Questions posed in this short paper are based on thinking back over 30 years of feminist studies in the visual arts and museums. Does the library work for its culture, or sometimes against the grain of its own culture’s amnesia or even repressions? What are the politics of memory in relation to art library practices in terms of registering the critical reworking of knowledge that is associated with feminist critique of institutions, language, disciplines, practices, social relations? How are we to ensure libraries survive as keepers of cultural memory in the era of profitability? What will be lost under these economic pressures in terms of our ability in the future to understand our histories?

Biennials have been central to the development of contemporary art for decades, but there is a paucity of published material specifically related to this subject. Documentation for these important exhibitions is not always made available and it is often difficult to acquire, posing an obstacle to current and future research across a number of areas within contemporary art, curating and art history. This article offers an overview of major current biennials and of the different sources of information they produce (catalogues, other printed material, online resources, archives), and surveys the secondary literature of the phenomenon. It also discusses specific collection development issues in libraries, from a research perspective, proposing a set of recommendations for best practice.

How does Cornwall Art Library support the cultural life of a county that is a magnet for tourists but has continuing economic problems? The historical background to the development of the internationally renowned art ‘colonies’ in West Cornwall illustrates how the libraries have become embedded within this history. Various initiatives from Cornwall Council should establish the county as a highly networked, vibrant and creative place, which will contribute to its future regeneration. Can the Library continue to reinvent resources in order to combine with the artistic community as a crucial part of the local economy?

The Fine Arts Library at Harvard University has served the needs of teaching faculty, art museum staff, art and architectural students, researchers and historians since the founding of the Fogg Art Museum in 1895. Library collections have been enhanced by gifts from faculty, museum publications received on exchange, and by the transfer of arts-related materials from other Harvard libraries. Although founded in the spirit of a museum library, the Fine Arts Library has increasingly developed its collections and services for a wide community of users in fields across the academic spectrum.

The Frances L. Loeb Library at the Harvard Graduate School of Design has served the needs of the teaching faculty and students of the University, and of architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning design scholars worldwide, since the beginning of the architecture program in 1900. During that period the library has had two different homes, and the collections have grown through a combination of purchased acquisitions and gifts from faculty and alumni of the School. The library has been an integral part of the School throughout its history, working closely with faculty and students to support design education.

Is there such thing as a ‘typical’ career path for art librarians? This article presents the results of a survey of art librarians’ motivations for selecting the profession, and also their educational backgrounds, current employment and professional experiences, and presents advice for graduate students and prospective librarians. A questionnaire was sent to six email discussion groups related to art librarianship, from which 280 responses were received from across the world. The results indicate that art librarians typically work in academic settings, chose the field of art librarianship while already employed in libraries, have an educational background in the arts at the undergraduate and/or graduate level, and selected librarianship primarily because they were attracted to the duties and work settings of the job. This study includes advice from current librarians for graduate students seeking employment as art librarians in today’s challenging job market.

With the construction of the Rijksmuseum by Cuypers in 1885, the art museum acquired its first rooms solely dedicated as a reference library. This was a direct consequence of the growing demand for scientific libraries in the 19th century. In contrast to established concepts of that time, the room for the books – usually a rather plain stack room – was sumptuously decorated. This expresses the idea that arts and knowledge should be regarded as one unity.