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National Art Library

May 04, 2023


The National Art Library (NAL) is a major reference library, situated in the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), a museum of decorative arts in London. The NAL holds the UK's most comprehensive collection of both books as art and books about art, which includes many genres and time periods.[1] The NAL is open to the public, and as a closed reference library, items must be requested through the staff and cannot be removed from the reading room.[2] The collections cover a wide range of art and design topics, including books about artists and art techniques, and consists of many different collections materials, including archival materials, artist's books, and children's literature.[2] The library also serves as the museum's curatorial department for book arts.[3] As a reference library, the NAL also serves as a training library for students, curators and museum staff, and the public.[4]

The National Art Library in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, UK.

The current mission of the NAL includes making information about art history and practice widely available, and aims to serve both national and international communities.[5]

History

What is today the NAL was originally founded in 1837 as the library for the Government School of Design,[6] where it primarily served as an educational tool for craftsmen to learn techniques and aesthetics.[7] It later moved to the current V&A museum site in 1857.[8] While the NAL remains part of the V&A, it was named the National Art Library in 1865 in part to establish its independence as an institution, which allows it to develop collections independently from the work of the museum.[8] However, from 1908 to 1985 the NAL was most often called the V&A Museum Library.[9] By 1852, the library was open to everyone, though patrons were charged a fee.[9]

As the library for the design school, collections were focused on instruction and meant to serve as examples of good design.[7] Early collections associated with the museum depended greatly on donations from artists and collectors. As the collections grew through the early 1900s, patronage consisted mostly of art historians, collectors, curators, and high-profile artists,[6] though it remained focused on the needs of students and others learning about art.[7] Starting in the 1970s and continuing today, students make up a large percentage of patrons visiting the NAL for educational and artistic purposes.[6] Collection of particularly experimental and contemporary artist's books began in the 1980s with the work of Jan van der Wateren, who served as the Chief Librarian.[10] In the early 2000s, the library was merged with the Prints, Paintings and Drawings department to form the Word and Image Department, which serves curatorial staff of the museum.[6]

The NAL is known for publishing the Universal Catalogue of Books on Art in the 1960s, which served as an international bibliography of art books.[6] It was named after previous iterations of the same publication from the late 1800s that served the same purpose.[9]

Collections

 
The library's unique manuscript of Li tre libri dell'arte del vasajo by Cipriano Piccolpasso (c. 1547), "widely accepted as the first comprehensive account of the manufacture of any kind of pottery ever produced in Europe".[11]

The General Collection consists of materials whose subjects align with the work of the Museum, including books about various arts (such as painting, woodworking, and ceramics) with a special focus on art and design of the Far East, India, and Southeast Asia.[12] The other main focus of the General Collection is the history of the design and artistry of books, including early printed books and children's books.[12] Most of what can be found in the NAL collections is not available in public institutions.

As part of its work in collecting items and materials specific to the V&A's particular areas of research, the Library takes special care to catalog its collection. For example, the NAL cataloging methods include noting the number of illustrations in a given work, as well as detailing the physical elements of the books in its collections, due to the NAL's focus on the book as object and their value as resources for art history and the history of craft and design.[13]

Special Collections

 
A preparatory drawing by Beatrix Potter for The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, 1906. This drawing is part of the V&A's Beatrix Potter collection, which includes manuscripts.

Special Collections at the NAL are generally more focused on books as objects of study, though they also contain archival materials, artists' letters, artists' manifestos, and manuscripts.[14] Included in Special Collections are a number of Closed Collections, which are collections taken in from an independent collector. The Closed Collections include three collections of Beatrix Potter works.[14]

Artists' books

Because the NAL has a focus on the book as art and object, it has a large collection of artist's books housed primarily in Special Collections.[15] The collection contains items documenting the history of artist's books, including the early livres d'artistes as well as contemporary and experimental book objects.[16] The NAL artists' book collection is one of its greatest strengths, and includes the first artists' book Ambroise Vollard published.[17] The collection also contains books created by artists such as Sol Lewitt, Ed Ruscha, Édouard Manet, and David Hockney. This section of the collections experienced a boom in the 1980s and 1990s, when many contemporary works were collected by artists of various levels of popularity by former Chief Librarian Jan an der Wateren.[16]

