Artist’s Books

I recently returned from the American Library Association 2009 Annual Conference in Chicago. Among the sessions I attended, More Than Paper: The Small Press and the Artist's Book was especially relevant to my work in the Jean Outland Chrysler Library. Panelists discussed not only the importance of preserving small press and artist’s books in libraries, but also the challenges of describing artist-made objects so that users can search for and identify these materials in library catalogs. Small press and artist’s books are often printed in limited numbers and may, therefore, be rare or unique items. The manner in which small press and artist’s books are printed and bound and the materials used in the bookmaking process can be as significant as the texts and illustrations. Some small press and artist’s books have more in common with book art and art objects than with traditional books.
We Apologize by the filmmakers and artists EIDIA (Paul Lamarre and Melissa Wolf) is an example of an artist’s book I recently added to the Jean Outland Chrysler Library collection. A book, a flow chart, and a manifesto printed on a napkin are all housed in a modified record album cover. Only 100 copies of We Apologize were printed; each copy is numbered and signed by the artists.
- Rachel Juris, 2009 Jean Outland Chrysler Library Cataloging Fellow