Museums & Libraries

Annotations

2005-11-25T20:33:00.000-05:00

-This blog was created for educational purposes and was a requirement for a Library Science graduate class that I am enrolled in at the University at Buffalo.
-The following are a list of bibliographic annotations that served as primary sources in the formation of this blog.

Dilevko, Juris, and Lisa Gottlieb. The Evolution of Library and Museum Partnerships: Historical Antecedents, Contemporary Manifestations, and Future Directions. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004.

Labrador, Ana P. Distant Relations: The Place of Libraries in Museums. 22 Aug. 2005. 30 Sept. 2005. http://www.ncca.gov.ph/culture&arts/perspectives/librariesinmuseums.htm.

van der Wateren, Jan. The Importance of Museum Libraries. 25 Sept. 2005. 30 Sept. 2005. <http://www.ifla.org/VII/d2/inspel/99-4wajv.pdf>.

Kolganova, Ada. Museum Libraries as Part of the System of Libraries in Russia. 29 Sept. 2005. 30 Sept. 2005. <http://www.ifla.org/VII/d2/inspel/99-4koad.pdf>.

"Cabinet of Natural Science and Chester County Athenaeum in Westchester, Pa." Norton's Literary Gazette and Publishers' Circular 3 (1853): 150.

Locke, George H. "Co-operation Between Libraries and Museums." Museums Journal 29 (1930): 260-267.

Hook, Alice. "The Historical Society Library." Special Libraries 50 (1959):114-118.

Lipton, Barbara. "The Small Museum Library: The Experience of the Newark Museum Library." Special Libraries 65 (1974): 1-3.

Bierbaum, Esther Green. "Museum Libraries: The More Things Change..." Special Libraries 87 (1996): 74-88.

"An Unexpected Future: A New Century Dawns for Art Libraries and Image Curators." Art Documentation 19 (2000): 6-13.

Listservs and Other Electronic Resources of Interest

2005-11-25T19:50:00.000-05:00

-The following are some listservs that may be of benefit to joining for anyone interested in museum-library collaborations.

H-MUSEUM
ICOM-L
MCN
MLANEWS
MUSEOPHILE
MUSEUM-L
NINCH-ANNOUNCE
VSMUS

-RLG operates numerous electronic discusson groups.
-To check them out, go to http://www.rlg.org/listserv.html .

VRA-L (Visual Resources Association)(listserv@uafsysb.uark.edu)
ARLIS-L (Art Libraries Society) (listserv@ukcc.uky.edu)

Kovacs Consulting
-This company offers web-based continuing education and professional training for librarians and other information professionals.
-Check out http://www.kovacs.com/training.html to find out more information on upcoming workshops.

Professional Organizations and Federal Agencies

2005-11-25T18:55:00.000-05:00

-This is a list of professional organizations and federal agencies that I believe may be of benefit to anyone who is interested in working on a museum-library collaboration.

AAM-American Association of Museums
ALA-American Library Association
ARLIS/NA-Art Libraries Association-North America
CAA-College Art Association
CLIR-Council on Library and Information Resources
ICOM-International Council of Museums
IFLA-International Federation of Library Associations
IMLS-Institute of Museum and Library Services
MLA-The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
NARA-The US National Archives and Records Administration
RLG-Research Libraries Group
SLA-Special Libraries Association
ULC-Urban Libraries Council
VRA-Visual Resource Association

Collaborations: Success, Risks, Issues, Concerns

2005-11-25T17:08:00.000-05:00

-Collaborations are created with the intentions of eliminating existing problems within cultural institutions and to affect society in a postive way.
-Yet, several issues have arisen as a result of the formation of partnerships.
-Many of these problems are subjective and pertain to particular communities, local governments, specific organizations...

