The keynote speaker at this year’s ARLIS/UK & Ireland conference in Manchester struck a sobering note and used language and concepts depressingly familiar to those of us working in higher education (HE). Jan Wilkinson, the University Librarian at the University of Manchester and director of the world-famous John Rylands Library, made two confessions to conference delegates. The first was that the majority of subjects at her university no longer had specialist librarians and the second was that she did not feel a great attachment to the profession. From a marketing background, Jan was perfectly attuned to the idea of HE as a business. Whilst she made valid points about the need for librarians to be more strategic in their approach and for university libraries to be seen as an essential component of the competitive edge of the university, I am sure I was not alone in feeling depressed at the lack of value attached to specialist knowledge and collections.

Several museums and libraries in North America and Europe house in their collections expressive works of art from Latin America. An understanding of the source of such collections requires study of their history and of the background from which they come, even if, as a matter of fact, collecting works of art and bibliographical assets on such a theme is not new. The interest in studying artworks which do not belong to the so-called western canon enables a wider knowledge of the art in Latin America. Notwithstanding the reasons behind such interest, it is worth noting that some facts related to their development are still lively, such as the interests roused by the travelling artists in the 19th century, who departed in search of the unknown or exotic and came back to their homeland with an imagination full of images from the New World. It is undeniable that Latin America has had a key role in the major changes that occurred during the age of discovery, when Europe focused on its colonies. Nowadays, as we observe the recurrence of such a foreign look at Latin America, we might ask ourselves how Latin America sees itself.

The catalogue raisonne has been the bedrock of art historical research since the late 18th century. It provides the broadest and most comprehensive record of an artist’s work and their historical context. One would think that the contours of the catalogue raisonné would be firmly established by now, and in some ways they are, but new developments in research, demand and publishing have created a moment of transition and rich dialogue concerning the future of this most traditional of art research publications. Changing attitudes toward authenticity, online access and publishing, digital citations and an evolving user base all affect the how a catalogue raisonné scholar completes and disseminates their research.

Life on the Outskirts is a digital archiving project being undertaken in collaboration between the Helen Storey Foundation and Kingston University. Helen Storey studied Foundation and Fashion at Kingston Polytechnic before her varied career as a fashion designer in Italy and London and as a social artist collaborating with scientists on projects including Primitive Streak, Catalytic Clothing and Wonderland. Robert Knifton uses his work with the Helen Storey Foundation to discuss key issues around digital archiving such as ‘born digital’ artefacts, digital barriers to materiality and ritualized material encounters in the archive, multivocality of digital archival artefacts, and the educational uses of the digital archive, and the great potential of the performative digital archive space.

There are many arguments for the necessity of open access, scholarship that is freely available online; however, many of these arguments do not apply to art scholarship – is it then still necessary to change the publishing model? I argue that it is; the high price of access to traditional publications closes art scholarship to all but privileged Western academics. Open access is key to creating a globally integrated community of art scholars and reengaging the public in art discourse. Librarians can help facilitate a scholarship that is accessible to all.

IAINBAXTER&raisonnE is an experimental catalogue raisonné of the conceptual artist IAIN BAXTER &, former President of the ‘critical company’ N.E. Thing Co. Ltd. (NETCO). NETCO creatively re-purposed the media ecology of Marshall McLuhan to challenge Conceptual art’s utilitarian ‘aesthetic of administration’ as well as the categorical assumptions informing library and information science that it mimicked. This article describes the main features of the prototype and argues in favour of an approach to developing catalogues raisonnés with artist-centred designs, for which the principles of linked data may be unduly restrictive or even incompatible.

The historically significant manuscript collection of the medieval Abbey Lorsch is today scattered over various institutions in different countries. Based on the last major research 309 manuscripts were identified in 73 libraries, archives and museums as part of the international digitization project Bibliotheca Laureshamensis - digital. By means of digital facsimiles all former Lorsch manuscripts were united in one virtual library, freely accessible in the internet, and enriched with detailed manuscript descriptions. The dispersed character of the library and the broad variety of holding institutions shaped the project profoundly. They not only had an impact on organisational matters as well as the digitization and cataloguing workflow but also coined the presentation and entire structure of the Virtual Monastic Library of Lorsch.

Broadening access to the wealth of material held within the archives of galleries and museums has been a long-term goal for many arts institutions, with large-scale digitization projects gathering pace. Concerns regarding copyright, however, have often been cited1 as a barrier to sharing and reuse, and a point of confl ict between user and creator communities. Tate is currently embarked upon the digitization and public release of 52,000 items within its archives including, where possible, releasing material under a Creative Commons licence. What makes the project's scope unique is that the vast majority of the material is still within copyright, providing valuable insights into how the law, Creative Commons and differing community agendas can interact productively to secure public access whilst still respecting rights holders. The article seeks to demonstrate that, for all the importance of legal considerations, relationship management is key not only to best practice but to securing the goals of Open Access.

