Ingalls Library and Museum Archives Collection Development Policy

In addition, correlated subject categories are collected as follows:

VIII. Gifts

Gifts to the library collection are added using the same criteria with regard to their scholarly value as purchased materials. Gifts are accepted with the understanding that the library has complete discretion over retention. Donors are notified that materials that duplicate items in the collection are disposed of at the library’s discretion.

IX. Exchange Materials

Ingalls Library participates in an on-request exchange program with institutions worldwide. The library does not rely on exchange programs to acquire materials.

X. Preservation

Preservation of library material is the responsibility of all museum staff and library visitors. Library materials function not only as research tools but as collected objects. As such, the library strives to preserve its collection in accordance with the standards and handling practices established for documents and rare books set forth by the associate book/paper conservator.

XI. Replacement and Desiderata

Though Ingalls Library strives to maintain its collection in the best manner possible, handling over time causes damage that may necessitate replacement. Visitors and staff are encouraged to notify library staff of damaged, brittle, or otherwise at-risk items. On the occasion that an item goes missing and is deemed lost, the Ingalls Library will make every attempt to replace it. Library visitors that lose items will be charged a $25.00 fee plus the cost of replacement.  

A thorough search is done of the library stacks and department libraries before printed material that has been lost or damaged is considered for replacement. The criteria to be considered for replacement includes long-term value and demand as well as alternative coverage of the topic in the existing collection. Replacement copies are ordered for badly damaged books when conservation is deemed inappropriate. Desiderata are acquired when found during routine searching of out-of-print websites such as alibris.com or when a researcher requests the title.

XII. Deaccessioning

Deaccessioning is the removal of library materials from the collection.  Ingalls Library collects materials for research in the arts in a broad fashion, regardless of current relevance, and therefore deaccessions very little.  Items selected for deaccessioning are reviewed on a case by case basis.  Materials that are superseded annually with newer editions are kept if the content pertains to the visual arts and if the contents are not reproduced in their entirety in the newer edition.  Electronic databases are cancelled based on usage reports from the vendors and curatorial input.  Serials are reviewed annually and cancelled with curatorial input.  Ingalls Library strives to present a well rounded view of the art world and will not deaccession any item as a form of censorship.

XIII. Relation to Other Library Resources

The Ingalls Library supports research for all of the departments of the Cleveland Museum of Art. A local comprehensive public and private library system also complements that of the library. Informal collection development agreements exist between the Ingalls Library and Kelvin Smith Library at Case Western Reserve University and the Gund Library at the Cleveland Institute of Art. In addition, an arrangement made with the Kelvin Smith Library at Case Western Reserve University allows museum curatorial and research staff to borrow materials. Museum staff are encouraged to utilize this option for access to humanities, architecture, and interdisciplinary materials outside the collecting scope of the Ingalls Library. Curatorial and research staff have borrowing privileges at the Cleveland Public Library which houses both circulating and noncirculating collections related to the study of art complementing the collections of the Ingalls Library. Museum staff are allowed on-site use of the Gund Library at the Cleveland Institute of Art, which houses a renowned collection of artists’ books and significant holdings on design.

In addition to the libraries in the metropolitan area, the Ingalls Library offers interlibrary loan services whereby materials can be borrowed from other libraries for museum staff.

Museum Archives

I.  Purpose of the Policy

The Cleveland Museum of Art archives maintains the museum’s historical records and operates the records management program. These records document the care, security, ownership, and changing conditions of the collection. They also provide the knowledge of the institution’s history that is essential for internal communication and decision making. These records protect the museum’s legal rights and its ownership of property, ensure compliance with government and business regulations, and provide the means for keeping its constituency informed of its activities, operations, and accomplishments. The archives also acquires manuscript collections, artist archives, and other historical materials that serve the mission and complement institutional records.

