The Institut national d’histoire de l’art (INHA) is still little known among library professionals, and still insufficiently known by researchers and its other potential users. Created by decree in July 2001, it has been extremely slow in gestation and researchers in the field of art have waited for it for a very long time. The Institution’s Library, comprising the largely complementary holdings of three of the main art libraries in Paris, is expected to open within a few years, and readers will be housed mainly in the beautiful Salle Labrouste, formerly occupied by users of the collections of the Bibliothèque nationale.

Few of us could imagine undertaking any form of research without using one of the many bibliographies, library catalogues or databases which are now available. It is hard to imagine a time without them, and yet for art historians the first large-scale bibliographies in art history only appeared fewer than 150 years ago. This paper examines examples of two such works and contrasts differing visions of an art history bibliography.

Oxford University’s Learning Technologies Group (LTG) runs workshops at the beginning of every academic year for each new intake of art history graduates. They have evolved over a number of years into a method both of informing students about what is available online in art history, and a means of offering them a strategy for conducting online research. It is notoriously difficult to get students to attend anything smacking of IT and its related subjects. As far as they are concerned, IT is already in their blood, and Google is the main tool for finding the most useful information on any subject. It is certainly difficult to compete with Google – I use it in my work and leisure frequently! However, getting two million hits on any one search and trying to determine who is behind the information found should be cause for serious concern, especially when conducting academic research.

Editing stock is a challenge for all libraries but this is particularly true in the area of art, design and communication. The authors describe a project in a London-based art, design and communication university, University of the Arts London, to agree on guidelines which would keep stock current and relevant, but at the same time safeguard valuable material for present and future use.

The Oxford University Library Services, with its millions of volumes and extensive electronic resources covering all subject areas, is going through a lengthy process of consolidation and rationalisation at every level. Increasing pressures on space and budgets have forced the issue. Art history is a small component. However libraries and collections covering the visual arts have been at the forefront of this process by virtue of the establishment of the new Sackler Library. The system continues to evolve on all fronts, including collection development, integration of existing libraries into fewer sites, new offsite storage facilities and increasing reliance on electronic resources.