Although the collection of artist's books has slowed to allow funds to be used more broadly among the collections, there is still considerable collecting done of individual book objects.[16] Artists represented in the collection also have information files in the library, which include ephemera and information about the artists and their works, even when individual works have not been collected, and some artists' information files have been created even when the library has not been able to collect any works by a particular artist.[16]

Artists' Book Visual Database

To accompany the NAL's artists' book holdings, the V&A has an abridged Artists' Book Visual Database. This online resource allows any patron to view a portion of the NAL's artists' books, which they otherwise would not be able to see. Due to the books' rare nature, the artists' book collection is physically handled only by NAL staff and is available for patron perusal only by request.

Additional collection highlights

Among the NAL's other unique holdings are the Dyce & Forster collection, auction sale catalogues, calligraphy, chapbooks, children's books, comics, documentary manuscripts, early printed books, exhibition catalogues, fine bindings, illuminated manuscripts, and trade literature.

Visitor access

Patron services

 
The reading room at the National Art Library in the V&A Museum, London, UK.

The NAL is a reference library, which means that its materials are available for viewing and use only within the library itself—materials are not available for checkout. Some reference books are out on open shelves, but otherwise, materials must be requested via staff at the reference desk.

The library's catalogue is also available on the web, and materials can be requested in advance of a visit.

Getting a library card

A National Art Library card is needed to place requests for library materials and access study rooms at the V&A. To get a library card, users must create an NAL account, which can be done online or in person at the Library.[18]

Accessibility

The National Art Library offers the below services for patrons with disabilities:[19]

  • Materials delivery options
  • Text magnification technology
  • Advance book ordering
  • Hearing induction loops for the hearing impaired
  • Copying services

More information on accessibility to the V&A, NAL, and study rooms can be found on the V&A website, including a digital map[20] of each floor of the museum.

References

  1. ^ "The Burlington Magazine". www.burlington.org.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b "V&A · National Art Library". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  3. ^ Victoria and Albert Museum, Online Museum (5 August 2011). "Book Collections". www.vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  4. ^ Meriton, John (2002). "Training and the National Art Library". Art Libraries Journal. 27 (1): 13–17. doi:10.1017/S0307472200019921. ISSN 0307-4722. S2CID 152259029.
  5. ^ van der Wateren, Jan (1994). "National Library Provision for Art in the United Kingdom: The Role of the National Art Library". Alexandria: The Journal of National and International Library and Information Issues. 6 (3): 173–192. doi:10.1177/095574909400600303. ISSN 0955-7490. S2CID 219986301.
  6. ^ a b c d e Pearson, D. (1 June 2015). "Word & Image: Art, Books and Design from the National Art Library. Ed. by ROWAN WATSON, ELIZABETH JAMES and JULIUS BRYANT". The Library. 16 (2): 207–208. doi:10.1093/library/16.2.207. ISSN 0024-2160.
  7. ^ a b c Meriton, John (2002). "Training and the National Art Library". Art Libraries Journal. 27 (1): 13–17. doi:10.1017/S0307472200019921. ISSN 0307-4722. S2CID 152259029.
  8. ^ a b "The Burlington Magazine". www.burlington.org.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  9. ^ a b c van der Wateren, Jan (1994). "National Library Provision for Art in the United Kingdom: The Role of the National Art Library". Alexandria: The Journal of National and International Library and Information Issues. 6 (3): 173–192. doi:10.1177/095574909400600303. ISSN 0955-7490. S2CID 219986301.
  10. ^ Farmer, Jennie (2007). "Artists' books in the National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum". Art Libraries Journal. 32 (2): 27–31. doi:10.1017/S0307472200019167. ISSN 0307-4722.
  11. ^ Wharton, Stephen, "Ordinary Pots: The Inventory of Francesco di Luca, Orciolaio, and Cipriano Piccolpasso’s Three Books of the Art of the Potter", Ch. 8 in Everyday Objects: Medieval and Early Modern Material Culture and Its Meanings, eds. Tara Hamling, Catherine Richardson, p. 119 quoted, 2010, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., ISBN 0754666379, ISBN 9780754666370, google books; "Piccolpasso's treatise on maiolica", Victoria and Albert Museum (includes link to PDF on the manuscript)
  12. ^ a b Victoria and Albert Museum, Online Museum (5 August 2011). "Book Collections". www.vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  13. ^ Watson, Rowan (2001). "Adding Effectively to the National Resource on Art, Craft and Design: A View from a Museum Library". LIBER Quarterly. 11 (3): 307–314. doi:10.18352/lq.7649. ISSN 1435-5205 – via DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals.
  14. ^ a b Victoria and Albert Museum, Online Museum (5 August 2011). "Book Collections". www.vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  15. ^ Victoria and Albert Museum, Online Museum (5 August 2011). "Book Collections". www.vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d Farmer, Jennie (2007). "Artists' books in the National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum". Art Libraries Journal. 32 (2): 27–31. doi:10.1017/S0307472200019167. ISSN 0307-4722.
  17. ^ Farmer, Jennie (2007). "Artists' books in the National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum". Art Libraries Journal. 32 (2): 27–31. doi:10.1017/S0307472200019167.
  18. ^ "V&A · National Art Library". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  19. ^ "V&A · Study room services for people with disabilities". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  20. ^ "V&A Digital Map | Interactive Museum Floor Plan". www.vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2022.

