The Richard and Ronay Menschel Library Turns 30

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the Richard and Ronay Menschel Library at the George Eastman Museum. Yet, to many guests of the museum it remains an all-too-well-kept secret.

Well known to scholars and researchers as one of the most important research libraries dedicated to photography and moving images — this past spring The Photobook Review included a profile of the Menschel Library in their guide to “Hidden, Iconoclastic, and Classic Libraries of Photobooks” — many visitors to the museum are unaware of our holdings and the ease with which they can access tens of thousands of books, periodicals, and archival collections (see sidebar for more details). An appointment is necessary, but that’s only an e-mail click away.

Prior experience with research libraries is definitely not required: library staff are on hand to help guide you. The museum recently created the new research facilitator position, generously funded by Andy Song, one of the museum’s newest board members. In this role, Stephanie Hofner, a 2016 graduate of the museum’s Photographic Preservation and Collections Management master’s program, provides all library users with a full range of reference and research services. Both Hofner and assistant librarian Deb Mohr can help you find exactly what you are looking for.

If browsing is more your style, Hofner and Mohr will introduce you to Voyager, an online public access catalog we share with the University of Rochester that includes our current holdings. Our collection items cannot circulate outside the museum, but our bright and comfortable reading room is the perfect spot to immerse yourself in one of many thousands of photo or cinema books — if you are not too distracted by the perfect view of Eastman’s garden right outside our windows.

Many of the oldest volumes in our collection were part of the personal libraries of the collectors whose photographs, camera equipment, and films lay the groundwork for the museum. Over the years our librarians have built on these solid foundations. Today, we have close to 65,000 volumes, from one of the very first books to depict a magic lantern, to the latest photobooks from some of the world’s most exciting young photographers.

In the popular imagination, the term “archives” may conjure images of dusty collections sealed away behind heavy vault doors, reserved for the use of the credentialed few. But the reality at the Menschel Library is just the opposite. While we do take special care of these unique materials, we make sure they remain easily accessible to anyone with an interest in exploring the primary materials created by some of the world’s leading photographers, photographic companies, and photo societies.

Discovering these collections has never been easier: New finding aids for nearly forty of the museum’s most important archival collections, created in part through the generous support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, are now available on the museum’s website.

We like to say if someone is interested enough to visit the galleries at the George Eastman Museum, or spend an evening at the Dryden Theatre, there is a treasure trove awaiting them at the Richard and Ronay Menschel Library.

HOW TO ACCESS THE RICHARD AND RONAY MENSCHEL LIBRARY

Library visits:

The library is open for appointments Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1–4 p.m. Please e-mail [email protected] or call (585) 327‑4881 to make an appointment.

Voyager library catalog:

Records for the library’s books, rare books, and journal titles are included in the University of Rochester library catalog (search with the location “George Eastman Museum Library”): catalog.lib.rochester.edu

Archival collections finding aids:

Finding aids for some of the library’s most significant special collection materials are available online: eastman.org/richard-and-ronaymenschel-library-collection-finding-aids

Research questions:

Please complete a library research query form to send a research question to library staff: eastman.org/library-research-query-0