The collection development policy is an organic document which will be revisited on a regular basis in order to retain its relevancy. The collection development policy serves the following functions:

1. To summarize the scope and nature of existing collections
2. To facilitate coordination of ongoing collection development efforts
3. To provide the basis for cooperation with other institutions
4. To outline collection development objectives

II. Description of the Collections

II.A. Definition of Audience

The primary constituency of the museum archives is museum staff who use the collection when researching projects such as exhibitions, acquisitions, programming, development, marketing, publications, design, etc.  Other constituents include scholars and graduate students researching art history topics, and the general public, particularly persons owning artworks previously exhibited at the museum.

II.B. Existing Coverage

The archives collection supports research on the art collection and project oriented research on the history of the museum and on the arts and artists of Northeast Ohio. The archives houses the institutional records of the museum with the exception of records related to artwork.  Records in the collection date from the 1880s to the present, and consist of approximately 1,700 cubic feet of paper documents, analog images, CMA publications, scrapbooks, video and audio tapes, posters, slides, ephemera, and electronic records. Electronic records are records created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means. Electronic formats include but are not limited to word processing, spreadsheets, databases, image files, and audio files. All of these materials are valuable resources for researching the history of the museum and its collection, the evolution of CMA exhibitions and other projects, the social background of the major art movements of the 20th century, and the social and cultural history of the Cleveland area. Strengths of the collection include records of the director’s office, board of trustees records, exhibition files, May Show records, photographs, and architectural drawings. All other museum departments are represented at a comprehensive level dating to the early 20th century.

Archives collection development goals also include the acquisition of historical collections that document the interaction of the museum with significant figures and organizations in the art world, including those of affiliated organizations with a significant historical relationship with the museum; studios and arts businesses and industries with significant contributions to the local and broader artistic communities; manuscript collections of artists, collectors, and scholars that relate to the museum’s history; and papers of museum benefactors. Personal collections are solicited by the director of archives, curators, or other staff in consultation with the director of archives as they become known. Current holdings include artist papers, sketches and other preliminary materials, artist tools, business records, works of art, and published material.

In order to ensure that records of enduring value are properly accessioned, the archives is also responsible for the museum’s records management program. The museum has a records policy in effect detailing the responsibilities of the archives and museum staff for maintaining records in all formats. Departmental records retention schedules detail the types of records created by staff and their retention period. The archives is responsible for the temporary storage and destruction of nonpermanent records as well as the storage of permanent records. Departmental record retention schedules are reviewed annually and updated as needed to reflect organizational changes and record keeping policies.

II.C. Exclusions

The museum archives does not collect records related to the museum’s primary collection. These records are housed in the registrar’s office and curatorial offices. Enterprise database systems used by museum offices are not collected although reports generated from these systems are collected as per record retention schedules.

III. Retention Responsibility

The director of archives is solely responsible for the creation of records policies and retention schedules that ensure that the appropriate materials are retained by the institution.

IV. Deaccessioning

Records scheduled for permanent retention are processed according to standard archival procedure, which may include the disposal of certain types of materials. However, wholesale deaccessioning of permanent collections does not occur.

V.  Relation to Other Archive Resources

Although there are no formal agreements with other local archives, visitors are routinely referred to more appropriate repositories as needed.

VI. Recommendations

The following recommendation results from the preparation of the collection development policy:

          A.  Completion of a museum-wide plan for the management of electronic records is critical.

APPENDIX A

I.  Mission of the Ingalls Library and Museum Archives

The Ingalls Library and Museum Archives share the vision of The Cleveland Museum of Art. The library’s mission is to support the museum’s current and future collections, research, exhibitions, publications, lectures, programs, and activities. The archives’ mission is to preserve records that document the origins, development, achievements, and activities of the museum and to administrate the museum’s records management program. The Ingalls Library and Museum Archives serve the museum’s community by identifying, acquiring, organizing, and providing access to information in accordance with our stated values.

Values

Excellence       Ingalls Library is committed to the highest standards of the profession and is responsive to current and future information needs through the acquisition, organization, and dissemination of resources.

Teamwork       We work collaboratively, both internally and externally, supporting each other through communication, sharing ideals, and working in support of our mission.

Appreciation   We take pride in our collections, traditions, and history and communicate this pride to our patrons.

