Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 June 2016
The first art librarianship curricula were determined by the bibliographic requirements of scholarly libraries, until, the membership of ARLIS/NA revealed, in the 1970s, that programs with wider scope were needed. Today MSLS curricula for art librarians include core courses on general library topics; background courses in the humanities, archives and special collections, indexing and abstracting, and preservation; subject courses in art bibliography and visual resources; fieldwork and internships; and recommendations for institutional cognate courses in art history and museology. Qualifications emphasise subject specialisation of faculty and strong local art resources. Here curriculum objectives are enumerated, and the importance of co-ordination with related professional programs is stressed.