Tufts University
Fine Art Special Collections Development Policy
Caitlin Hawe
Info 669-Special Collections
April 25th, 2011
Tufts University
Fine Art Special Collections at Tisch Library
Tufts University
Collection Development Policy
Mission Statement
Fine Art Special Collections aims to support the curriculum and research of the art history and fine art
departments at Tufts University. The goal is to collect and preserve materials that supports educational
and professional growth to the faculty and students in these programs. Selected areas of collection
correlate with the academic strengths of the named departments. As a result, Fine Art Special
Collections amasses rare books, manuscripts, ephemera and reliquaries pertaining to modern art,
building architecture and religion. The Tufts community and the general public are permitted access to
the collections. This allows the department to act as a specialized reference service and provide primary
resources to a broader population.
General Selection Criteria
Items being considered for acquisition must meet the following criteria:
 The material must be consistent with the collection's subject area and chronology.
 Books must be out of print or rare to be considered for acquisition.
 The material must support the curriculum and interests of the art history and fine art
departments.
 The material must be able to support scholarly research.
 Funds must be available to provide necessary restoration to the material.
Acquisitions & Transfers
The Fine Art Special Collections department only accepts items that are donated, gifted or transferred.
Donations from Tufts alumni, faculty, and friends are encouraged. Transfers may be acquired from
Tisch library, Tufts University Art Gallery and other special collections departments on campus.
Currently, Fine Art Special Collections does not acquire items through purchase. Due to a strict budget,
funds are prioritized for restoration and maintenance of current collections and future acquisitions.
Material Types
The primary resources in the collection are books and manuscripts. Collections also contain various
ephemera, reliquaries and a few paintings.
Chronological Coverage
Materials date from the medieval period to the twentieth century. Currently, the department does not
collect materials past the twentieth century.
Geographical Coverage
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Collection materials are of European, Japanese and American origin. Items of all origins will be
accepted as long as they meet the selection criteria.
Language
Primary languages are English, Spanish, Italian, and French. The collections also contain some
materials in Armenian and Japanese. Items of all languages will be accepted as long as they meet the
selection criteria.
Collection Areas
Building Architecture
The Building Architecture Collection contains materials pertaining to various styles and creators of
architecture. The collection consists of 800 items, with dates ranging from the medieval period to the
mid 20th century. Materials in the collection are of Italian, French, Armenian, Japanese and American
origin. The collection's strengths are in rare architecture books, blue prints, sketches and guides.
The department aims to maintain and preserve all items within the collection. It is also in the
department's interest to develop the collection. Currently the department is seeking to include items
pertaining to Modern Mexican architecture.
Modern Art
The Modern Art Collection contains materials that focus on the various styles, artists and mediums that
are specific to the Modern Art era. This is the department's largest collection, consisting of 1,500 items.
Materials in the collection are of American, Spanish and French origin, with dates ranging from the mid
19th century to the mid 20th century. The collection primarily consists of ephemera and art historical
texts. Some of the collection's highlights include sketchbooks, small paintings, exhibition tickets,
newspaper reviews and autographed books.
The department aims maintain and preserve all items within the collection. It is also in the department's
interest to expand the collection. Currently the department is looking to include materials pertaining to
Modern Mexican and African art.
Religious Artifacts & Documents
The Collection of Religious Artifacts and Documents consists of various religious materials that
possess artistic embellishments. Currently, Christianity and Buddhism are the predominant religions
reflected in the collection's materials. Places of origin include Italy, England, France, Spain and Japan.
The collection consists of 1,000 materials dating from the medieval period to the 19th century. The
earliest item in the collection is a handwritten English bible from the 11th century. The collection's
strengths are in rare doctrines, scrolls and bibles. Books in the collection contain decorative bindings
and covers, stamping and painted fore-edges. Other paper-based materials contain illuminations and
illustrations. The collection also holds small, ornate reliquaries. They are comprised of ivory, gold,
glass, silver and gemstones. These items are highly valuable and delicate. Access to reliquaries will
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only be permitted with staff supervision.
The department aims to maintain and preserve all items within the collection. It is also in the
department's interest to expand the collection. Currently the department is looking to diversify the
collection by acquiring rare, decorative materials pertaining to other religions.
Exclusions
Fine Art Special Collections does not acquire materials pertaining to performing or musical arts. Nor do
they collect university archives or digital images. Such items are retained at the Digital Collections &
Archives facility and Visual Resources Collection of Art & Art History. Additionally, the department
does not accept photographs or slides. These items are maintained at the Visual Resources Collection of
Art & Art History and the Tufts University Art Gallery.
Accessibility
Collections are available to all members of the Tufts community as well as the general public. All
students and faculty are free to use the collection resources at anytime during hours of operation.
Outside patrons are permitted access by appointment. The department is currently in the process of
digitizing their holdings in an online catalog. This feature will be available through the Tisch Library
website.
Resource Sharing
Fine Arts Special Collections works closely with several organizations on the Tufts University campus.
This includes the Tisch Library, Tufts University Art Gallery, Digital Collections & Archives and the
department of Visual Resources of Art & Art history. Such relations ensure reliable
transfer and recommendations for collection acquisitions.
Additionally, these institutions collaborate on exhibitions in order to
expose rich and diverse materials to the public and Tufts community.
Department heads should meet regularly to discuss recent acquisitions
and potential items for transfer or display.
Deselection
The following criteria should be used in deciding whether an item should be removed or transferred
from a collection:
 Item is severely damaged to the point where the department is unable to restore it.
 Duplicates of an item are found within a collection.
 Material conflicts with the selection criteria outlined in the policy.
Policy Review
This policy should be reviewed at the end of each academic year. It should be updated to incorporate
new acquisitions, as well as curriculum changes. Leading staff members of Fine Art Special Collections
should meet with faculty of the art history and fine art departments to ensure the policy correlates with
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their curriculum.
Caitlin Hawe
April 2011