‘A means or method of perceiving’ the library through a series of McLuhanite ‘probes’ presenting ideas reflecting current library practice supported by the theories of Marshall McLuhan. Often quoted and misunderstood, McLuhan during the 1960’s was criticized by many librarians for predicting the end of the book, however, deeper analysis of his theories and the writings of his supporters prove that he was somebody ‘who has, perhaps, a greater perception of the value of books and libraries for civilization, than many librarians.’ The theories of McLuhan provide a blueprint for libraries into the future and beyond, from library instruction and teaching, professional development, media ecologies and future technologies. Being McLuhanite in nature the sections of this article can be read in any sequence.

In 2014 the RKD launched RKD Explore, a new interface for searching the collection databases. This state-of-the-art search engine provides a multitude of search possibilities. And although most of the art-historical information is still in analogue form in The Hague, RKD Explore lets users really explore the richness of the ever-growing digital content of the databases.

A catalogue raisonné is the definitive, comprehensive, and annotated compilation of all the known works of an artist. Beyond the necessary, meticulous task of compilation of information, which typically takes years to complete, the need to keep the information updated is a perpetual concern. Because the lives of artworks continually evolve as ownership changes and exhibition and literature histories expand, publishing a catalogue raisonné in print presents a real challenge in keeping information current. This challenge is even more pronounced for active, living artists whose works completed subsequent to a published catalogue raisonné would require the publication of a new volume. A catalogue raisonné being ‘definitive’ actually evolves constandy, warranting a format that can accommodate that very flux. The Chuck Close catalogue raisonné, launched and maintained as an online publication, is used here to illustrate the advantages of digital publishing for catalogues raisonnés.

Since 2006 Heidelberg University Library has been encouraging the idea of Open Access in the field of art history. Today, as part of the Specialized Information Service for Art it offers art historians from all over the world, through the platform arthistoricum.net, three different services for e-publishing in Open Access: (1) ARTDok – a digital repository for single publications and review articles, (2) ARTJournals – a publication management platform for e-journals and (3) ART-Books – a platform for monographs and edited volumes. Apart from providing scholars with software to help them publish professional peer-reviewed open access articles, the library also supports art historians in the transition from print to e-publications by offering them the technical infrastructure as well as organisational support. The service at Heidelberg University Library has shifted towards engaging more closely with academics and setting into practice their individual needs, leaving them to focus on research and contents. These newly developed processes based on a collaborative effort of art librarians and scholars place an important emphasis on the accessibility and provision of art historical research data in Open Access.

Cindy Lisica, Assistant Archivist of The Andy Warhol Museum, and Lucy Mulroney, Interim Senior Director of Special Collections at Syracuse University Libraries, discuss Andy Warhol, archives research, and listening to artists. Their work involves collaborations, unorthodox approaches and unusual research methods in archives. Their unique experiences working with rare and special collections, listening to audio and speaking direcdy with those involved in the making of the material often deliver unexpected results in their writing projects and conversations. This conversation raises questions of authenticity and authorship in art historical lineage, well-known quotes, publications and audio recordings by Warhol and today’s contemporary artists.

A wide selection of recent articles argues for an active involvement of libraries in Digital Humanities. This engagement would not only reflect the traditional role of libraries to support ongoing research, but would also provide the opportunity to re-envision their responsibilities and to create a space for research and development within their organisation. In our opinion, such an implementation of R&D in academic libraries is indeed essential to provide adequate support to digital scholarship. Digital projects also benefit greatly when they welcome the library as a full and valued partner. This point is illustrated through a discussion of EuropeanaPhotography, in which the KU Leuven (Belgium) acted as the coordinating partner.

Launched at the end of 2012, the catalogue raisonné of American Abstract Expressionist painter Jack Tworkov, represents a major effort in preserving and promoting the legacy of the artist. This article describes the collaboration between the Tworkov Estate and panopticon, the software engineers who have developed an innovative web-based content management system specifically designed to catalogue cultural objects. The result of that collaboration is the first free online catalogue raisonné available to the public.

Artists’ books consider every aspect of the book in the creation of meaning. How might reading the comic book through this context extend the possibilities of the art form? Can considering the whole book change the way creators and readers approach the comic? This article considers the space between book arts and comics, asking how they might fit together and considering the possible benefits of this expanded reading for the comic book as a form.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have transformed the Higher Education sector world-wide, educating diverse audiences through Open Access content and resources. Very few have been integrated into the museum experience; however there is signifi cant potential for MOOCs to revolutionise access to the collections of art museums and galleries. This article presents empirical evidence drawing from a review of literature, and provides a case study into copyright challenges encountered using art images and video in a MOOC environment. Specific examples have been selected from the FutureLearn/ Monash University Creative Coding MOOC launched in June 2014, discussing the role that an Art Librarian plays in this process. This will be of interest to a broader museum and gallery audience, embarking on provision of online educative programs for users.