Innovation      We lead in a manner that welcomes and flourishes in a dynamic and ever-changing environment, allowing for professional growth, modern services, and collection growth beyond physical boundaries.

Enjoyable Work Environment      The Ingalls Library is an open and welcoming place where mutual respect, collegiality, and professionalism motivate the staff to use their talents to bring the pleasure and meaning of art to all in comfort and security.

II. Description of the Ingalls Library

II.A. History of Library

The Cleveland Museum of Art’s commitment to have a museum library staffed by a professional librarian coincided with the founding of the CMA in 1913. When the museum and library opened in 1916, the latter contained approximately 600 volumes, most of which were donated and reflected the collection, such as books on lace and armor. In the library’s early years, the most significant donation occurred in 1939, at the end of a decade of minimal purchasing because of the Great Depression. Upon the death of Julia Morgan Marlatt that year, the library was the beneficiary of the late William H. Marlatt’s collection of over 300 fine press printed books. Included was a nearly complete set of works printed by William Morris from 1891 to 1898 at the Kelmscott Press. The transition from a donations-based library collection to a strategically built collection was made possible by the bequest of more than $33 million to the museum by benefactor and trustee Leonard Hanna in 1956. The following year, with the collection steadily growing, the library moved to expanded quarters.

Although the library had been established with the CMA staff as the intended primary users, in 1967 the library welcomed another user group with the establishment of the joint Cleveland Museum of Art/Case Western Reserve University art history and museum studies program. In 1979, the library added its 100,000th volume, far surpassing the goal in 1913 of having 10,000 volumes; it was clear that more space would be needed. In 1983, a new library was constructed and named in honor of former trustees Jane Taft Ingalls and Louise Harkness Ingalls. In 2008 the library transitioned to the Library of Congress Classification System, and in 2015 the library added its 500,000th volume. The Ingalls Library is one of the largest art museum libraries in the country, with a growth rate of approximately 8,000 books and 3,600 auction catalogues per year, in addition to more than 1,100 periodical subscriptions and 33 database subscriptions. To maximize space, more than five miles of compact shelving house the majority of the collection in the basement of the original 1916 building.

The need to balance preservation and access was noted in the initial vision for the library, as expressed in the Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art in February 1916. Various measures are in place to protect the library collection. For example, the library has closed stacks and is noncirculating, though it lends replaceable materials through interlibrary loan and is a net lender, lending more than it borrows. Between 2006 and 2007, the library implemented a new security and inventory system using RFID (radio frequency identification) technology to secure and track the collection in time for an influx of users: since 2007, members of the public have been able to visit the library, page materials, and use the library’s electronic resources on-site. The following year, a disaster preparedness policy and a collection development policy were introduced. In 2015, two key spaces were completed: a book conservation lab for the repair and prevention of damage and, to minimize the handling of rare materials, a digitization lab with a high-end scanner.

Technology has been critical for facilitating access to the library collection. In 1979, the library joined the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN), a national bibliographic database that combines the union catalogues of its members, allowing users to discover millions of titles through a single interface. The following year—through RLIN—the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, and the Ingalls library developed SCIPIO, a computerized union catalogue of art auction catalogues from 1599 onwards. In 1989, the Ingalls Library became one of the first art museum libraries to automate its card catalogue, enhancing access through the provision of more entry points, a transition made possible by the implementation of the Sirsi Dynix integrated library system in 1989 with funding from the Reinberger Foundation.

Technology continues to be critical for access in the 21st century. In 2007, the library switched from Sirsi Dynix to ExLibris’ Aleph, in large part because of its accommodation of various types of media. The library’s first major digitization undertaking was in 2008, with the conversion of almost 500,000 slides from the now defunct slide library, funded partially by a grant from the United States Department of Education. With an active digitization program in place, worldwide access to library and archival materials has been facilitated by adding content to free online search platforms, namely the Getty Research Portal and the Internet Archive. In 2010, the library was the first North American ExLibris user to develop a mobile catalogue, the “Bookmobile.” This initiative led to the use of iPads to prompt users to ask a question through a web-based application about art in general or about the museum’s collection, to be answered by reference staff and posted online in an archive of collective curiosity. Several applications later, ASK is featured on the museum’s homepage, on a kiosk between two gallery spaces, and in the award-winning ArtLens Gallery. As the library expands its connections externally, it also welcomes new connections internally: in 2018, the library became a CMA exhibition space for the first time with the installation of Alex Jovanovich’s multimedia work as part of the FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art.