Technology
-The utilization of any form of technology always carries a debate.
-For example, there is a great amount of controversy about electronic resources. -There are many individuals who benefit from these capabilities, but there are an equal amount of people who think that virtual libraries and museums are stopping patrons from visiting the actual institutions.
-Are jobs being lost because of technology? If so, is this truly a good thing?

The Museum and/or Library as Place
-Many people are beginning to think that both of these institutions are becoming more of a place to socialize, than a place to learn.
-The terms "infotainment" and "edutainment" have been introduced as ways of explaining what is taking place within the walls of museums and libraries.
-Patrons are not always coming into a museum or library to read books or view exhibits anymore.
-There are a lot more activities that are taking place.
-For example, there may be performances by musicians, dancers, or comedians. -Sometimes movies are shown or there are even wine tastings.
-An example of "infotainment"/"edutainment" is the Gusto at the Gallery which takes place every Friday at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
-To learn more about the program go to
http://www.albrightknox.org/gusto.html.
-Here you will also find a detailed schedual of upcomming activites, as well as, ones that have taken place in the past.

Sponsors
-Sponsors always help out with money and marketing, but can they also be a downfall?
-Some people think that when you allow sponsorship that you are also giving up the institutuion's control.
-In other words, the sponsor is allowed to make more of the decsions on such things as the mission and vision of the institutuion.

Blockbusters
-At first, most people would probably agree that blockbuster exhibits are great because they increase attendence to the institutuion and they generate a great amount of revenue.
-Yet, for the most part, they do not reflect the community or the institution's collection.
-The increase in funds from addmission costs may be keeping the doors of the museum or library open, but is it really emphasizing the permanent collections? -Does a museum or library sacrifice its integrity by deemphasizing its mission or vision by having blockbuster exhibits?

Success & Risk Factors
-In 2001,Nancy Allen and Liz Bishoff presented a paper at the 10th annual ACRL National Conference entitled Academic Library/Museum Collaboration: I'm OK, You're OK.
-In this paper, they presented some important factors that they believe can lead to a successful or problematic collaboration.

-The success factors are:
*communication
*policy & operational issues
*organizational culture
*commitment
*technology
*conflict resolution
*incentives
*advisory committee

-The risk factors are:
*knowledge-base
*project complexity
*internal project resistance
*organizational culture
*interpretation vs. identification
-To learn more about these factors or to read the lecture that was presented, go to http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlevents/allen.pdf.

Elements of Successful Partnerships
-The CPB and IMLS published a workbook entitled Models for Collaboration.
-In this wonderful source is a section on Elements of Successful Partnerships.
-It is a detailed discussion on what are several key components to a prosperous collaboration.

-Some of the elements that are discussed are:
*a shared vision
*flexibility
*complementary strengths
*agreed-upon boundaries
*commitment & compromise
*ways of celebrating achievement & promoting success
-To learn more about these successful elements or to read the workbook, go to http://www.benton.org/publibrary/partners/pips.pdf.

Check Out This Blog

2005-11-17T23:17:00.000-05:00

Library Stuff Blog

-This blog is authored by Steven M. Cohen and is published by Information Today, Inc.
-Anyone who is a member of the Library Science field really needs to check out this weblog.
-The #1 reason why I love this site is because it mentions this blog "Museums & Libraries".
-Check out the post on Sunday, November 13, 2005.
-Be sure to go to http://www.librarystuff.net/#top.

Partnership for a Nation of Leaders

2005-11-15T22:39:00.000-05:00

Partnership for a Nation of Leaders (PNL)

-The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) joined forces in September 2004 and created the Partnership for a Nation of Leaders (PNL).
-The CPB and the IMLS both share a belief in the value of lifelong learning and in the potential of collaborations to make learning active, as well as, serveing learners in new ways.
-PNL is concerned with the processes of developing, practicing, supporting, and learning lessons from previous collaborations in the anticipation of benefitting the community.
-PNL awards Community Collaboration Grants, offers a professional development curriculum, and sustaines a website that serves as an online resource center for collaboration materials and activities.

