By Aivija Everte

Basic types of art libraries in Latvia are traditional: there are two main types of art libraries - the special research libraries and public libraries/art departments in public libraries. The most important art research libraries are those of the major Latvian art museums as well as libraries serving higher education institutions and departments of art and the National Library of Latvia with several specialized visual resources collections. The problems preventing art libraries in Latvia from being dynamic, technologically advanced development are similar to other art libraries in the Baltics after the re-establishment of independence - outdated literature, insufficient funding for new literature, the lack of appropriate premises, cutbacks staffing, the large investments for library automation. In such conditions the development of the library is determined mainly by the personality of the librarian - his/her wish to acquire new knowledge, the ability to defend necessities and interests of the library on the level of the institution’s leadership, to organize colaboration with other libraries. Art libraries of Latvia lack long-term practice of collaboration and exchange of experience; these are on the level of formation.

Association of Latvian Arts Libraries that woud serve as a co-ordinating body, as well as a means of sharing experience and disscussing future goals, has until now remained only an idea. But the enthusiasm of colleagues, as well the positive impact that art library socities in other countries have brought to art library operations, brings hope that is not only a dream for the future.

There are two main types of art libraries : special research libraries and public libraries/art departments in public libraries. The most important art research libraries are those of the major Latvian art museums (Library of the State Museum of Arts - approximately 15.500 vols; Library of the Museum of Foreign Arts - approximately 16.000 vols; Rundale Palace Museum Library - approximately 12.000 vols) as well as libraries serving higher education institutions and departments of art (Latvian Academy of Arts Library - approx. 33.000 vols; Department of Building and Architecture of Riga Technical University Scientific Library - 235.000 vols).

In early 1990s several new art museums were established, such as Museum of Decorative Applied Arts and Latvian Museum of Photography, and they also began to create their own libraries. And in recent years art college libraries have become more active in developing their own, up-to-date collections. There are five art colleges in Latvia, three of them outside the capital Riga, and the size of their collections is in the range of 3.000 to 30.000 vols.

There are several information centers wich have compiled a considerable amount of documentation about research in Latvian art history, as well as contemporary art activities. Because of its activities and collection development strategy, the Latvian Academy of Arts Information Center resembles rather an archive than a library. It holds information files on about 5000 Latvian artists, including artists who have lived in Latvia, as well as a rich collection of art exibition catalogues published in Latvia and a book collection consisting of about 6000 volumes.

Since its establishment in 1993, the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art, founded as a successor of the Soros Center for Contemporary Arts, has collected a impressive amount of information on contemporary art in Latvia from 1945 onwards and consists of consists of comprehensive visual arts folders on modern and contemporary Latvian artists. The Center also holds approximately 800 contemporary art exibition catalogues and the largest collection of contemporaty art periodicals in Latvia, as well as a small collection of slides and videotapes (approximately 60).

Very few public libraries in Latvia have dedicated and comprehensive art departments. Because of inadequite funding, expensive art books are the last to be included in the purchase orders. In Riga public libraries network includes only one library - the Arts Literature Library that was formerly known as the Theater Literature Library- wich has recently begun to include fine arts and architecture in its collection development policy. However, several central public libraries in other cities have consistently developed a strong collections of art books, such as that of the Central Public Library in the port city of Ventspils.

Several associations of professional artists also have small libraries - one example is the Latvian Union of Architects.

As opposed to large art libraries elsewhere in the world, Latvian art libraries have very few visual resources (such as slides, reproductions, videos, films etc.); the major part of their collections is made up of books and periodicals.

National Library of Latvia as multidiscipline research library wich has a significant place in art librarianship in Latvia. This is result of several factors:

• as a national depositary it has the most substantial number of sources and the greatest range of literature on Latvian art;
• the library has several specialized visual resources collections (for example, a unique collection of Latvian posters consisting of

approximately 4,000 items; a postcard collection of some 92,000 items; approximately 3,000 items Latvian bookplates; a print collection

of some 1,000 items;

• it holds the most extensive collection of Latvian art exibition catalogues (approximately 4,000 items) and the largest collection of foreign art

exibition catalogues in the country (more than 7,000 items).

Since the 1970s, the National Library has placed a strong emphasis on developing the humanities collection : this has been fairly true from the point when Latvia regained independence in the early 1990s but more especially after 1995, when it was finally possible to designate a separate budget for purchasing foreign literature. Until then foreign sources had been acquired by means of exchange and donations. During the last five years, the reference collection has been completely revised, one of the major being 34-volume Dictionary of Art published by Grove in 1996). Now that the library is able to offer its readers more up-to-date and highe quality art literature, usage is increasing steadily as well. Since 1998 users have access to public Internet workstations and since April 2000 to the electronic catalog of the National Library (comprises literature since 1996).

