Art and the Book

The Artists’ Books Collection includes hundreds works of art in book form at numerous branches at the Smithsonian Libraries, spanning the 20th century through today. The site serves as the portal to search or browse the entirety of the collection at all of the branches, to provide information about collection access, and to highlight book arts-related happenings, projects and acquisitions at the Smithsonian Libraries.

This directory is being compiled to increase awareness of artists' books collections. It currently contains collections primarily in the United States and Canada.

Short interviews with book artist Richard Minsky about specific items in the Yale Arts Library Special Collections are available. Each interview sheds light on Minsky’s creative process and situates the artifacts in the Archive into the picture of his career. Recounted with Minsky’s characteristic humor, the interviews are entertaining as well as educational.

Use the Small Presses database to research publisher interests, contact information, and submission guidelines.