Collections

Reed College - Portland, OR /  by Alisa Banks

Planted is housed in the Special Collections and Archives Library at Reed College, located in Portland, OR.

The library holdings include rare books, manuscripts, calligraphy and letter forms, and an artist book collection as well as others. More information is located on the Special Collections page where one can learn more about the origin and focus of the various collections. The Artist Book Collection has a searchable database. It appears that all works are not accessible via the digital library, but one is able to access holdings using the main search function. The collections are open to the public. The Visit Us page outlines instructions for visitors wishing to access work.

Planted consists of one deluxe and a standard edition of four. The edition featured above, which is in the Reed collection is a standard edition. It features an essay on gardening and how gardens have the potential to connect to ancestors.

Schomburg Center, New York Public Library /  by Alisa Banks

Bone Straight, Afro Centric, and Bad Hair are three books housed in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library. The Center is located in Manhattan and “is generally recognized as the world’s leading research library devoted exclusively to documenting the history and cultural development of peoples of African descent worldwide.” The Center was founded during the Harlem Renaissance, and since that time, the collection has grown to over 10 million items.

The Center offers diverse programming, including lectures, exhibitions, classes, and workshops in addition to supporting research. Many of the collections are available digitally. Access to the Center is free, but a library pass is required for entry. Visitors who do not reside in NYC are invited to apply for a free library card on-line, which is valid for three months.

The Center has an extensive website that also includes helpful tips. In addition to obtaining a library card, visitors are encouraged to reach out to the staff to reserve materials in advance. Researchers can search the collections on-line prior to visiting and tours are also available and can be arranged in advance. Personal items must be checked in before entering the research areas and check in service is free.

Hair fiber is feature in several of my works, including the three that are in the Shomburg collection. Sometimes, the subject of the works are hair culture and sometimes not, but these three in particular are. Afro Centric is celebratory, while Bone Straight is a witnessing. Bad Hair is about discriminatory employment practices.

hill memorial library at LSU /  by Alisa Banks

The Special Collections libraries at Louisiana State University houses over 120,000 books covering a range of topics outlined on their website including (but not limited to) books related to: chess, crayfish taxonomy and culture, oral history, comic books, and natural history. The library also has collections on the topic of free people of color and if you are a public radio listener from a while back, the Andrei Codrescu and Outsider Literature collection, which includes his personal papers.

The collections are free and open to the public. There is a very thorough posting of what to expect during your visit to Hill and a helpful FAQ section on the site. Drop-in’s are welcome, but visitors are advised to make an appointment if there’s a chance that specific items are stored off-site. Advance notice is important to allow sufficient time for retrieval.

I entered “artist book” into the search feature and it pulled up 681 offerings. My search was general and some of the citations listed were books about artist books, so this number does not reflect their entire collection. I entered my name and pulled up the three books that are in their collection: Island Girl, Poule Aye, and Storm Sequence. (yay!) Very good descriptions are provided, but no images were available.

Naturally, I am excited to have work in the Special Collections at Hill Memorial Library as much of my work addresses southern Louisiana culture and LSU is smack in the middle of southern Louisiana. If you find yourself in Baton Rouge, consider visiting the Hill library at LSU. Be sure to block out a bit of time for your visit.

Skillman Library at Lafayette College /  by Alisa Banks

Lafayette College is located in Easton, PA, about an hour or so from Philadelphia. The rare book collection of Skillman Library at Lafayette is home to over 15,000 volumes of printed objects including works about its namesake, the Marquis de Lafayette, slavery and abolition, angling, and artist books. The collection also includes early editions of works by Stephen Crane, who spent a semester at the college, and miniature books.

The artist book collection is diverse, with subjects including but not limited to the environment, books on race relations, alphabet books, books featuring photography, and books on women and gender. There appears to be limited on-line access to the artist books - but one can view the holdings in the on-line catalog. I was able to pull up my book Rosenwald, which is in their collection. Skillman also does a good job explaining their collections, how to search the collection, and discussing visiting etiquette. Skillman library holds exhibits of their collection and announces them on-line. Synopses of past exhibits can also be viewed.

I wish I’d known about Skillman Library years ago when my sister and her family lived outside of Philadelphia. I really enjoyed my visits there, and if ever there’s an occasion to return, I will be planning a visit to Easton!

The Crouch Library at Baylor University /  by Alisa Banks

I am very fortunate to have books in several collections. The first collection I will introduce is the collection at the Crouch Fine Arts Library (CFAL) at Baylor University in Waco, TX. The Crouch Fine Arts Library houses the music and visual arts collections and contains approximately 75,000 audio and video recordings; 95,000 music scores; and 50,000 books on the arts. CFAL's special collections include rare and unique materials dating from as early as the 11th century. I am not sure of the size of the collection, but images of many of the books are on-line. They’ve posted several clear up-close images of each book and from the looks of it, the collection is very diverse.

The library has a very informative page discussing what an artist book is, a link to images, and how to visit. I am very happy that my books Armoire, Emergence, Nan, and Cotton Heritage are housed in their collections. I confess that I have not visited the collection at Baylor in person, but plan to do so before the year is out - I can tell it will definitely be worth the drive and can’t wait to tell you about it!

Where and How to View Artist Books /  by Alisa Banks

Integ skin detail.jpg

Artist Books

Where to view them

Welcome to my blog! This post discusses artist book collections, including how to visit a collection and what to expect. In the next few posts, I’ll introduce collections that house my work along with other '“bookish” topics.

There are many avenues to viewing artist books including exhibits and private and public collections. Many rare book collections include artist books and some libraries have have digitized their collections for on-line viewing. On-line viewing is very helpful as a supplement, but to get a real feel for the work, one should consider visiting a collection in person. Visiting an artist book collection may be one of the few times one is able to touch the art! Most collections are accessible to the general public for free. Always contact the library in advance for an appointment, though.

Artist book collections vary in size and scope. Some libraries house multiple collections, each with a specific focus. Other collections are more diverse. More information about a library’s collection is usually available on-line.

Because they house rare and often expensive work, there are a few basic ground rules when visiting a rare book room, though these can vary with each facility. One can expect to part with personal belongings such as handbags, backpacks, and umbrellas before entering the viewing area. Usually, a locker of some sort is provided. If you’d like to take notes, you may be provided with a pencil or you may bring your own, but ink pens are generally forbidden as ink marks can cause permanent damage. Many libraries will provide disposable cotton gloves for handling the work.

If you are considering starting a collection of your own, visiting a rare book room can be a good introduction to a variety of types of artist books. Or, perhaps your collection starts with a book you “can’t live without!”