Sources

  • Bettley, James, ed. The art of the book: from medieval manuscript to graphic novel. London: V&A Publications, 2001.
  • Essential information about the National Art Library

External links

  • Official website
  • National Art Library catalogue
  • Artists’ books database
  • Digital map



Coordinates: 51°29′48″N 0°10′21″W / 51.4968°N 0.1726°W / 51.4968; -0.1726

May 04, 2023
national, library, major, reference, library, situated, victoria, albert, museum, museum, decorative, arts, london, holds, most, comprehensive, collection, both, books, books, about, which, includes, many, genres, time, periods, open, public, closed, reference. The National Art Library NAL is a major reference library situated in the Victoria and Albert Museum V amp A a museum of decorative arts in London The NAL holds the UK s most comprehensive collection of both books as art and books about art which includes many genres and time periods 1 The NAL is open to the public and as a closed reference library items must be requested through the staff and cannot be removed from the reading room 2 The collections cover a wide range of art and design topics including books about artists and art techniques and consists of many different collections materials including archival materials artist s books and children s literature 2 The library also serves as the museum s curatorial department for book arts 3 As a reference library the NAL also serves as a training library for students curators and museum staff and the public 4 The National Art Library in the Victoria amp Albert Museum in London UK The current mission of the NAL includes making information about art history and practice widely available and aims to serve both national and international communities 5 Contents 1 History 2 Collections 2 1 Special Collections 2 2 Artists books 2 3 Artists Book Visual Database 2 4 Additional collection highlights 3 Visitor access 3 1 Patron services 3 2 Getting a library card 3 3 Accessibility 4 References 5 Sources 6 External linksHistory EditWhat is today the NAL was originally founded in 1837 as the library for the Government School of Design 6 where it primarily served as an educational tool for craftsmen to learn techniques and aesthetics 7 It later moved to the current V amp A museum site in 1857 8 While the NAL remains part of the V amp A it was named the National Art Library in 1865 in part to establish its independence as an institution which allows it to develop collections independently from the work of the museum 8 However from 1908 to 1985 the NAL was most often called the V amp A Museum Library 9 By 1852 the library was open to everyone though patrons were charged a fee 9 As the library for the design school collections were focused on instruction and meant to serve as examples of good design 7 Early collections associated with the museum depended greatly on donations from artists and collectors As the collections grew through the early 1900s patronage consisted mostly of art historians collectors curators and high profile artists 6 though it remained focused on the needs of students and others learning about art 7 Starting in the 1970s and continuing today students make up a large percentage of patrons visiting the NAL for educational and artistic purposes 6 Collection of particularly experimental and contemporary artist s books began in the 1980s with the work of Jan van der Wateren who served as the Chief Librarian 10 In the early 2000s the library was merged with the Prints Paintings and Drawings department to form the Word and Image Department which serves curatorial staff of the museum 6 The NAL is known for publishing the Universal Catalogue of Books on Art in the 1960s which served as an international bibliography of art books 6 It was named after previous iterations of the same publication from the late 1800s that served the same purpose 9 Collections Edit The library s unique manuscript of Li tre libri dell arte del vasajo by Cipriano Piccolpasso c 1547 widely accepted as the first comprehensive account of the manufacture of any kind of pottery ever produced in Europe 11 The General Collection consists of materials whose subjects align with the work of the Museum