-The purpose of the grant program is to build and strengthen working relationships among libraries, museums, and public broadcasting licensees that will enhance their roles within their communities.
-To learn more about the guidelines for applying for a Community Collaboration Grant check out http://www.imls.gov/grants/appl/index.htm#partner.
-If you would like to learn additional information about Community Collaboration Grants that were awarded for 2005 check out http://www.imls.gov/results.aspyear=10&program=1067&description=on&sort=year.

-The PNL has investigated several lifelong learning collaborations that they believe have demonstrated innovation, cooperation, practicality, and public benefit.
-The results of these studies identified the characteristics of "Higher Order" Collaborations which can be found at http://www.partnershipforlearners.org/materials/characteristics_collabs.pdf.

-The members of PNL believe that effective collaborations are built on a foundation of strong personal relationships.
-Therefore, on Wednesday, November 30th, between 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm EST, the members of PNL are going to sponsor a national and local Community Collaboration Videoconference.
-This will provide an opportunity for PNL to introduce themselves to the professional communities and explain what they have to offer them.
-This event will also allow the local assoctiations to get to know one another and initiate discussons on possible partnerships.

The Government Encourages Collaboration

2005-11-15T21:10:00.000-05:00

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (ILMS)

-The Institute of Museum and Library Services was created in 1996 by the Museum and Library Services Act, which essentially merged the Fedreral programs for supporting the nations museums and libraries, transferring the library programs out of the Department of Education and uniting them with what has been the Instituite of Museum Services.
-The simple recognition that museums and libraries are both social agencies for public education is what motivated the merger.
-IMLS is an independent Federal agency that fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime of learning.
-IMLS helps museums and libraries improve their services by holding conferences and training sessions, honoring individuals who excel in the community, awarding grants, making publications available on various topics, provide networking, and much more.
-The IMLS website has a great deal of information that is of enormous benefit to all museums, libraries, and professionals in both fields.
-Their is information on the history of IMLS, the latest news of what's going on in the agency, information on applying for grants or awards, publications are available to read such as Primary Source Newsletter, there are notices of when and where conferences are taking place, job opportunities are listed, there are links to useful museum and library websites, and many more additional resources can be found.

*One of the greatest aspects of IMLS is that it encourages collaboration among and between museums and libraries, as well as, between these institutions and other community groups.
-IMLS offers several grants to museum and library collaborations each year because they believe that these partnerships enhance the educational benefits to the community.
-IMLS has conducted numerous studies on museum and library partnerships and their research has shown that these collaborations can: increase access to information in their communities, enhance education, attract new audiences, and expand the reach of their programs.

-Here are some examples of museum and library partenerships that have recieved grants from the IMLS to help fund their collaboration projects.

Connecting Books & Art
-Warren-Trumbull County, Ohio: The public library and local art museum jointly developed a series of family orientated programs.

Museum Branch
-Tampa-Hillsborough County, Florida: The public library has a branch that is located within the Museum of Science and Industry in which the collection is made up of materials relating to science and math.

Science on the Road
-Norwich, Vermont: The Montshire Museum of Science is working with the Howe Library to create eight traveling interacting tabletop science exhinits.

Three Special Museum & Library Collaborations

2005-11-12T22:57:00.000-05:00

-Three special museum and library partenerships are the United States Presidential Libraries, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution and its Libraries. All of these institutions are open to the public and they are funded by the government.

The Presidential Libraries

-Presidential Libraries are not libraries in the typical sense.

-They are archives and museums that bring together in one place the documents and artifacts of a President and his administration and allowing the public to view and study the materials.

-The Presidential Library system formally began in 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt donated his personal and Presidential papers to the Federal Government.

-The National Archives took custody of Roosevelt's papers and his historical materials.

-Roosevelt believed that the Presidential papers are an important part of the national heritage and should be accessable to the public.

