Fine Arts Library offers artistic insights

Brianna Labadie
Thu, 23 Jan 2020 02:21:26 +0000
Arts & Life, Features, News, art, books, fine arts library, library, ohio state, ohio state university, osu, Reading, the wex, wexner center, wexner center for the arts

The entrance of the Fine Arts Library sits between the buildings of the Wexner Center for the Arts. Credit: Brianna Labadie | Lantern Reporter

Under the pale steel beams that span the gap between the buildings of the Wexner Center for the Arts lies the entrance to a library some students might overlook.

The Fine Arts Library houses more than 150,000 books that range in topic from ancient methods of artmaking to news in the contemporary art world. It has a wide variety of artists’ books, some of which are handmade and rare, Courtney Hunt, the art and design librarian, said.

“I want people to be more aware of our artists’ book collection because the unique quality of artists’ books is that you can hold them in your hand — a work of art you can touch,” Hunt said.

The library has technological resources to offer as well, including flatbed scanners for digitizing documents, computers and a printing station. Hunt said it’s her job to help the library’s visitors access the various resources it has to offer.

“I want students to feel comfortable. Comfortable wandering the stacks, comfortable coming to me if they need help, comfortable doing research, but also empowered by the resources available to them and the knowledge that they can get whatever it is they’re working on done,” Hunt said.

Kat Arndt, a second-year in history of art and studio arts, said the library has made her more curious and aided in many of her research papers about arts and museum practice.

“It offers access to a wealth of art knowledge by process, artist and method. Access to arts writing fuels creativity and dialogue between generations of creators and scholars,” Arndt said.

Faculty members such as Yvette Shen, assistant professor in the Department of Design, also take advantage of the available resources.?

“Courtney is already doing amazing things that make the library more available and attractive to art students — workshops, collaborating space, place to showcase their works, online research guides,” Shen said.

Students and faculty can apply to display their own artwork in the library by emailing hunt.877@osu.edu. The library is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.