In the recent years activity has been commenced in several directions:

• electronic resourses in art and the humanities. For several years the library subscribes to the Art Index (The H.W.Wilson Company), we have a small collection of CD-ROMs and Multimedia about art (aproximately 20). Art librarians have been actively exploring the information on arts available via Internet and sharing their knowledge with colleagues in other libraries. We get acquainted with licensed databases (by using free trials). Next year we plan to subscribe to The Dictionary of Art online version;
• digital projects as part of the national digital library. The CD-ROM Poster in Latvia.1899-1945 : From the collection of Posters of the National Library of Latvia has been issued this year, which will be followed by the 2^nd part - on posters of the second half of the 20^th century;
• collaboration with art historians. The National Library has established good cooperation with art critics and historians that are providing their advice and consulting concerning the collection development. For two years together with art historians of the Art History Institute we have been working on the first bibliography of the Latvia art literature, which will include editions beginning with the 18^th century till the year 2000. The bibliography has been simultaneously made also in the form of a local database;
• popularisation of the art literature and visual collections of the National Library of Latvia - essays in art magazines, special lessons for students, information in the Library’s homepage (www.lnb.lv).

The vision for the future is of a specialized Department of Arts equipped with the latest tehnology and hosted by the new building of the National Library; this will bring together all the collections, currently scattered in several buildings, into one place.

Several problems preventing art libraries in Latvia from more dynamic, technologically advanced development can be pointed out:

• the inheritance of the past.

The years of Soviet occupation (1940-1990) had an extremely negative impact on art libraries in Latvia. It is very well known that ideological censorship was much stronger in humanities and social sciences than other disciplines. In spite of the large size of the collections, many sources are interesting only as witnesses of their time because they were written or interpreted from the point of the Marxist ideology. Therefore, thorough inventory must be performed and collections must be renewed and supplemented with contemporary, non-partisan sources. The number of sources on 20^th century art is still inadequate. Elsewhere, but especially in the Western world, libraries have become more open institutions : this tendency has become especially strong in the 80s with the emergence of new technologies that have triggered closer cooperation. Art libraries in Latvia have remained institutionally secluded, jealously guarding their resources, a “tradition” that was established during the Soviet rule. This especially pertains to museum libraries, the majority of wich continue to exist only only as in-house institutions;

• the status of art libraries.

Art libraries are only one type of library amongst the many branches of the Latvian library network. The political and economic reforms that started after the re-establishment of independence in 1991 brought them very few economic benefits to the libraries. Very often, their needs are considered as being of great importance, while art is seen as being an elite occupation. On one side there is an increasing number of students in all age groups, the opening of new schools with proportionally large number of students in humanities and a consequent rapid growth in the demand for information (including the information in arts). On the other hand there is the inability of libraries to satisfy requests for information because of insufficient funding, the lack of appropriate premises, outdated literature and cutbacks staffing. Library automation also requires major investment and is therefore being introduced very slowly, the pioneers being college and university libraries.

• the profession and prestige of the art librarian.

Very few of Latvian art librarians have a professional library or information science background. In most cases they are art historians or museum workers who, because of different reasons, work at the library. Their advantage is the subject knowledge (art history), however, for successful work in contemporary library a professional library or information science background is essential. This is one of the reasons, why the co-operation and exchange of information, both between Latvian art libraries and their counterparts abroad, is still very undeveloped. And, naturally, low salaries do no favour for the prestige of the profession.

In the context of the above mentioned problems the development of the library is determined mainly by the personality of the librarian - his/her wish to acquire new knowledge, the ability to defend necessities and interests of the library on the level of the institution’s leadership, to organize colaboration with other libraries. Art libraries of Latvia lack long-term practice of collaboration and exchange of experience; these are on the level of formation.

A professional association is a one of the most effective instruments in exchanging ideas, sharing experience and discussing future goals. Although there are several active professional library associations in Latvia (with Music Libraries Association as at the most recent newcomer), the idea about the Latvian Art Libraries Association has remained as only an idea. But the enthusiasm of some colleagues, as well the positive impact that art library socities in other countries have brought to art library operations, brings hope that is not only a dream for the future.

Chief Librarien

Department of Social Sciences and Humanities

National Library of Latvia

K.Barona Street 14

aivijae@lnb.lv