Profile

The library as a place of scholarship

After the library’s swift reopening to external users following its pandemic-related closure, visitor numbers quickly stabilized at pre-COVID levels and now average between 60 and 100 external visitors daily. The demand for new library cards has even increased, fostering a steady rejuvenation of the visitor base. Within the library building, these guests spatially mingle with the Institute’s own junior scholars, forming a large international community that broadly represents the ever-expanding field of art history.

This vital function as a communicative hub – connecting experienced colleagues with emerging scholars, and connecting local art history with international academia – is one of the central qualities of the Bibliotheca Hertziana. It stems from the intertwining of library and research institute, a principle established at the Institute’s founding. We remain mindful of the fact that external visitors are often former or prospective members of the Institute. Yet regardless of their specific relationship to the Institute, they are colleagues whom we welcome with the same enthusiasm as our in-house researchers, offering them – within the scope of what is possible – the same academic services to ensure that their stay at the Bibliotheca Hertziana is both positive and productive.

The result is that perhaps even a record-breaking proportion of the books housed in the library have been authored by individuals who have used the library themselves, whether regularly or during targeted research visits. This underscores the ongoing relevance of the Institute, even amidst the evolving profile of the discipline. Moreover, there remains a strong interest among the scholarly community in analog publications, despite the rapid growth of digital offerings. This interest is especially notable among younger generations, who frequently need to be guided as they expand their already impressive personal collections of literature and images that they draw upon in their research (Handapparate).

Collection Profiles

Henriette Hertz’s founding vision of creating a library specializing in the art and architecture of Italy as an essential support for on-site academic research remains at the core of the library's mission. However, Hertz herself recognized the necessity of adapting the library’s collection areas to the evolving scope of art history. This expanded collection mandate, combined with the later incorporation of the Max Planck Society’s Harnack Principle, continues to shape the library’s acquisition policy today.

The library’s core collection, systematically developed over more than a century, focuses on research and source literature on Italian art and architecture, particularly from the Middle Ages and early modern period. This canon has long since been broadened to include late antiquity as well as the 18th and 19th centuries, reflecting the expanding research priorities of the institute. Additionally, the library has energetically developed specialized collections that transcend immediate academic interests, such as its renowned collection of historical travel literature, which ranks among the best of its kind worldwide.

The thematic and methodological shifts within the discipline over the past two decades, mirrored in the institute’s research departments, have prompted the library to adopt a significantly modified acquisition strategy since 2015. The geographic scope has been broadened to include the Mediterranean region and its cultural interactions with Italy, with a particular emphasis on cultural history. Contemporary methodological approaches, such as Colonial Studies, the Material Turn, the Geographic Turn, Cultural Exchange, and Agency, are now more prominently represented.

A systematic effort is also underway to build a section dedicated to source literature on Italy’s colonial past. This expansion into the 20th century aligns with the medium-term goal of consistently enhancing the library’s holdings on modern and contemporary Italian art, particularly in relation to Rome.

Acquisition Strategy of the Intellectual Trace

Covering the full range of research topics currently represented at the institute in a systematic manner would exceed the library’s resources. Departing from the previous principle of acquiring exclusively within defined focus areas, the library now supports researchers at the institute through targeted but limited acquisitions that extend beyond these core areas. After the completion or departure of a project, these acquisitions leave behind an “intellectual trace” in the collection. As a documentation of academic interests that are temporarily and transitorily current, these intellectual traces add an archival dimension to the library’s character and, if they grow over time, may evolve into new collection areas.

Additionally, the library strives to expand its collection of rare books (Rara) as much as possible.

The acquisition strategy increasingly emphasizes direct collaboration with researchers. This is achieved through literature suggestions that have been individually researched and communicated and that are also tailored to specific research areas (‘embedded librarian’, see Library and Information Services) and by fulfilling literature requests as promptly and comprehensively as possible (patron-driven acquisition).

Each year, the Bibliotheca Hertziana receives around 700 books as gifts, typically from their authors. This reflects both the high regard in which the institution is held and the gratitude for the services and resources it provides. It also indicates a strong desire for these publications to be included in the Kubikat OPAC.

Financial Situation

The library’s budget has remained stable – effectively stagnant – for approximately 15 years, while costs have continually risen. Reasons include:

A shift towards English-language literature, which is up to 300% more expensive per title than comparable works in German or Italian (due to a lack of funding in the publishing sectors of the US and UK).
Increasing numbers of e-books, which are on average 50% more expensive than print publications.
Growing numbers of licenses and subscriptions.
Rising costs for software (see kubikat) and hardware (e.g., scanners, self-check systems).
Expenses incurred due to the outsourcing of materials (see below).

Conclusion: Without a significant and sustained increase in the library’s base budget, it will not be able to meet its responsibilities as required in the future.

Spatial Limitations

The space reserves created by the library’s new building have already been exhausted in many departments. Overall, the available space is so limited that no potential for optimization through internal restructuring remains. Consequently, the library will be forced to outsource approximately 460 linear meters of shelving at the beginning of 2025. This measure will remain in place until the completion of the extension at Via Gregoriana 9 provides relief.

This outsourcing will result in additional work and, above all, increased costs for several years to come.