Collection Policies

The purpose is to support teaching and research up to and including the master’s level in Studio Art and the master’s level in Art History as part of the Master of Art - Humanities major. A MA/MFA program in visual studies is offered jointly by Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University and utilizes the resources of both universities. Other programs having an interest in one or more areas of art are computer science, history, humanities, 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 at least to the listed collection levels.

Languages: English is the primary language of the collection but books published in French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish are purchased in the original language when English translation is not available. Books published in other languages are purchased selectively.

Chronological Guidelines: No limitations.

Geographical Guidelines: No limitations. While art of the Americas and Western European art (including Greek, Roman, and Egyptian) are emphasized, no geographical area is excluded.

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

• Art History: The materials needed for art courses range from the primary and secondary sources necessary to sustain graduate instruction and research, and from scholarly studies of the works of one particular artist or one particular work of art, to "picture books" consisting of reproductions of an artist’s work, with little or no text, which are purchased when the quality of the reproductions is especially good.
• Studio Art: Some "how to" books are purchased which might be considered less than scholarly, including techniques for all media and materials. Anatomy books are acquired very selectively to support figure drawing.

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

Other General Considerations:

• The Art Department’s slide library contains approximately 65,000 slides that support class needs.
• Area Resources:
• The Chrysler Museum’s Jean Outland Chrysler Library collection contains 35,000 monographs that have been cataloged in OCLC and another 20,000 that have not yet been cataloged into OCLC. The journal holdings at the museum are in the range of 175 titles and do not include the titles they get on exchange. The museum’s areas of emphasis are glass, photography, American 19th century art, French academic painting, Italian baroque art and they have 20,000 plus auction catalogs.

• Norfolk State University 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 5000 books in the N’s and T’s.

• Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University have a joint art program that consists of a Master of Arts/Master of Fine Arts—Visual Studies Major and offers concentrated individual programs utilizing the resources of both universities. The M.A. program is a one and one— half year program for students seeking advanced studies in studio or admission to a terminal degree program. The M.F.A. is a two and one-half year program for students seeking an advanced level of professionalism that can develop only from extended study; as such it is a terminal degree in the fine arts.

• Collection Weakness: A weakness of the art collection is that it is split between the Elise 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.

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, 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.