User:Rebeccaswanson/Draft Spencer art reference library

The Spencer Art Reference Library (SARL) is a resource for anyone interested in learning about the visual arts and is located on the second floor of the Bloch Building in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The library is open to the public, but only circulates in-house. . The library contains over 260,000 publications to support the encyclopedic collections of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The library staff works with researchers individually on research inquiries, as well as with groups and classes to highlight the resources in the library's collection.

Architecture
Plans for a library were included in the original design for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, however, the Kenneth and Helen Spencer Art Reference Library did not officially open until 1962. The library's growing collection necessitated an expansion in 1977 led by Mrs. Kenneth A. Spencer. The library was again expanded in June 2007 as part of the Bloch Building expansion lead by Steven Holl.

Services
The Spencer Art Reference Library provides individual reference assistance in person, by email or by phone. The staff works with visitors to explore personal research projects by creating a successful information search strategy, as well as connecting visitors to relevant resources found in books, articles, online subscription databases and the web. For teachers and college faculty, the library assists with personal learning/research goals in the visual arts. The staff also helps students learn complex information discovery by highlighting important research strategies and the library's resources.

Educational Programming
The SARL hosts many events to encourage participation both inside and outside the library. Some of the events include:
 * Browse, Doodle, Chat & Create: Hosted in partnership with Third Thursday, participants use the resources in the library for their personal creative explorations.
 * Explore the Hidden Life of your Objects: Participants use the materials available in the library to explore their own personal artifacts through photos of the objects they bring in.
 * Natural Inspirations: KC's Artists Inspired by Nature: A discussion with a panel of local Kansas City artists who are featured in the Artist File Initiative. Each one of their creative processes is inspired by nature.

Collection
The library's encyclopedic collection currently holds 264,000 volumes covering the history of art with strong holdings supporting the museum's collections. In addition to books, the library provides access to current arts journals, auction price indexes, a large selection of online art research resources, and access to these collections through the library's online catalog LibraryOneSearch.

Artists' File Initiative
The Artist File Initiative was established in 2015 by Marilyn Carbonell, the Head of Library Services. Carbonell works one-on-one with local Kansas City artists to create individualized files highlighting the artists' careers to preserve their legacy. The project provides information to researchers about artists contributing to Kansas City's creative community. The files are cataloged in the library.

Archives
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Archives holds correspondence, memoranda, and other records relating to the building, staffing and development of the collections of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Nelson Gallery Foundation and related organizations. Among these major record groups and collections are the William Rockhill Nelson Trust Records, the Paul Gardner Papers, the Director's Office Records, the Laurence Sickman Papers and the Friends of Art Records. Various administrative and curatorial records are held in the archives as well, which include documentation of the Museum's acquisitions, exhibitions, and educational programs.