Continuing education for art librarianship

Abstract

Education for art librarianship varies in its provision in France, Russia, Mexico, Spain, Japan and the Netherlands, but hardly features at all in standard librarianship training programmes. Individuals have come to art librarianship by a number of routes, often involving the study of art history and/or the experience of working in an art library, but in some cases as practising artists. Staff exchanges are a potentially valuable component of the continuing education of art librarians which art library associations in several countries are making it their business to provide. These associations and, at the international level, the IFLA Section of Art Libraries, can facilitate the sharing of training materials, and the Section would do well to continue to pay attention to the continuing education of art librarians and perhaps to produce an outline of a core course for use worldwide, with local additions and variations.