Museum Studies

Useful Websites

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• Conservation OnLine: Resources for Conservation Professionals
  CoOL, a project of the Preservation Department of Stanford University Libraries, is a full text library of conservation information, covering a wide spectrum of topics of interest to those involved with the conservation of library, archives and museum materials.
   
• Cultural Policy and the Arts National Data Archive (Princeton)
  An interactive digital archive of data on the arts and cultural policy in the U.S., available for research and statistical analysis, with data on artists, arts and cultural organizations, audiences, and funding for arts and culture.
   
• Digital Scriptorium
  "The Digital Scriptorium is an image database of medieval and renaissance manuscripts that unites scattered resources from many institutions into an international tool for teaching and scholarly research.

  As a visual catalog, DS allows scholars to verify with their own eyes cataloging information about places and dates of origin, scripts, artists, and quality. Special emphasis is placed on the touchstone materials: manuscripts signed and dated by their scribes.

  DS records manuscripts that traditionally would have been unlikely candidates for reproduction. It fosters public viewing of materials otherwise available only within libraries. Because it is web-based, it encourages interaction between the knowledge of scholars and the holdings of libraries to build a reciprocal flow of information."

• ICOM - International Council of Museums/Conseil International des musées
  "ICOM is the international organisation of museums and museum professionals which is committed to the conservation, continuation and communication to society of the world's natural and cultural heritage, present and future, tangible and intangible.

  Created in 1946, ICOM is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) maintaining formal relations with UNESCO and having a consultative status with the United Nations' Economic and Social Council.

  As a not-for-profit organisation, ICOM is financed primarily by membership fees and supported by various governmental and other bodies. It carries out part of UNESCO's programme for museums. Based in Paris (France), the ICOM Headquarters houses both the ICOM Secretariat and the UNESCO-ICOM Museum Information Centre.

• • ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums
    The cornerstone of ICOM is its ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums. It sets minimum standards of professional practice and performance for museums and their staff. In joining the organisation, ICOM members undertake to abide by this Code. See the PDF version in English.
     
• Institute of Museum and Library Services
  "The Institute of Museum and Library Services [IMLS] is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.

  The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development."

  The IMLS site lists several online and/or download-able pdfs about its research, programs, grants, awards, conferences, etc.

  IMLS News is an online newsletter that contains brief articles that alert readers to new information about grants, monthly highlights of best practices, and important agency news with links to more detailed information on the Web site. Individuals may subscribe by registering at https://www.imls.gov/news/subscribe.

• Museum Data Files
  This site from the IMLS provides a comprehensive list of known museums in the United States. You can download the information as a CSV (coma separated value) or XLS (spreadsheet) file.

• Oxford Art Online
  Oxford Art Online contains the full text of the 34-volume print Grove Dictionary of Art. The 41,000 articles range from brief entries to articles of several hundred pages, each accompanied by scholarly bibliographies. All aspects of the visual arts are covered, including painting, sculpture, architecture, graphic and decorative arts, and photography, from prehistory to the present. Although most images from the print version are not included due to copyright restrictions, access to 15,000 external images is available. Images from the Bridgeman Art Library are also searchable.
   
• SCIPIO: Art and Rare Book Sales Catalogs
  Scipio covers art and rare book sales/auction catalogs. It provides information to auction sales catalogs from all major North American and European auction houses as well as many private sales.

  The database has information on art objects, rare books, the history of collecting and contemporary and historical market needs. Catalogs for sales range from the late sixteenth century to scheduled auctions not yet held. Records include the dates and places of sales, the auction houses, sellers, institutional holdings, and titles of works.