The Ames Library at Illinois Wesleyan University has created The Art Collection Practices Survey to gather information on university and college libraries that manage art collections. This survey will seek input from a variety of academic libraries on different facets of collection management. These include how the institution came into stewardship of the collection, administration and policies guiding the collection, providing discovery through cataloging and metadata, and how students and faculty interact with the collection. By gathering this information, we hope to identify best practices across institutions with this unique charge.

For the purposes of this survey, we define "art collection" as a collection of visual works (paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc.) curated by, donated to, or accumulated over time by an institution, distinct from items in special collections or archives.

You are invited to be a participant in a research study about academic libraries and art collections. We ask that you read this document and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to be in the study. The study is being conducted by:

Stephanie Davis-Kahl: University Librarian, Illinois Wesleyan University, sdaviska@iwu.edu
Liz Bloodworth: University Archivist, Illinois Wesleyan University, ebloodwo@iwu.edu
Pete Steadman: Electronic Resources & Systems Librarian, Illinois Wesleyan University, psteadma@iwu.edu

The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. Please click here for a pdf of the survey questions.

If you agree to be in this study, we will ask you to do respond to a series of questions about your experiences with art collections in academic libraries, including questions about administrative tasks, metadata and cataloging, policies, use of the collection, and student/faculty interaction with the collection. Not all questions need to be answered, and you can choose to stop the survey at any time.

Participating in this study is low-risk; the risk associated with the study are no greater than those experienced in everyday life.

The benefits of participation include the following: sharing your experiences with your colleagues and contributing to the available practices and services associated with art collections in academic libraries.

The records of this study will be kept private. Data will be confidential, with each response assigned a unique code to ensure confidentiality. Data collected will be stored in a Google Drive folder for three years, accessible only by the researchers. In any sort of report that is published or presentation that is given, we will not include any information that will make it possible to identify a participant.

Your participation in this study is voluntary. Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect your current or future relations with Illinois Wesleyan University or any of its representatives. You have the right to refuse to participate or to withdraw at any time without penalty or loss of benefits

If you have questions later, you may contact the researchers listed below:

Stephanie Davis-Kahl: University Librarian, Illinois Wesleyan University, sdaviska@iwu.edu
Liz Bloodworth: University Archivist, Illinois Wesleyan University, ebloodwo@iwu.edu
Pete Steadman: Electronic Resources & Systems Librarian, Illinois Wesleyan University, psteadma@iwu.edu

This survey has been approved (Exempt Category 2) by the IWU Institutional Review Board (irb@iwu.edu).

I have read and understand the above consent form. I certify that I am 18 years old or older. By clicking the “Next” button to enter the survey, I indicate my willingness to voluntarily take part in this study.

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