At the dedication of his library on June 30, 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt observed:
"To bring together the records of the past and to house them in buildings where they will be preserved for the use of men and women in the future, a Nation must believe in three things. It must believe in the past. It must believe in the future. It must, above all, believe in the capacity of its own people so to learn from the past that they can gain in judgement in creating their own future."

-To learn more about the Presidential Libraries visit: http://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/. Here you will find information on the history of the Presidential Libraries, their contents, exhibits, special events, visitor information, and links to each specific Presidential Library.

The Library of Congress

-The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world and it also serves as the American National Library.

-It was created in 1800 to be a research library for Congress.

-Today, research for Congress is still the primary mission, but its services have now been expanded to all American and to researchers around the world.

-To learn more about the rich history of this amazing institution go to http://www.loc.gov/about/history/.

-Because of its special status as the national library, the Library of Congress's mission encompasses traditional library services, as well as, many other roles.

-Some of these additonal functions are "Protector of Creativity", "Publisher of Information", and a "Vast Internet Source".

-To find out more about these additonal duties of the Library of Congress go to http://www.loc.gov/more/links.html

-I have stated previously, that the Library of Congress is host to mant exhibits at the Library, as well as, online. To find out more about the exhibitions go to http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/

-The library's website has a section called "Global Gateways" that has links to collaborative digital libraries, individual digital collections from its own collections, as well as, links, databases, and resources of interest to national and international researchers.

The Smithsonian Institute and Its Libraries

-In 1826, James Smithson, a British scientist, drew up his last will and testament, naming his nephew as beneficiary. Smithson stipulated that, should the nephew die without heirs, the estate should go "to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." In 1835 the nephew did die without heirs and thus began the rich and diverse legacy of the Smithsonian Institute.

-For more information on the history of the Smithsonian Institute go to http://www.sil.si.edu/about/history.htm.

-According to Lawrence M. Small, the current Secretary of the Smithsonian, "The Institute's vision is to commit itself to enlarging its shared understanding of the mosaic that is our national identity by providing authorative experiences that connect us to our history and our heritage as Americans and to promote innovation, research and discovery in science."

-Today, the Smithsonian has 18 museums, 140 affiliate museums, 9 research centers, and over 143.7 million objects, artworks, and specimens in its collections.

-The Smithsonian has over 20 libraries and information resource centers.

-The Smithsonian libraries have a section on the website that is called "Resources/Related Links". Here, there is a listing of categories, and then underneath each item is a list of libraries or resource centers where information on that topic can be found.

-Here are some books that may be of interest to anyone who would like to read more about these three wonderful institutions.

Conaway, James, and Edmund Morris. America's Story: The

Story of the Library of Congress, 1800-2000. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2000.

Hyland, Pat. Presidential Libraries and Museums: An Illustrated Guide. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1995.

Overstreet, Leslie. Rare Books and Special Collections in the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books, 1995.

Smith, Curt. Windows on the White House: The Story of the Presendential Libraries. South Bend, IN: Diamond Communications, 1997.

Why Work Together & the Benefits of Doing So

2005-11-12T22:01:00.000-05:00

Reasons Why Museums & Libraries Work Together

-Many museums and libraries are facing huge cuts in funding and they need to find ways of getting additional money.

-To begin with, they need to increase the number of people that attend their facilities, as well as, prove that they are pertinant assets to their community.

-When attendence increases and a cultural institution proves its essentialness to its citizens, very often grants are given by the government and educational and cultural foundations.

-The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a federal government agency that provides grants for museums and libraries that work together and therefore, it is a big reason why many museums and libraries do form partnerships.

-Museums and libraries with small collections will often collaborate with another one so that they are able to provide a wider service to the public.

-To avoid competiton and save time, many museums and libraries that serve similar populations will form an alliance.

-Technological advances have made it easier for museums and libraries to reach out and serve the public and to connect them to services from related cultural institutions.

