Art Museum Exhibitions in the Library

Abstract

Typically, museums are seen as the primary venue for exhibitions. However, an interest in library exhibitions has been growing as indicated by increased literature in the library field, albeit with a large focus on academic libraries. On a broader scale, library exhibitions continue to be under-researched as indicated by the continuing lack of library exhibition evaluation standards, library exhibition reviews, and exhibition-related professional training for librarians. In this 2021 study, interviews were conducted at eight Washington, DC-based art museum libraries: The National Gallery of Art, The National Museum of Women in the Arts, The American Art and Portrait Gallery, The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, The National Museum of African Art, The Phillips Collection, and the George Washington University Textile Museum. This paper is an examination of the current state of exhibitions in art museum libraries and aims to establish a set of best practices to help foster the production of art museum library exhibitions.