• Selected resources should be self-explanatory and easily accessed.
• Resources that are frequently unavailable should not be avoided.
• If registration and/or licensing are required, licenses must be submitted for approval to the Library Collection Development Officer. Even free resources may be rejected if licensing terms are deemed unacceptable.

Date of Publication: Emphasis is on current books, but retrospective buying is important, especially in art history.

Funding the Collection: The collection is developed through funding from the ODU Libraries’ materials budget and Hofheimer Endowed Funds.  Donations also play a significant role in expanding and improving the Hofheimer Art Library collections.

Other General Considerations:

• Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) Project:Old Dominion University is a member of the VIVA consortium. VIVA provides access to a number of databases and digital content such as the PBS video collection
  
• Area Resources:
• The Chrysler Museum’s Jean Outland Chrysler Library (Norfolk, Virginia) collection contains 111,000 volumes including 55,500 monographs, 24,000 periodicals representing a range of 275 titles that are actively collections along with publications received through exchange from  other museums and institutions, 1,600 rare books and 29,400 auction catalogs. The Museum’s areas of collecting emphasis are glass, photography, 19th century art, American painting, French painting, and Contemporary art. Other areas are also represented within the Museum collection.
• Norfolk State University (Norfolk, Virginia) has an art program with courses similar to the lower level courses at Old Dominion University. The library at Norfolk State supports this program with approximately 5,000 books in the N’s and T’s.  
• The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia (Virginia Beach, Virginia) is a non-profit, non-collecting institution, which has the goal of fostering awareness, exploration and understanding of significant contemporary art. Exhibitions feature painting, sculpture, photography, glass, video and other visual media from regional, national and international acclaimed artists. The CACV also focuses on gallery exhibitions, studio art classes, educational outreach programs and outdoor art shows.

• The Hermitage Museum & Gardens (Norfolk, Virginia) has extensive collections, documents, records, maps, and photographs pertaining to Norfolk and the Tidewater area. Area specializations include art and artists related to the Sloane Family Collection, which may be used to conduct research.
• The Muscarelle Museum of Art (Williamsburg, Virginia) is located on the campus of The College of William & Mary. The MMA’s collection holds more than 4,000 works of art from many cultures and historical eras, including English and American portraits of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a survey collection of European and American prints and drawings, Japanese prints, African art, Asian ceramics, and a noteworthy collection of Abstract Expressionist paintings, drawings, and watercolors.
• Peninsula Fine Arts Center (Newport News, Virginia) is one of the premier arts advocates in the region working to strengthen the local community through art. The PFAC features changing exhibitions, educational programs, a year-round studio art school, an interactive gallery for children, evening mixers and family friendly activities and events.
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond, Virginia) is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, and to foster and encourage the study of the arts.
• Collection Strengths and Weakness: Collection strengths include the following: coverage of the major art historical periods from ancient art through the twentieth century with an emphasis on painting, printmaking, sculpture, drawing, photography and mixed media of the twentieth century; nineteenth and twentieth century architecture of the United States; ancient Greek and Roman architecture; Byzantine, Medieval, and Baroque art and architecture with an emphasis on significant British and European monuments; Renaissance art with special emphasis on Northern Renaissance artists; and studio practice with an emphasis on artists' books, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, printmaking; and the history and techniques of ceramics, photography, graphic design, digital media/computer arts, jewelry and metalsmithing, papermaking, and printed, dyed, woven and constructed textiles. Folk and Outsider Art are collected with a particular emphasis on American artists and art forms. The arts of China and Japan are collected with an emphasis on painting, sculpture, ceramics and print making. Women in the arts are also emphasized.

A weakness of the art collection is that it is split between the Elise N. Hofheimer Art Library in the Fine and Performing Arts Building and the University Library Building. Material that directly supports the art curriculum and materials purchased with art funds are all housed in the Art Library. Other art related materials of interest to other academic areas and the student population in general are housed in the general collection of the University Library.

COLLECTING RESPONSIBILITY

The Art Library bibliographer is primarily responsible for collection development in this area, in conjunction with the Collection Development Officer. Collaboration, as appropriate, occurs with Art Department Faculty and other Faculty and bibliographers for the following areas: African Studies; Afro-American Studies; Classical Studies; English & American Literature; Folklore; History; Jewish Studies; Latin American Studies; Middle Eastern Studies; Music; Reference Department; Religious Studies; Slavic Studies; Theatre; and the Humanities.

PRESERVATION

As an academic art research library, all materials collected have potential research value and are therefore preserved using procedures and/or techniques available through the ODU Libraries Preservation Team. High-priority areas of the collection for preservation review and treatment include Nineteenth and early twentieth century journals, books and ephemera. In addition, the Art Library’s small collection of artists' books merit high priority due to the unique and often fragile, limited edition nature of the material.

SUBJECT DIVISIONS

FINE ARTS:

Design: Fundamentals, principles, elements, ornament, decorative motifs, styles.
Media: Includes drawing, painting, sculpture, prints and printmaking.
Iconography: Art of representation by pictures or images; the description or study of portraiture or representation.
History and Criticism of Art: Development and critical appraisal of works in all media, all styles and movements, and all geographical areas. History and criticism of architecture.

DECORATIVE AND APPLIED ARTS:

Crafts: Includes fibers, ceramics, metalsmith and jewelry.
Graphic Arts: Typography, design, books and publishing, illustration, color, computer animation, computer imaging, video.
Photography: Fundamentals, photojournalism, photographic printmaking.

ART EDUCATION:

Art Education: Elementary, middle, and secondary art education.

MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:

Museums, Galleries, Private Collections: Includes restoration and conservation, guides, catalogs of collections.
 
Collecting Codes
key to collecting codes

July 2011
Bibliographer: Jessica Ritchie