Dissertation Information for Deirdre Corcoran Stam NAME: - Deirdre Corcoran Stam
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1984)
ADVISORS: - Michael Edward Davison Koenig
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - None
MPACT Status: Incomplete - Ambiguous
Title: THE INFORMATION-SEEKING PRACTICES OF ART HISTORIANS IN MUSEUMS AND COLLEGES IN THE UNITED STATES, 1982-83
Abstract: The information-seeking practices of art historians in the United States vary significantly with the nature of the employing institution, with museum personnel indicating a higher use of informal channels of communication than college faculty. Distance from New York City emerges as a significant variable for college faculty, with college teachers in that city reporting fairly high use of informal channels, and faculty outside the city, whether two hours or twenty hours away, reporting almost negligible use of these modes.
Art historians in every location, in both kinds of institutions, indicate that they maintain only weakly connected "invisible colleges." Their institutional "gatekeepers" occupy appropriate positions in their respective hierarchies as directors in museums and colleagues and deans in academia.
Art historians prefer traditional informational formats. The book is preeminent. Black and white photographs are considered essential. Almost all art historians, particularly in colleges, report extensive dependence upon their personal libraries. College faculty report frequent use of slides and large personal collections. Very little use of any film medium is reported, and the utilization of computerized data bases is confined principally to infrequent use of RLIN and OCLC, and then mainly in non-New York City colleges.
In their pursuit of authoritative information, art historians begin most often with colleagues and experts. They also consult footnotes and the bibliographies of familiar monographs. Only late in the search do they consult bibliographic tools and librarians.
Librarians function more often as "gatekeepers," dispensing information of all sorts on an irregular basis, than as members of "invisible colleges." Librarians are accepted as professional colleagues by art historians in museums more often than by those in colleges.
The data for this study were gathered through tape-recorded interviews and questionnaires. The study took place in the fall of 1982 and the winter of 1983.
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MPACT Scores for Deirdre Corcoran Stam A = 0
C = 2
A+C = 2
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2009-06-25 04:08:37
Advisors and Advisees Graph
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