Benefits For the Institutions

-The staff of the museums and libraries are able to learn new skills and gain invaluable experience from the professionals that they are working with.

-A new dialogue can be established between the institutions that allows for an exchange of knowledge and understanding of one anothers' organization.

-Through the sharing of resources, each institution is able to expand the reach of their programs and better meet the needs of their patrons by providing a higher quality of exhibits and service.

-By expanding resources and service options, museums and libraries are able to bring people back to their institutions, as well as, now being able to access a new audience by working in conjunction with other institutions

-Higher attendance numbers result from collaborations and then more money is brought in from addmission charges, new memberships, and new government and private funding.

-When museums and libraries work together on projects there is a huge savings in time and money for both.

-When there is adequate funding and enhanced services, the museum or library is then better able to fulfill their missions of education, collecting, preservation...

Benefits For the Community

-When museums and libraries are located in the same building, they save the patron time and trouble of traveling.

-The patrons are able to acquire meaningful knowledge and develop critical inquiry skills through a sense of wonder and serious study.

-The quality of life of all members of society is improved through the enriched exhibits and services.

-To learn more about the benefits of museum-library collaborations, check out:

Brown, Karen, and Miriam Pollack. "Illinois Libraries and Museums: Connecting & Collaborating for the Future." Illinois Libraries 82 (2000): 209-215.

Dilevko, Juris, and Lisa Gottlieb. "Resurrecting a Neglected Idea: The Reintroduction of Library-Museum Hybrids." Library Quarterly 73 (2003): 160-198.

Matthews, Julia. "From Archaeology to Zoology: The ROM Library." Canadian Library Journal 43 (1986): 187-190.

Types of Museum & Library Collaborations

2005-11-12T10:33:00.000-05:00

The variety of museum and library partnerships is incalculable because new ones are constantly being formed. However, I would like to discuss eight different kinds that are the most common collaborations.

1. Museum Libraries
-This is where a library is housed within a museum and it supports the museum at all points and in all phases of that museum's mission.
-The library is intended to serve the informational needs of the administrators and staff through its resources or through the access to other resources.
-It might preserve graphic materials for exhibits or show curators where they can be obtained.
-It may also maintain the archives of the museum or provide the archivist with the necessary information about the institution and its history.
-Furthermore, it will enlarge the museum experience for the public by providing further information and resources about the collections.

Two examples of museum libraries can be found at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society and the Buffalo Museum of Science.

2. Museum & Library Sharing the Same Building (collections unrelated)

seperate ends of the building
-An example of this is the Winn Memorial Library that was designed by H.H.Richardson.
-One end of the building is the library and the other is a museum.
-The library and the museum both operate independently of the other.

upstairs/downstairs
-An example of this can be found in Las Vegas where a building was designed to house both The Sahara West Library and Fine Arts Museum of Las Vegas.
-The library is situated on the upper level and the museum is on the lower level.
-Here again, both institutions opperate independently from each other.

next to each other/walkway & underground tunnel
-Technically, the Denver Public Library and the Denver Art Museum are not located within the same structure, but they are both connected by an underground tunnel and an aboveground walkway.
-The underground concourse was bulit in 1996 and the external steel canopy was constructed in 1998.
-These man-made links to both of the buildings are symbolic representations of reaching out to the other and forming a partnership.

3. One facility and a Blending of the Institutions
-A wonderful example of this is the Newark Public Library that was begun by John Cotton Dana in 1902.
-His belief was that the museum and library should work together as one entity by placing books and related objects together.
-He stated, "Connect the work the museum may do, its objects...with all the resources of the public library. In doing this, many books and journals will be displayed near objects on view, references to books and journals will be made on labels and leaflets of all kinds."

4. Satellite Branches
-An example of a satellite branch is the Parent Resource Library that is located within the Children's Museum of Houston.
-At the Children's Museum of Houston, there is a seperate room that is staffed and funded by the Houston Public Library.
-Its purpose is to target the patrons of the Museum, which are children and their families, and provide them with up to date and relevant parenting resources.

