Carrie,
 
I think that you will be fine with whatever reading list that you
formulate. You are asking all the right questions. I would recommend
structuring your reading list to cover three distinct areas.
 
1) Museum collecting policies and procedures
2) General Art History surveys - I would include guides to dec arts
museums in this category as well as The Oxford History of Western Art by
Martin Kemp. I can't believe I didn't think to mention it originally!
(also, something like the
<http://amos.shop.com/amos/cc/pcd/12467392/prd/18669370/ccsyn/260>
Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists Paperback Book might help
without breaking the bank for major Art History texts). 


3) Publications about your collection (can't have too many of these. I
would include all on your list, but perhaps REQUIRE a few. your
collecting board should be well versed in what you have already to avoid
empty repetition and to emphasize your mission.)
Good luck and best regards,
Ware
 
L.W.S. Petznick, Ph.D.
McFaddin-Ward House 
Curator of Collections
725 Third St.
Beaumont, TX 77701
 <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]
 <http://www.mcfaddin-ward.org> www.mcfaddin-ward.org
409.832.1906 p
409.832.3483 f
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Carrie Snow
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 9:50 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Reading List
 
Thank you all for your suggestions.  To answer Ware's question about the
needs of our museum.  We are a Church museum that collects images and
artifacts relating to religious themes, events and artist that belong to
our Church.  We have several people on the committee that are not art
historians or historians, but have tried to bring themselves up to speed
in the field and when in doubt will ask Curators to explain a principle
or opinion to them.  Conversely, we have several art historians or
historians that are not current on collecting practices and larger
museum issues.  We are also currently undergoing a large strategic
planning process that will most likely change how and what we collect as
the Church continues to grow through out the World.  
 
From what you have told me, we might be missing the mark.   So far our
draft list is focused on our collections and includes several exhibit
catalogs and articles written by museum staff members. I am wondering if
these are appropriate things to include on the list and if so, how much
is too much?  We want to inform committee members on the current
collections, but we do not want to shut the door on innovation in
collecting and interpretation.  Some committee members have expressed
the opinion that by using several in-house publications may stifle
creative thinking and give the impression that there is only one way to
interpret our collection. 
 
Carrie
 
Carrie Snow
Senior Registrar 
Museum of Church History and Art
45 North West Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
(801) 240-4619
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