On Their Grounds

Abstract

Between 2018 and 2020, the author had the opportunity to work in two arts-focused libraries as part of a Library Practicum program at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and through the Kress Fellowship in Art Librarianship at the Robert B. Haas Arts Library, Yale University. These two work experiences provided the opportunity to implement pilots of two studio visit programs with the populations that each library supports. During the studio visits, the author met with artists, musicians, curators, visual art practicum participants, and Yale School of Art graduate students to learn about their research interests and provide direct reference support in their studios. This article presents both pilot case studies, reviews current literature on embedded librarianship practices related to the visual arts, discusses the similarities and differences that emerged, and outlines recommendations for those interested in offering similar studio visit programs.