Broadening Access to Artists’ Books through Expanded Vocabularies and Metadata Enhancement

Abstract

Though an increasing number of libraries are building artists’ books collections, problems persist with describing these resources in online library catalogs that use standardized terminology. A large number of creator, subject, and format terms are often required to provide adequate access for patrons, but library catalogers may not have the training to ascertain these characteristics through observation. To design a solution for this issue, a special collections cataloger and a book arts faculty member are collaborating to remediate existing catalog records by combining the hands-on knowledge of working book artists with the controlled vocabulary expertise of catalogers. The enhanced records are also being used to support a public-facing, searchable database of book art terminology that facilitates common language between artists, patrons, and librarians who may describe the same bookmaking technique or visual characteristic in different ways. By outlining their steps and workflows, the project team seeks to build a model that other institutions collecting and curating artists’ books can use to enhance their own collections. The impact of the new website and a qualitative analysis of the record enhancements will also be discussed.