Library Special Collections

In every instance of a potential acquisition, Research Resources will consider:

• Overall relevance to LSC: Works should be similar in scope and type as outlined above and have meaningful resonance with existing works in LSC, adding strength to current holdings. 
• Relevance to other Collections: Meaningful complimentary resonances and distinction from other works in the Whitney’s Permanent Collection (PC) and General Library Collection (GLC), while also adding overall strength to an existing area of focus.
• Research value: Engagement with content or subject matter around topics, artists, art movements and periods that are of interest to Curatorial staff and the Whitney’s history, making the item a source of potential research, in dialog with the PC, the Archives, and the Whitney’s historical and contemporary programming.

In cases of published printed matter (rare books, artist’s books, zines, as outlined above) Research Resources will consider:

• Artist's intent: If the artist creates the published printed matter to be handled, read, and used for research by the user in an unmediated way, the item will be considered for LSC; if the item was created primarily for exhibition or other use, it will be referred to Curatorial for consultation; if no creator intention can be determined, decision-making will rely on a survey of other like items in the artist’s oeuvre.
• Rarity: Published printed matter that is rare (such as distributed material no longer readily available, editioned artists’ books, uncommon exhibition catalogues, etc.) with edition sizes above 50 are typically collected if they are relevant and hold high research value; editions of fewer than 50 will be reviewed with Curatorial.
• Price: Due to the limitations of its purchasing budget, LSC acquisitions are generally priced below the $5,000 mark. If an item acknowledged to be relevant to LSC is priced over $5,000, the item will be referred to Curatorial for PC consideration. Donations and gifts are reviewed outside of their value and for research and historical purposes. For acquisitions that exceed $10,000, a Standard Purchase Agreement (SPA) will be issued to be completed by the seller.
• Source: Published printed material acquired for LSC is generally purchased through booksellers or vendors who specialize in these items. If the published printed material is offered directly from an artist or gallery, additional consideration is imperative, including Curatorial consultation to consider whether LSC or PC is the appropriate context.

In cases of print ephemera (posters, broadsides) and three-dimensional ephemera (multiples, buttons, textiles), Research Resources (in consultation with Curatorial) should consider:

• Artist's intent: If the artist creates the work expressly to be handled, read, and used for research, by the user in an unmediated way, the item may be considered for LSC if other criteria suggest that would be appropriate; if the item was created primarily for exhibition or other use, it will be referred to Curatorial; if no creator intention can be determined, decision-making will rely on a survey of other like items in the artist’s oeuvre.
• Rarity, price, and source, will all be considered in a way similar to acquisitions of published printed matter.
• Research value: Ephemera that relates to the Whitney’s exhibition history and its PC artists is particularly important for this collection; does this ephemera supplement existing research holdings in GLC, Archives, and LSC?
• Suitability for other institutional collections: If after Curatorial review it is determined that these materials would not be retained for the PC or the Archive the item will be considered for LSC.

In cases of artworks (including sketches, photographs, prints):

• Suitability for other institutional collections: Artworks, or unique individual works made by artists with the intent to exhibit (drawings, prints, photographs, sculptures, etc.), are not collected by LSC, and are referred to Curatorial for PC consideration
• Artist’s intent: An exception may be made if the artist creates an artwork expressly to be handled, read, and used for research by the user in an unmediated way, the item may be considered for LSC if other criteria suggest that would be appropriate. If the item was created primarily for exhibition or other use, it will be referred to Curatorial

Selections for inclusion in LSC are made by the Director of Research Resources and the Head Librarian, in keeping with the guidelines established in this document. As part of a more integrated approach, the Director of Research Resources will meet quarterly with the Director of Collections and Curator of Prints and Drawings to present on new acquisitions that adhere to acquisition scope and protocols. The Director of Research Resources will also present an annual report to the Curatorial Committee on all LSC acquisitions. For potential acquisitions that emerge throughout  the year that need further consultation, the Director of Research Resources will work with Curators and the Director of Collection to assess the acquisition and its relationship to the Permanent Collection, the Whitney’s history and collection holdings by the artist or of similar materials, a review of peer practices, as well as donor relationships if applicable.

Acknowledging that other Libraries and Museums understand their collecting scope in different ways, the Director of Research Resources in concert with Curatorial will rely on the current collecting strategies at the Museum as outlined in this document to evaluate an acquisition (for example, the Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection).

For works purchased from booksellers, publishers, or printed matter distributors, artists will not be notified of the acquisition as these materials are purchased from vendors who are secondary sellers for the library or book market serving a larger distributive scale.

In cases where editioned published printed matter are smaller in edition than 50 and distributed less widely, artists and/or their representatives will be contacted to discuss the potential acquisition for the LSC and their interest, suitability, and consent for the LSC to be a repository for the work. 

When a work in the LSC is under consideration for exhibition at the Whitney or in a Whitney-organized presentation, the artist’s consent must be attained in advance through notification.

Prior to accepting donations, donor will be notified of composition and scope of LSC in relationship to PC so that they are aware of the repository in which the materials are to be held.

While typically the rate of acquisitions for LSC has been in the range of 300-500 items per fiscal year, moving forward our plan will be to dramatically reduce collecting, allowing to foster the procedures outlined in this document, with no more than 200 items per year.