Extremely preliminary notes - November 2021
Use in conjunction with our Art Book Cataloging workflow for now.
“Books that are produced by artists and intended as visual art objects.”--Library of Congress Genre/Form Headings
“Books, whether unique items or multiples, made or conceived by artists, including commercial
publications (usually in limited editions), as well as unique items formed or arranged by the
artist.”--Getty Research Institute
“An artist’s book is a medium of artistic expression that uses the form or function of “book” as inspiration. It is the artistic initiative seen in the illustration, choice of materials, creation process, layout and design that makes it an art object.” --Anne Evenhaugen, What is an artist’s book? (Unbound (Smithsonian), June 1, 2012).
“Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often published in small editions, though they are sometimes produced as one-of-a-kind objects.”--Wikipedia, accessed November 30, 2021.
“The field of artists’ books includes work that spans the full spectrum of cultural objects, handmade originals, calligraphic and typographic experimentation, conceptual productions, and works produced in the traditions of fine printing and independent publishing.”--Rare Books School, accessed November 30, 2021.
“Artists' books are books made or conceived by artists. There are fine artists who make books and book artists who produce work exclusively in that medium, as well as illustrators, typographers, writers, poets, book binders, printers and many others who work collaboratively or alone to produce artists' books. Many artists' books are self-published, or are produced by small presses or by artists' groups or collectives, usually in limited editions.”--Victoria and Albert Museum, Artists' Books.
Whether or not item does or doesn’t match the above, catalog according to the artist’s intention: if an artist states that the item is an Artist’s Book, then it is an Artist’s Book.
See also our attempt to further pin these down: Artist’s book, Private press, Small press, or Livre d’artiste?
Fixed Fields : most commonly cataloged with OCLC Books workform or Visual Materials workform
Use the Book workform if:
The item’s primary content is textual
The item’s format is that of a “regular” book
Use the Visual Materials workform if:
The item’s primary content is non-textual
The item is a deck of cards, kit, 3D object, or other non-book format
Remember that these categories are fluid!
Use cataloger’s judgment and respect the decisions made by other catalogers
050/090 LC call numbers:
N7433.4.A-Z Special artists, A-Z
Under each artist:
.xA7-.xZ6 Individual artists' books. By title, A-Z
100 and 700 artists and other creators:
Common relationship designators include:
Work-level:
$e book artist
$e artist
$e author
Manifestation-level:
$e engraver
$e lithographer
$e papermaker
$e printer
$e publisher
Item-level:
$e binder
500 Artefactual details
500 Leaves bound together with brass wire.
500 Printed on double leaves; sewn to boards
500 In slipcase.
500 Number in/of edition
e.g.:
500 “Limited edition of 50 copies, signed by artist.”–Colophon.
590 Number our library owns:
590 Utah State University Library has number #
590 Library has copy 26.
Artists books are produced by artists and intended as visual art objects; they often play with the form or idea of a book.
Small press are put out by a small press and finely produced (handmade paper, etc.) with runs of less than 500.
Private press is a guy in a garage.
Privately printed is something printed for an individual (older rare books, in SCA, not usually 20th century).
Livre d’artiste is an overlapping term for books containing collections of original works of art, usually printed directly from a source created by the artist themselves, rather than from a source that was created by a technician from the artist's design. Originated in France around the turn of the 20th century.
However: if an artist states that the item is an Artist’s Book, then catalog it as an Artist’s Book
655 7 Artists’ books #y 20th century. #2 rbgenr
655 7 Private press books (Publishing) #z United States #y 20th century. #2 rbpub
655 7 Fine press printing. #2 local
655 7 Livres d’artistes |2 rbgenr
650 0 Letterpress printing #z United States #x Specimens.
650 0 Paper, Handmade #z United States #x Specimens.
650 0 Fine bindings #z United States #x Specimens.
655 7 Broadsides #y 20th century. #2 rbgenr
650 0 Toy and movable books #x Specimens.
710 Name of the Press/Publisher is useful to add, if you can discover it.
710 2 Name of Press (check for authorized form, if available)
Lewis, N., McCormack, A., Skeen, B., Wiederhold, R. (2019, May 15). Beyond Books: Cataloging Special
Format Items [Pre-conference training workshop]. Utah Library Association Annual Conference, Sandy, UT
USU Digital Commons copy here: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1143&context=lib_present – slides 36-66 for the Workshop on Cataloging Artists’ Books by Allison McCormack
Opening Artists' Books to the User: an example with potential approaches / Ann K.D. Myers and William Andrews Myers, 2014.
Artists' books : a cataloguers' manual / by Maria White, Patrick Perratt and Liz Lawes ; on behalf of ARLIS/UK & Ireland Cataloguing and Classification Committee. London : ARLIS/UK and Ireland, 2006/reprinted 2012.