In 2017, the museum released a strategic plan to be implemented over the following decade. Making Art Matter: A Strategic Framework for Our Second Century prioritized collection growth and storage, digitization, social media, provenance research, and the implementation of a new integrated library system.

II.B. Staff and Services

The museum’s Ingalls Library is composed of divisions representing a broad range of technical and public services: collection development and management, cataloging, systems, research and programs, access services, and serials/electronic resources. Each division is headed by a degreed librarian. In addition, conservation and preservation of library and archival materials is overseen by the associate book/paper conservator.

The collective subject expertise, library science expertise, foreign language competencies, varied educational backgrounds, and technical skills ensure that a wide range of services is available to library users of all levels. 

The collection development and management division is responsible for the overall development of the collections, selecting, acquiring, evaluating, and paying for all monographic research materials, regardless of format. Gifts to the library and publication exchanges with other art museums are also the responsibility of the collection development and management division.

The cataloging division is responsible for bibliographic control and access to library material and contributes full level bibliographic records to OCLC’s shared bibliographic database (WorldCat). The department maintains the library’s online catalog using the Aleph integrated library system and classifies library materials using the Library of Congress Classification System. The department is also authorized to contribute authority headings to the Library of Congress through participation in ArtNACO.

The systems division provides full support of systems pertaining to the daily operations of all library staff functions. The division works in conjunction with the museum’s information management and technology services division to administer backups and long-term maintenance of all server hardware and software. Library systems are integrated with the museum network and are accessible from the intranet and internet for research by all. 

The research and programs division provides reference and research services including assistance with bibliographic searching, providing bibliographic instruction in the use of library materials and databases, interpreting library catalogs, and indexing museum publications for inclusion in the library’s index to CMA publications. The staff works closely with not only the museum’s curatorial division but also with faculty and graduate students in the CMA/CWRU joint program in art history and museum studies and with a wide range of other museum staff and library visitors. The head of research and programs supervises the museum’s provenance research project. The staff also develops and implements a wide variety of programming for internal and external constituencies such as Museum Associates and OctavoFest.

The access services division is responsible for maintaining records for the lending of books to museum staff and visitors and subsequently checking-in and reshelving material after it has been returned. In conjunction with these responsibilities, many related tasks, such as paging materials, stack maintenance, processing overdue notices, placing reserves on items, and inventorying library collections and curatorial offices, are carried out by the access services staff. The access services division also maintains the satellite libraries and arranges interlibrary loans. The Ingalls Library’s rare book collection and clipping files are maintained by the division. Items are routinely delivered to museum staff in their offices.

The serials/electronic resources division handles all aspects of auction catalogs and serial publications (periodicals, newspapers, annual publications, calendars, and newsletters) including selecting, acquiring, evaluating, checking in, processing, and binding as well as answering reference queries regarding serials and sales catalogs. The division maintains the currency and access for electronic resources and makes them available through the online catalog.

II.C. Satellite Libraries

The library continues to maintain the following satellite libraries: Conservation Library and he Ralph Thrall King Prints and Drawings Library. Used primarily by the departmental staff, these collections include specialized reference and basic works, artist monographs, serials, technical reports, and materials needed for daily museum work. Material for the satellite libraries is acquired, processed, and shelved by the Ingalls Library staff and bibliographic records for the material are included in the library’s online catalog. 

In addition, a small shared library of basic reference resources is located on the fourth floor of the museum and maintained by the library staff.

Other small collections maintained by various departments within the museum typically include style manuals, dictionaries, Cleveland Museum of Art publications, or limited resources related directly to the work of a department. Most of these materials are selected, acquired, and paid for by the library but are the direct responsibility of the department; no bibliographic holdings for these items are maintained.

