One of the broadest of all subject areas around which to build a private library is art. And if ever there was a topic for which our mini collection strategy (discussed in previous posts) was appropriate, this topic definitely is it.
Even if one were to subdivide all books about art into just two categories (a gross oversimplification), just consider a few of the mini collections that one could focus upon in building one's private library:
- History of Art (general, country-specific, media-specific, genre-specific, etc.)
- Artists (in general, country-specific, period-specific, media-specific, genre-specific, etc.)
One might, for example, first pick a style or movement--art deco, for instance; then choose a major manifestation of that style or movement--e.g., decorative arts (jewelry, textiles, architecture...) or visual arts (drawing, painting, sculpture...); then choose books about a particular artist or artists representative of same:
Over the next several days we will examine this topic in greater detail. Before we begin, however, one might note that art books generally are more expensive than other types of books due to the great number of illustrations with which they usually are graced. This subject, more so than many others, is one where prudent purchases at inexpensive venues like yard and garage sales, friends-of-the-library sales, publishers' clearance sales and the like can save you significant amounts of money over time....
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