5. Technology Based Relationships (a shared virtual environment)

links to each others websites
-The Buffalo Zoo and the Burchfield Penny Art Center at Buffalo State College both offer links to related sites, public art projects, and other cultural institutions.

digital museums & digital libraries
-Voices: Bringing Multimedia Museum Exhibits to the World Wide Web is a new online multimedia exhibit that is being formed through the collaboration of several cultual heritage institutions in Colorado.
-There aim is to demonstrate how partnerships among libraries, archives, historical societies, and museums can support an enhanced digital collection of primary resource material.

-The Virtual Library Museum Pages (VLMP) is an online directory of museums and libraries through out the world that have their own websites.

-The National Virtual Museum of the United Kingdom is also called the "24 Hour Museum".
-This website offers news, listings, and features from over 3000 museums, galleries and heritage sites

-The World Wide Web Virtual Library: History of Art is a collection of links relating to Art History and computer applications in Art History.

6. Traveling Exhibits
-Simply stated, this is when one institution hosts another one's exhibit.
-If you go to The Library of Congress website you can see a list and description of exhibits that they currently have on display, those that are on tour, upcoming exhibits, and you may also view virtual exhibits.

7. Lending of Books and Objects
-Inter-Library Loan (ILL) is a great way for an institution to meet the needs of its patrons and staff when their collections do not have the materials that are desired.

-By going to http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaprotools/referenceguide/interlibrary.htm you can learn more about ILL code for the United States.

-By going to http://www.loc.gov/rr/loan/illscanhome.html you can learn about the Library of Congress's Digital ILL project that was started in 2000.

-It is also very common for museums to loan objects to other museums for use in research and to be apart of an exhibit.
-For example, when you go to an art exhibit the label next to a work of art will say if it is on loan from another collection.

8. Collaboration on Programs and Projects
-This is when two or more institutions work together on a program or project.

-The Albright-Knox Art Gallery has a museum library that always has a display of books and other materials that are related to the current exhibits at the museum.
-For example, there is an exhibit right now that is entitiled "The Wall: Reshaping Contemporary Chinese Art" and the library has a display of books related to this topic; many of which are reflective of the individual artists who have their works of art on display.

"The Map That Changed the World" is an exhibit that is currently on display in the Rare Book Room at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library.
-This show was put together with the help of the University at Buffalo, the Buffalo Museum of Science, the Buffalo Public Schools, the Niagara Gorge, and the Penn-Dixie Paleontological & Outdoor Educational Center.
-Along with being able to view the historic map, families are able to partake in a number of programs including lectures, walks, and hands-on activities.

-More information on this topic can be found by reading the following:

Alexander, Edward P. Museums In Motion: An Introduction
to the History and Functions of Museums. Walnut Creek,
CA: Alta Mira Press, 1996.

Bierbaum, Esther Green. Museum Librarianship.
Jefferson, NC: McFairland & Company, Inc., 2000.

Deas, J.A.C. "Interrelationship of Museums and Libraries."
The Library World 31 (1929): 275-278.