APPENDIX B

I.  Mission of the Museum Archives

The archives serve as the institutional memory for the museum. Their mission is to preserve records in all formats that document the origins, development, achievements, and activities of the museum and to provide access to researchers studying the history of the museum and its collections, the evolution of museum exhibitions and other projects, the social background of major art movements of the 20th century, and the social and cultural history of the Cleveland area. The archives are also responsible for the museum’s records management program. Museum records are critical to the operation of the institution. Records protect the museum’s legal rights and its ownership of property, ensure compliance with government and business regulations, and provide the means for keeping its constituency informed of its activities, operations, and accomplishments. They document the care, security, ownership, and changing conditions of the collection.  Records in the collection date from the 1880s to the present and consist of approximately 1,700 cubic feet of paper documents, analog photographs, CMA publications, scrapbooks, video and audio tapes, pesters, slides, ephemera, and electronic files.

II. History of the Museum Archives

The Cleveland Museum of Art archives department was established in 1989 as the museum approached its 75th anniversary with startup funding provided by the Gund Foundation. The need to consolidate and manage historical records had been building for years and the desire to publish a museum history for the anniversary provided the necessary final impetus. 

The CMA archives maintains the museum’s historical records and manuscript collections, and operates the records management program. These records document the care, security, ownership, and changing conditions of the collection. They also provide the knowledge of the institution’s history that is essential for internal communication and decision making. They protect the museum’s legal rights and its ownership of property, ensure compliance with government and business regulations, and provide the means for keeping its constituency informed of its activities, operations, and accomplishments.

The department maintains collections including records of the director’s office and board of trustees, exhibition records, departmental records, audio-visual records of programs, and manuscript collections from persons related to but not employed by the museum. Collections are made available to museum staff, scholars, and researchers at the discretion of the director of archives.

Records management activities include creating records retention and disposition schedules, managing nonpermanent records throughout their life cycle, and educating staff on records management policies and procedures.

A result of the museum’s comprehensive building project, the archives office, workroom, and special collections reading room were incorporated into the plan of the library. Archives collection storage was substantially increased and is located on the mezzanine level of the 1916 building, and on levels 2 and 2R of the Ingalls Library.

II.A. Staff and Services

The Cleveland Museum of Art archives collects and maintains the museum’s historical records in all formats and operates the records management program to the highest archival standards. These records document the care, security, ownership, and changing conditions of the collection. They also provide the knowledge of the institution’s history that is essential for internal communication and decision making. They protect the museum’s legal rights and its ownership of property, ensure compliance with government and business regulations, and provide the means for keeping its constituency informed of its activities, operations, and accomplishments.

Records management activities include creating records retention and disposition schedules, managing nonpermanent records throughout their life cycle, and educating staff on records management policies and procedures.

The collection supports research by a variety of constituencies on the history of the museum and Cleveland area. Institutional and archival exhibitions both in-house and on-line are enhanced by archival collections.  Outreach includes workshops, lectures to groups, presentations, and social media posts. The archives contributes catalog records to the Ingalls Library and contributes finding aids in EAD format to the OhioLink statewide repository. Digital images are made available on line through the digital archives. Digitized documentary collections are available through the Internet Archive.

APPENDIX C

Guidelines for the Library Purchase and Processing of Books with Original Prints and Photographs

I. Guidelines Governing Library Purchase of Book Materials with Original Prints or Photographs

1. If possible, the director of the library or the acquisitions and collection development librarian notifies the curator of photography or the curator of prints before purchasing an item with known original prints or photographs. The respective curators may then examine the item prior to purchase to determine if the original work is deemed to have significant artistic value and therefore appropriate for addition to the museum collection. If it is determined that the item in toto will be transferred to the museum collection, the library does not expend library acquisitions funds on the purchase. If a single print or photograph is to be transferred into the collection and the book retained by the library, the library expends library acquisitions funds on the purchase.
2. If it is not possible to have the item examined by the respective curator prior to purchase, the director of the library determines whether or not the library expends library acquisitions funds on the purchase. 
3. The respective curator is shown the item prior to accessioning and processing by library if it is not viewed prior to purchase in order to determine if the item is to be transferred in part or in toto to the museum collection.

