The Union Française des Arts du Costume, founded in 1948, has been housed since 1986 in the new Musée des Arts de la Mode, and comprises collections of garments and accessories and of complementary documentation. Its Centre de Documentation, open to all, includes a library and archival collections of drawings, prints, photographs, and publicity material; a Centre de Consultation du vidéodisque facilitates access to both garments and documents while removing the need for rare and fragile materials to be handled. A videodisc on 20th century fashion has been available since 1987; a second videodisc is devoted to the 18th and 19th centuries. The thousands of images on videodisc are complemented by a database on BRS software.

The Australian National Gallery Library has used RLIN since January 1985. It is used primarily as an online bibliographic database, to trace publications on particular artists and as a means of verifying references supplied by library users. It is also used, but less frequently, to verify bibliographic details of items to be acquired for the Library; other more occasional use is made of RLIN as a source of catalogue records, to identify locations of items the loan of which is to be sought from overseas, to verify name headings, and as a source of information used in stock selection. Of the special files, Scipio has proved most useful as a source of information on sales catalogues. RLIN does not present insuperable problems to the remote user, although an offline print facility and extended access hours would both be helpful.

A study undertaken by art librarians in Florence demonstrates that catalogues of exhibitions held in Florence during the decade culminating in the city’s designation as the European Capital of Culture offer clear evidence of the development of art exhibitions into a cultural phenomenon attracting considerable interest, supported by (and promoting the interests of) public and commercial bodies. In the same period, restoration has continued its rise to prominence, both as an added dimension to art exhibitions and as a subject of exhibitions in its own right; this trend reflects not only a high level of activity in the field of restoration but also an awakening of public interest in the process of restoration. Museums, sometimes in close collaboration with publishers, have learned how to use exhibitions and catalogues both to publicise and to further continuing study of their collections. The catalogue has become a substantial vehicle of art documentation and scholarship, an autonomous publication, no longer simply a guide to the exhibition.

Exhibition catalogs and related ‘ephemera’ frequently include statements by artists which can be regarded as primary documents. Artists’ statements which are included in catalogs of group exhibitions tend to be relatively difficult to access and so are easily overlooked, while statements included in ephemeral publications associated with group exhibitions are virtually irretrievable even when such material is retained by libraries. Some help is available from published bibliographies and online databases; more thorough cataloging procedures are also available.

The Biblioteca Marucelliana, a public amenity and a reflection of Florentine cultural life since its foundation early in the 18th century, is the home of a collection of 19th century and early 20th century fashion plates, donated in 1965 by Count Carlo Gamba. This collection is used by both scholars and students, including students training to be theatre and fashion designers.

The acquisition of exhibition catalogues is in many cases problematic, involving the expenditure of much staff time in addition to the cost of the catalogue itself. This is especially so when catalogues have to be ordered individually, whether from museum or bookseller; standing orders, including wide-ranging standing order arrangements negotiated with specialist suppliers, offer a partial solution; libraries attached to museums and galleries can also acquire catalogues by exchange. In the Federal Republic of Germany, exhibition catalogues are acquired by the seven major art libraries constituting the AKB as an integral element of their cooperative acquisitions programme, but documentation of contemporary art is not acquired comprehensively.

From a cultural point of view as well as politically and geographically, Hungary is very much part of Eastern Europe; although the “Iron Curtain” appears less formidable than hitherto, opportunities for people to encounter works of art are relatively few. In these circumstances, public libraries have a vital role to play in organising art exhibitions; their exhibition activities have been surveyed, and could in future be coordinated, by the National Széchényi Library. With some notable exceptions, the scope of exhibitions has tended to be unadventurous, focussing especially on the graphic and book arts because of their obvious relevance in a library environment. There is a particular need for exhibitions for children which would encourage uninhibited experiences of works of art and design.

Books have featured as subject matter in R. B. Kitaj’s art and are a constant inspiration to Kitaj the artist. Inevitably, his work has sometimes been described as ‘bookish’, and has attracted written commentaries. In recent years Kitaj has started writing about some of his pictures in a series of ‘Prefaces’, some of which are to be published as a book; the ‘Prefaces’ are, however, explorations rather than explanations.

Exhibition catalogues, in spite of being an important aspect of art documentation, too often escape the notice of both libraries and bibliographies; their existence may be unsuspected and they may disappear without trace. With support from the British Library, ARLIS/UK & Eire is currently conducting a comprehensive survey of exhibition catalogue production and acquisition in England over a period of twelve months; the survey involves the active participation of art librarians throughout the country as regional co-ordinators and local collectors, and it constitutes a study of the feasibility of a permanent collecting network. Such a network is desirable, not least to supplement the national system of legal deposit and to provide data for inclusion in the British National Bibliography.

The Istituto Politecnico Internazionale della Moda or ‘Polimoda’, located in Florence and Prato, was founded in 1986 to provide for the training needs of the fashion industry. Its documentation centre, in Florence, specialises in contemporary fashion and the clothing industry. A wide range of materials – including periodicals, slides, videos, forecasts, and a small collection of actual garments – is mostly on open access, and is represented in its entirety in a database which allows for different kinds of online searching.