Alexander Watkins

Discovering Open Access Art History: A Comparative Study of the Indexing of Open Access Art Journals

This article evaluates the indexing of open access art journals in four frequently utilized art indexes: Art Full Text, ARTBibliographies Modern, Art & Architecture Complete, and Bibliography of the History of Art/International Bibliography of Art. The authors also compare the indexing of open access journals in Google Scholar to that in the traditional indexes mentioned above and demonstrate that the commercial indexes currently lag behind Google Scholar in terms of content coverage. This article argues that increased indexing of open access art journals in the traditional, subject-specific indexes will be integral to their acceptance within the discipline of art history.

Zotero for Personal Image Management

Digital software solutions for personal image collections have lagged behind digital asset management tools for institutional collections. Scholars often need a solution that can store and organize images, associate metadata, and output data in useful ways. Zotero, the open-source citation management software, is emerging as useful tool for personal image management and library organization. The author describes the applications and advantages of Zotero for personal image collections and its potential as a method by which personal and institutional collections may be more closely integrated.

From Studio Space and Makerspace to Workplace: Adapting Instruction and Outreach to Fit the Needs of Practitioners from Art to Engineering

This paper discusses the specialized instructional needs of creative practitioner communities and consequent tensions students of applied fields face related to their place in the academy. By drawing on the literature of workplace information behavior and exploring the multiple communities of practice that creative practitioners navigate, we suggest information literacy approaches that acknowledge and accommodate their unique needs. If librarians acknowledge an inherent multidisciplinarity, wide ranging use of sources, tacit knowledge, and information use in specialized creation spaces, they can teach information literacy skills that are transferable and meet workplace affordances and needs. This leads to information literacy instruction that resonates with students in these fields and positions them to better succeed in their chosen fields.

Facilitating Global Art Conversations: Availability of Art Scholarship in Latin America

Objective – As art history becomes an increasingly global discipline, the question of geographically equitable access to the scholarly knowledge produced at universities in Europe and North America remains unexamined. This study aims to begin to answer that question by investigating the availability of art scholarship in Latin America. Methods – Sixty university libraries in Latin America were checked for various kinds of access to two major art history journals. Results – The study found that access rates were low, and that the types of access available were suboptimal. Conclusion – The results suggest that the current level of access is insufficient to support global scholarly conversations in art history and that current modes of dissemination of scholarship are not reaching key audiences.

Open Access and the Future of Art Scholarship

There are many arguments for the necessity of open access, scholarship that is freely available online; however, many of these arguments do not apply to art scholarship – is it then still necessary to change the publishing model? I argue that it is; the high price of access to traditional publications closes art scholarship to all but privileged Western academics. Open access is key to creating a globally integrated community of art scholars and reengaging the public in art discourse. Librarians can help facilitate a scholarship that is accessible to all.

Performance Anxiety: Performance Art in Twenty-First Century Catalogs and Archives

How does one document performance art, which is not an object but an interaction between artist and viewers? After the performance, the work is preserved in various videos, photographs, eyewitness accounts, and remaining artifacts. It is these remains that enter the archive and the catalog, and which must be described and interrelated to give an idea of the original performance. This article addresses several practical and philosophical concerns that are raised by this process of integration and their ramifications.