including books about various arts such as painting woodworking and ceramics with a special focus on art and design of the Far East India and Southeast Asia 12 The other main focus of the General Collection is the history of the design and artistry of books including early printed books and children s books 12 Most of what can be found in the NAL collections is not available in public institutions As part of its work in collecting items and materials specific to the V amp A s particular areas of research the Library takes special care to catalog its collection For example the NAL cataloging methods include noting the number of illustrations in a given work as well as detailing the physical elements of the books in its collections due to the NAL s focus on the book as object and their value as resources for art history and the history of craft and design 13 Special Collections Edit A preparatory drawing by Beatrix Potter for The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher 1906 This drawing is part of the V amp A s Beatrix Potter collection which includes manuscripts Special Collections at the NAL are generally more focused on books as objects of study though they also contain archival materials artists letters artists manifestos and manuscripts 14 Included in Special Collections are a number of Closed Collections which are collections taken in from an independent collector The Closed Collections include three collections of Beatrix Potter works 14 Artists books Edit Because the NAL has a focus on the book as art and object it has a large collection of artist s books housed primarily in Special Collections 15 The collection contains items documenting the history of artist s books including the early livres d artistes as well as contemporary and experimental book objects 16 The NAL artists book collection is one of its greatest strengths and includes the first artists book Ambroise Vollard published 17 The collection also contains books created by artists such as Sol Lewitt Ed Ruscha Edouard Manet and David Hockney This section of the collections experienced a boom in the 1980s and 1990s when many contemporary works were collected by artists of various levels of popularity by former Chief Librarian Jan an der Wateren 16 Although the collection of artist s books has slowed to allow funds to be used more broadly among the collections there is still considerable collecting done of individual book objects 16 Artists represented in the collection also have information files in the library which include ephemera and information about the artists and their works even when individual works have not been collected and some artists information files have been created even when the library has not been able to collect any works by a particular artist 16 Artists Book Visual Database Edit To accompany the NAL s artists book holdings the V amp A has an abridged Artists Book Visual Database This online resource allows any patron to view a portion of the NAL s artists books which they otherwise would not be able to see Due to the books rare nature the artists book collection is physically handled only by NAL staff and is available for patron perusal only by request Additional collection highlights Edit Among the NAL s other unique holdings are the Dyce amp Forster collection auction sale catalogues calligraphy chapbooks children s books comics documentary manuscripts early printed books exhibition catalogues fine bindings illuminated manuscripts and trade literature Visitor access EditPatron services Edit The reading room at the National Art Library in the V amp A Museum London UK The NAL is a reference library which means that its materials are available for viewing and use only within the library itself materials are not available for checkout Some reference books are out on open shelves but otherwise materials must be requested via staff at the reference desk The library s catalogue is also available on the web and materials can be requested in advance of a visit Getting a library card Edit A National Art Library card is needed to place requests for library materials and access study rooms at the V amp A To get a library card users must create an NAL account which