Asian Art Library:Comparative Perspectives

Min XuAssociate Museum Librarian, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Yue ShuChinese Librarian, Smithsonian Institution

Committee of Chinese Materials

Council on East Asian Libraries Annual Meeting

March 25, 2010, Philadelphia, PA

Thomas J. Watson Library

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Freer/Sackler Library

Smithsonian Institution

Solutions:Find cost-effective ways to acquire and

process materialsMake efficient use of the limited staff

resources

Challenges:- Staff reduction- Cuts in funding

We Will Cover

• Contemporary Catalogs Project (CCP)

• Shelf-Ready Project• Volunteer Program

Watson Library (Met) Freer Library

• Depository program• In-house cataloging• Volunteer Program

The Thomas J. Watson Library is the central research library of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Watson Library Asian section (CJK)

Staff: 1 full time and 1 part time

Responsibilities:• Acquisition• Cataloging• Reference• Finance• Gift processing • Instruction • Other library activities

Contemporary Catalogs Project (CCP)

• Established in 2003 by chief librarian Ken Soehner

• Initiative: contact galleries to receive quality exhibition catalogs as donations to the Library

Contemporary Catalogs Project : 2008-

• Expanded and formed the CCP Team

• Staff with different language skills

• Expand globally

• Received about 800 catalogs in 2009

• On mailing lists of galleries

CCP : Asian section

• Contacted 85 galleries in – Beijing – Shanghai– Hong Kong– Taipei

• Received about 350 catalogs in 2009

CCP - A Success

• Free gifts

• Expanded collection

• Saved budget

• Continue to grow– Japanese galleries– Korean galleries

Shelf-Ready Project

Why shelf-ready?

• More cataloging work-Regular purchasing-CCP and other gifts-Auction catalogs

• Staff shortage• Cost-effective

Started shelf-ready service in 2008

Now covers approx. 1/3 of Chinese materials

Shelf-Ready Project

Workflow:• Select books online• Vendor provides brief MARC, upload to

system• Generate orders & send to vendor• Vendor provides full MARC when books are

shipped• Receive - match with record - shelve

Shelf-Ready Project

Benefits:

Saved staff time No backlog Cost effective

Concerns:

• Initial problem solving

• More correspondence

• Cataloging quality

Volunteers Program Asian section

10-12 volunteers / 3 hours per week

Volunteers: What They Do

Preorder searching Processing orders Receiving books CCP projectSome copy catalogingHelp in original cataloging

Where to Find Volunteers

Museum volunteer program Library school (advertize on library school list) Recommendation by colleagues and current

volunteers

Candidates:

Retirees Library school students Housewives

Volunteer Program

Some problems:

• High turnover rate

• Training and supervising take time

• Scheduling & dependability

• Challenges of learning new technology

Volunteer Program

How to solve the problems:• Screening - you have the right to choose• Minimum one year requirement• Tasks that require more training

assigned only to long-term volunteers • Utilize individual strengths

For the Library

Gain free service

Save staff time

Create better work environment

Bring new ideas and technology

Volunteer Program: Mutual benefits

For the Volunteer

Gain experience & skills Networking opportunities Professional references Free admission at many

museums and museum store discount

Volunteer Program: How to keep good volunteers

Good relationship is crucial

• Respect

• Recognition

• Flexibility

• Caring

Strong and Collaborative Team

Volunteers perform many routine tasks Staff have more time for other projects More library instruction and outreach Better service to users

CJK TeamCJK Team

Freer Gallery of Art Library

Freer Gallery of Art Library

Introduction of the Freer Gallery of Art Library

• Founded in 1923, one of the best Asian art libraries in the world;

• Over 80,000 volumes;• 4 full-time librarians;• Slowed down by budgetary cuts;• Needs innovative ways to deliver quality service

and improve.

Japanese Art Catalog Project (JAC Project)

– NCC and Japan Association for Cultural Exchange since 1995;

– The only US depository library for catalogs of exhibitions of Japanese art, including a small percentage of Chinese and Asian art;

– Annual averaging 360 titles.

Japanese Art Catalog Project (JAC Project)

– NCC and Japan Association for Cultural Exchange since 1995;

– The only US depository library for catalogs of exhibitions of Japanese art, including a small percentage of Chinese and Asian art;

– Annual averaging 360 titles.

Benefits:– Free;– Available via ILL to all;– Prestige; – Comprehensive.

• With no need for outsourcing our cataloging practice, we are still doing the old fashioned in-house cataloging by our own staff performing:– Original – Copy cataloging– Authority work

• Pros

– No extra training;

– No extra reviewing;

– In house expertise with subject headings;

– Better quality control.

• Cons– Heavy workload on solo cataloger;– Slow pace creates backlog.

Volunteer Program

• Source:– Retired American Chinese (all walks of life,

but all have a passion for Chinese art);– Expatriates’ wives ;– Library school or college interns;– America born Chinese high school students.

• Source:– Retired American Chinese (all walks of life,

but all have a passion for Chinese art);– Expatriates’ wives ;– Library school or college interns;– America born Chinese high school students.

Volunteer Program

SFG Library Renovation 11-09 003.jpg.lnk

Volunteer Program

• Work:– Pre-order searching;– Input Chinese characters into order records; – Labeling;– Annual renewal checking;– Indexing using the homegrown database and

experiment;– Preliminary searching in OCLC.

• Work:– Pre-order searching;– Input Chinese characters into order records; – Labeling;– Annual renewal checking;– Indexing using the homegrown database and

experiment;– Preliminary searching in OCLC.

Volunteer Program

• Advantages:– Free, passionate with art and art related work;– Native speakers, minimum language training;– Devoted to work, even with their advanced

age, and long commute, they seldom miss their work.

Comparisons: Gift/Exchange

Contemporary Catalogs Project (Met)

• Intensive soliciting efforts, free

• Expansion of the collection

• Home grown project, part of a parent library team effort

Depository Programs (Freer)

• Non-soliciting, free• Expansion of the

collection• Organized by two

organizations and financially supported by a third party

Outsourcing vs. In-House Cataloging

Met Shelf-Ready ProjectFreer in-house

practicePros– No fundamental

change in librarian’s daily work

– No record reviewing, not worry about books getting lost, in house subject expertise

Pros– Reduce cataloging

workload for staff– Leave staff more time

to do other projects– Cost effective– No backlog

Met Shelf-Ready Project

Freer in-house practice

Outsourcing vs. In-House Cataloging

Cons– Time spent on quality

control– Frequent initial

correspondence

Cons– Heavy workload for solo

cataloger – Slow pace creates

backlog

Comparisons: Volunteer Program

Met Freer

• Volunteer help all year around

• More library school students

• Screening• Perform more tasks

• More volunteer help in summer

• More retirees• More high school

interns

ConclusionTo overcome the current financial difficulty, we’d like to

recommend the following strategies:

• Maximize global partnerships– Increase acquisition of free materials.

• Explore alternative practices for cataloging – Weigh pros and cons with respect to the specific

situation of each library.

• Develop volunteer programs to help with routine library operation – Screening and good relationships are the keys to the

success of the volunteer programs.

Thank you!min.xu@metmuseum.orgshuyuex@si.edu