Are You CURIOUS To Find Out More? part 2

2005-11-06T13:36:00.000-05:00

The Tradescant Collection
It is perhaps the best known Cabinet of Curiosity that originally belonged to John Tradescant the Elder (c.1570-1638) and his son, John Tradescant the Younger (1608-1662). Both men had been gardeners to several aristocratic families such as Charles I and George Villiers, first Duke of Buckingham. Their positions granted them several opportunities for traveling to the Americas, the Mediterranean, and to the East where they were in search of new botanicals with which to enhance the gardens of their patrons. During their travels, they found items for their employer's gardens, as well as, discovering and collecting items for themselves. In 1626, both men moved outside of London to a town called South Lambeth. Here, they made their home and it became known as "Tradescant's Ark" because it was filled with their renowned Collection of Rarities and it also was surrounded by exquisite gardens. Some of the items that were apart of their collection included a small piece of the wood from the cross of Christ, a dodo bird, the hand of a mermaid, Turkish shoes, and a book containing hand written Jewish text. Tradescant the Younger issued Musauem Tradescantium which was a catalogue of the collection. It was a record of the contents of both "The Ark" and the gardens, and it also described the method that was used in organizing the collection. These two men were the first to acknowledge the value of their collection to the general public by allowing them admittance. Entrance to the collection was not determined by status or by gender, but by the payment of a fee. By deed of a gift, the collection was given to Elias Ashmole who later donated it to the University of Oxford, where it can now be viewed in the Ashmole Museum.

Modern Cabinets of Curiosity
-Many individuals and organizations have taken the traditional idea of the Cabinet of Curiosity and have refreshed it in such a way that it may be of relevance in today's society.

-Two dynamic examples of a new approach to the use of a Cabinet of Curiosity are:

1. A project that was started at Middle Street Primary School entitled "Cabinets and Pods."
-The activity was created by a teacher named Dave Dyer who wanted to develop an exciting blend of real and virtual

projects that would capture children's imagination and also

help to stimulate a wide range of creative approaches to all

aspects of the curriculum.

-To learn more about this exciting project and to view some

virtual cabinets that were created by students go to:

http://www.middlestreet.org/cabinet/index.htm

2. An exhibit that took place in 2002 at the New York Public

Library that was entitled: "The Public's Treasures: A Cabinet

of Curiosities from the New York Public Library."
-The library turned one of their rooms into a Cabinet of

Curiosity in which they displayed items from every section

of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library.
-They used the model of a Cabinet of Curiosity in the hopes

that it would edify, delight, and possibly surprise its viewers.
-Check out the press release to find out more information

on what was exhibited.

If You Are Still CURIOUS and Would Like to Learn More--Check Out the Following...

Alexander, Edward P. Museums In Motion: An Introduction

to the History and Functions of Museums. Walnut Creek,

CA: Alta Mira Press, 1996.

Bell, Whitfield J. A Cabinet of Curiosities: Five Episodes in

the Evolution of American Museums. Charlottesville,

VA: University Press of Virginia, 1967.

Dilevko, Juris, and Lisa Gottlieb. The Evolution of Library

and Museum Partnerships: Historical Antecedents,

Contemporary Manifestations, and Furture Directions.

Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004.

Dilworth, Leah. Acts of Possession: Collecting in America.

New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2003.

Impey, Oliver, and Arthur MacGregor. The Origins of

Museums: The Cabinet of Curiosities in Sixteenth and

Seventeenth Century Europe. Oxford: Claredon Press, 1985.

Purcell, R. "A Room Revisited." Natural History 113 (2004): 46-48.

Are You CURIOUS To Find Out More? part 1

2005-11-06T12:06:00.000-05:00

The Cabinet Of Curiosity is an early example of a library and museum partnership.

History
The formation of Cabinets of Curiosity began in the 16th century and reached its peak of popularity in the 17th century. They were originally personal collections of wealthy individuals that were arranged and kept in a special room in their home for safekeeping and private viewing. The cabinets were encyclopedic in approach and their contents emphasized the exotic, the rare, and the marevelous. Both natural and man-made objects were included, and it was also common for the cabinet to represent local history, products, and natural resources. With the discovery of the Americas and the newly opened trade routes to Asia, an increased number of rarities had quickly found their way into the eclectic cabinets. No two cabinets were alike because they reflected the particular interests and obsessions of its owner.

Examples of What may Have Been Found in a Cabinet of Curiosity
There was a vast range of objects that were included in the Cabinets of Curiosity. They included plant and mineral samples, fossils, shells, coral, zoological specimens (especially monstrous one), exotic artifacts from distant cultures, weapons, tools, instruments, works of art, peasant costumes, mementos of the past, and books.