II. Guidelines Governing Processing of Book Materials with Original Prints or Photographs 

A.  Items with Loose Prints or Photographs

The curator determines whether or not the individual original print(s) or photograph(s) is appropriate for addition to the museum collection.

            1.  Original print(s)/photograph(s) not added to museum collection

                        a.  Item is kept with book and a 5XX note in the ALEPH cataloging record notes that a loose print or photograph is part of the item. 

                        b.  The book is shelved in the locked rare book area of the library stacks.

            2.  Original print(s)/photograph(s) added to museum collection

                        a.  The respective curator completes an “Expect Notice.”

                        b.  The collections management office retrieves the item from the library. 

                        c.  The item becomes a gift from the library with the following credit line: GIFT OF INGALLS LIBRARY, THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART. 

                        d.  If purchased with special funds from the library, the library indicates that information and the credit line reads as follows: GIFT OF INGALLS LIBRARY, XXX FUND, THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART.

                        e.  The item is shown to the director of the museum.

                        f.  The item is presented to accessions committee.

                        g.  A 5XX note in ALEPH cataloging record reads “Original ______ transferred to museum collection.”

B. Items with Single Tipped-In Original Print or Photograph

The respective curator determines whether or not the individual original print or photograph is appropriate for addition to the museum collection.

            1.  Original print/photograph not added to museum collection

                        a.  Item remains in book.

                        b.  The book is shelved in the locked rare book area of the library stacks.

            2.  Original print/photograph added to museum collection

                        a. The associate book/paper conservator removes the tipped-in original print or photograph.

                        b. The respective curator completes an “Expect Notice.”

                        c. The collections management office retrieves the item from the library. 

                        d. The item becomes a gift from the library with the following credit line: GIFT OF INGALLS LIBRARY, THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART. 

                        e. If purchased with special funds from the library, the library indicates that information and the credit line reads as follows: GIFT OF INGALLS LIBRARY, XXX FUND, THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART.

                        f. The item is shown to the director of the museum.

                        g. The item is presented to the accessions committee.

                        h. A 5XX note in ALEPH cataloging record reads “Original tipped-in ______ transferred to museum collection.”

C. Items with Bound-In Original Prints and Photographs

The respective curator examines the item in terms of its artistic value versus its value as a book and determines whether or not the art is appropriate for addition to the collection.

            1.  Item not added to museum collection

                        a.  The book remains in the library.

                        b.  The book is shelved in the locked rare book area of the library stacks.

            2.  Item added to museum collection

                        a.  The respective curator completes an “Expect Notice.”

                        b.  The collections management office retrieves the item from the library. 

                        c.  The item becomes a gift from the library with the following credit line: GIFT OF INGALLS LIBRARY, THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART. 

                        d.  If purchased with special funds from the library, the library indicates that information and the credit line reads as follows: GIFT OF INGALLS LIBRARY, XXX FUND, THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART.

                        e.  The item is shown to the director of the museum.

                        f.  The item is presented to the accessions committee.

                        g. A bibliographic record is created in ALEPH.

                        h.  A 5XX note in ALEPH cataloging record reads “Transferred to the museum collection.”

D. Items with More Than One Tipped-In Original Print or Photograph

The respective curator and the director of the library and archives determine if the item’s integrity will be destroyed if multiple tipped-in original prints or photographs are removed. If the integrity of the item will be destroyed, the item is treated according to the guidelines for III, items with bound-in original prints and photographs. If the item’s integrity will not be destroyed, it is treated according to the guidelines for II, items with single tipped-in original prints or photographs.

III. Book Items Currently in the Museum Collection 

All book items currently in the museum collection are represented with bibliographic records in the library’s integrated library system in order to facilitate access and to avoid any possible duplication of purchases. Such items do not have a call number and records contain a 5XX note that reads “Museum Collection.”