SLIS faculty member Cassidy Sugimoto forwarded the good news that Esther Roth-Katz (MLS/MA Art History) has published an article based on work at SLIS. The full-text article is available through JSTOR:
• Roth-Katz, Esther. “Access and Availability: A Study of Use Policies on Art Museum Library Websites.” Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America 31.1 (Spring 2012): 123-140.
In an email interview, we asked Esther about her publication. She responded:
"This article came out of a paper I wrote in the spring of 2011 for Professor Sugimoto’s S505: Evaluation of Resources and Services class. After the class ended I undertook an independent study, supervised by Professor Sugimoto, in which I continued to gather and analyze the data presented in my article. As a student, it was really exciting to be involved in conducting my own study and having accepted for publication. I highly encourage other SLIS students to pursue publication possibilities; it’s not as daunting as it seems."
Article Abstract:
Art museum libraries provide unparalleled resources to the interested user. While specialized researchers have long been aware of these collections, the general public has not necessarily known of their existence and accessibility. With the advent of the web and the digitization of collections, institutions have the opportunity to increase a collection’s visibility. However, increased visibility does not inherently translate into increased accessibility or use. New patrons may not be aware of the norms associated with special research collections and may be intimidated by the process of accessing information. Using a codebook to perform content analysis, this study quantitatively evaluates use and visiting policies on art museum library web pages. By studying the existence of these policies, the author hopes to explore one aspect of library accessibility and provide librarians and museum professionals with a framework for understanding the utility of making these policies publicly available.
Posted December 13, 2012