can be done online or in person at the Library 18 Accessibility Edit The National Art Library offers the below services for patrons with disabilities 19 Materials delivery options Text magnification technology Advance book ordering Hearing induction loops for the hearing impaired Copying servicesMore information on accessibility to the V amp A NAL and study rooms can be found on the V amp A website including a digital map 20 of each floor of the museum References Edit The Burlington Magazine www burlington org uk Retrieved 27 April 2022 a b V amp A National Art Library Victoria and Albert Museum Retrieved 4 May 2022 Victoria and Albert Museum Online Museum 5 August 2011 Book Collections www vam ac uk Retrieved 25 April 2022 Meriton John 2002 Training and the National Art Library Art Libraries Journal 27 1 13 17 doi 10 1017 S0307472200019921 ISSN 0307 4722 S2CID 152259029 van der Wateren Jan 1994 National Library Provision for Art in the United Kingdom The Role of the National Art Library Alexandria The Journal of National and International Library and Information Issues 6 3 173 192 doi 10 1177 095574909400600303 ISSN 0955 7490 S2CID 219986301 a b c d e Pearson D 1 June 2015 Word amp Image Art Books and Design from the National Art Library Ed by ROWAN WATSON ELIZABETH JAMES and JULIUS BRYANT The Library 16 2 207 208 doi 10 1093 library 16 2 207 ISSN 0024 2160 a b c Meriton John 2002 Training and the National Art Library Art Libraries Journal 27 1 13 17 doi 10 1017 S0307472200019921 ISSN 0307 4722 S2CID 152259029 a b The Burlington Magazine www burlington org uk Retrieved 27 April 2022 a b c van der Wateren Jan 1994 National Library Provision for Art in the United Kingdom The Role of the National Art Library Alexandria The Journal of National and International Library and Information Issues 6 3 173 192 doi 10 1177 095574909400600303 ISSN 0955 7490 S2CID 219986301 Farmer Jennie 2007 Artists books in the National Art Library Victoria and Albert Museum Art Libraries Journal 32 2 27 31 doi 10 1017 S0307472200019167 ISSN 0307 4722 Wharton Stephen Ordinary Pots The Inventory of Francesco di Luca Orciolaio and Cipriano Piccolpasso s Three Books of the Art of the Potter Ch 8 in Everyday Objects Medieval and Early Modern Material Culture and Its Meanings eds Tara Hamling Catherine Richardson p 119 quoted 2010 Ashgate Publishing Ltd ISBN 0754666379 ISBN 9780754666370 google books Piccolpasso s treatise on maiolica Victoria and Albert Museum includes link to PDF on the manuscript a b Victoria and Albert Museum Online Museum 5 August 2011 Book Collections www vam ac uk Retrieved 25 April 2022 Watson Rowan 2001 Adding Effectively to the National Resource on Art Craft and Design A View from a Museum Library LIBER Quarterly 11 3 307 314 doi 10 18352 lq 7649 ISSN 1435 5205 via DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals a b Victoria and Albert Museum Online Museum 5 August 2011 Book Collections www vam ac uk Retrieved 25 April 2022 Victoria and Albert Museum Online Museum 5 August 2011 Book Collections www vam ac uk Retrieved 25 April 2022 a b c d Farmer Jennie 2007 Artists books in the National Art Library Victoria and Albert Museum Art Libraries Journal 32 2 27 31 doi 10 1017 S0307472200019167 ISSN 0307 4722 Farmer Jennie 2007 Artists books in the National Art Library Victoria and Albert Museum Art Libraries Journal 32 2 27 31 doi 10 1017 S0307472200019167 V amp A National Art Library Victoria and Albert Museum Retrieved 4 May 2022 V amp A Study room services for people with disabilities Victoria and Albert Museum Retrieved 4 May 2022 V amp A Digital Map Interactive Museum Floor Plan www vam ac uk Retrieved 4 May 2022 Sources EditBettley James ed The art of the book from medieval manuscript to graphic novel London V amp A Publications 2001 Essential information about the National Art LibraryExternal links EditOfficial website National Art Library catalogue Artists books database Digital map Coordinates 51 29 48 N 0 10 21 W 51 4968 N 0 1726 W 51 4968 0 1726 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title National Art Library amp oldid 1144505804, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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