by Hee Jung Lee on 2021-04-04T15:34:00-04:00 | 0 Comments
LIBRARY NEWSLETTER
Special Edition
Issue 1 ‖ April, 2021
Dear Readers,
2021 will be a milestone in the history of the William Morris Hunt Memorial Library, as it transforms itself to build a collection that facilitates access to its rich resources and stay connected with its users. To keep the MFA community informed of these efforts, the staff of the library is pleased to announce the launch of our Newsletter.
This series of Special Edition Newsletter will be published every month to share up-to-date information on the ongoing collection assessment efforts and service changes along the way. We hope that this new communication channel brings you closer to the library in the midst of our transition into the future.
Sincerely,
Hee Jung Lee, Head Librarian
and Library Staff
WHERE WE ARE
In 2003, the William Morris Hunt Memorial Library moved to its current location at 300 Massachusetts Avenue, known as Horticultural Hall. Formerly the library space for the Horticultural Society, this original, beautifully ornate, turn-of-the-century space has served as a home to the MFA’s library collection, one of the oldest and the most comprehensive art research library collections in the nation. For the past two decades, the library staff has been serving the MFA community remotely, delivering materials daily and overseeing the maintenance of eight locations in the Museum, often referred to as departmental libraries.
GOT BOOKS?
The Main Library is home to over 300,000 volumes, including monographs, serials, auction catalogs, and ephemeral items. During the time of Covid-19, when we are serving the staff, majority of whom working from home, the library staff has begun conducting a rigorous collection analysis. In the library world, this process is called “weeding”, a systematic removal of resources based on selected criteria. In the subsequent newsletters, we will keep you updated on advancement of this process as we strive to create a collection that best serves the needs of the MFA community. For a detailed background and description, please follow the "read more" button below.
Weeding is rolling out in full swing beginning from March following carefully developed criteria according to professional standards and practices. Library staff has been busy identifying redundancies in the collection, digital coverage, and other items that have rarely or never been used.
For the first phase of weeding, the focus is on confirmed duplicative items, serials covered by the major databases, and works available on other digital platforms. Also subject to deselection at this initial phase are outdated reference materials and commonly held serials with incomplete or random holdings. As a research library serving a specialized audience, items of general or popular appeal will also be reviewed and deaccessioned.
Crowded stacks and relocated items have posed challenges in the preservation of our collection and users’ discovery of resources. We hope that the necessary collection assessment is expected to enhance the user experience by improving access and contributing to the longevity of the library resources.
THE AFTERLIFE OF FORMER LIBRARY BOOKS
Many of the readers might wonder what will happen to the books that are no longer kept in the library. The Library is working with local and national second-hand booksellers to find new homes for the deselected books through sale and donation. Books that have no use, such as outdated reference books, and serial issues will be pulped. In the era of Covid-19, finding an alternate home has posed a new set of challenges. Furthermore, many institutions are conducting their own collection reviews, as they move toward the new conceptual model of the library space that eschews the book depository in favor of facilitating alternate -often digital- access and creating an engaging and productive space for users.
In the end, the Main Library’s own efforts to become a concise, cohesive, and refined collection will contribute to advancing toward its future in alignment with what’s happening in our broader library and scholarly community.
Any Questions? Please connect with Head Librarian, Hee Jung Lee at hlee@mfa.org with any questions or thoughts.
SERVICE UPDATE
We will continue to stay open to the MFA staff. To book a research appointment, please contact libstaff@mfa.org.
We encourage you to pay a visit to the Main Library and take advantage of the space. As we identify items to be deselected, please do engage with the librarians and give us your feedback.
We will be opening our doors every Thursdays and Fridays from 12 pm to 3 pm for the month of April. Please contact libstaff@mfa.org or hlee@mfa.org to schedule your visit.
UP NEXT
Look out for the next newsletter, scheduled to be published on our website in May. Also, check out the library webpage for updates on the weeding lists.
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