Books Within the Cabinets
There were two kinds of functions for books:
1. books as items of curiosity
-Some books were considered as works of art because they
contained drawings or illustrations.
2. books used for instruction (for the collector and his visitors)
-There may be books that offered further explaination on particular objects.
-For example, there may be books on botany to accompany
specimens or books on art history that complemented works of art.

Where were the books kept?
-If a book was used for the purpose of instruction, it was generally
placed on a table in the room where a person could sit down and read it.
-Books that were items of curiosity were either integrated within
the collection or they had a seperate area that was called the library.

Purpose of the Cabinets
There were two general types of Cabinets: Aristocratic and Scholarly
Aristocratic
-These collections belonged to members of the noble class and their
primary aim was to use the Cabinet as a way of symbolically
displaying their power and prestige.
Scholarly
-These Cabinets were used as tools for acquiring knowledge and
proof of that knowledge.
-These collections could also reinforce an owner's social standing or
help him climb the social ladder if he had noteworthy curiosities.

-Both categories of Cabinets were focused on provoking a sense of
curiosity and wonder in the viewer.

How They Were Organized
-Objects were arranged within the room according to their owner's personal notions of importance, similarity, historical and geographical connections, and aesthetic appeal.
-The classification systems that the collectiors used in which to organize their holdings became precursors to the modern organization systems for geology, anthropology, art history, chemistry, botany, and comparative literature.
The items were hung on the walls, on the ceiling, placed on shelves, or stored in compartments.

People Who Had Cabinets
-Cabinets were owned by members of royalty, clerics, popes, professionals (botanists, naturalists, scientists, pharmacists), and merchants.
-Some famous people that had Cabinets of Curiosity
were Thomas Jefferson, Charles Willson Peale, Benjamin Franklin, Francesco I de Medici, Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, Jean de France, Felix Platter, and Ole Worm.

A Rich Tradition Still Lives

2005-10-23T19:21:00.000-04:00

Since antiquity, libraries and museums have shared a rich tradition of acquiring, conserving, and providing access to the cultural artifacts of the human experience. They begun as private personal collections and have evolved into becoming some of the world's greatest public treasures. For many centuries, libraries and museums have been partners in educating and informing the public on a vast array of subjects. In today's fast-paced world, people tend to be more concerned about whose going to win the next Buffalo Bills game and less interested in the rich history of Buffalo or the sport of football. Therefore, there is undoubtedly a great need for the resources of the library and museum to join together and further enhance the intellect of society.

In this blog, I wish to explore many topics and controversial issues related to the partnerships of libraries and museums. Some of these include, the effects of technology, the idea of "edutainment", and the changing roles of libraries and museums.

The following, is a book, three websites, and two journal articles, that I think may be of interest, to anyone who wants to begin to learn more about the collaborations between libraries and museums.

"Cabinet of Natural Science and Chester County Athenaeum in Westchester, Pa." Norton's Literary Gazette and
Publisher's Circular 3 (1853): 150.

Dilevko, Juris, and Lisa Gottlieb. The Evolution of Library and Museum Partnerships: Historical Antecedents,
Contemporary Manifestations, and Future Directions. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004.

Kolganova, Ada. Museum libraries as Part of the System of Libraries in Russia. 29 Sept. 2005. 30 Sept. 2005.
http://www.ifla.org/VII/d2/inspel/99-4koad.pdf.

Labrador, Ana P. Distant Relations: The Place of Libraries in Museums. 22 Aug. 2005. 30 Sept. 2005.
http://www.ncca.gov.ph/culture&arts/perspectives/librariesinmuseums.htm

van der Wateren, Jan. The Importance of Museum Libraries. 25 Sept. 2005 30 Sept. 2005
http://www.ifla.org/VII/d2/inspel/99-4wajv.pdf