The Thomas J. Watson Library, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Australia Research Library & Archives have each embarked on DEIA-centered collection assessment and expansion projects.
Watson assessed and expanded African American artist representation and visibility in the collections through bibliographic reviews for 700+ artists, identifying works for acquisition and enhancing catalog records with expanded content notes. Additionally, Watson launched an online index connecting researchers with records for those artists in Watson’s online catalog.
The NGA Research Library & Archives sampled and analyzed large collections of artist monographs to identify the gender ratio of artists therein. The data is measured against national and institutional surveys of exhibition and acquisition in galleries and museums. The results provide a valuable lens to critically view library collections past and present and inform future collection development policies and practice.
The two papers in this session examine rationales, methodologies, and outcomes of each project, and offer inspiration and tools to assist institutions with similar initiatives.
Black Artists Matter: Assessing and Expanding Representation and Visibility in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Library CollectionsJared Ash, The Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Daisy Paul, The Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Counts Count: Collections Analysis and Gender Equity at the National Gallery of Australia Research Library & ArchivesElizabeth Little, Manager, Research Library & Archives, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia
Lea Simpson, Head Librarian, National Art School, Australia
Sponsored byThe Museum of Modern Art
