“But I Believe Survival Is Based upon the Many and Not the Few:” Connecting Librarians and Artists to Build Special Connections

Abstract

This paper examines the significance of social relationships between artists and special collections librarians in the acquisitions process, especially regarding ephemeral works. The ways the authors observed printer Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. interacting with librarians are both inspiration and case study in this paper. Interviews with librarians who worked with Kennedy reveal that some artists or makers are not aware of the value that their ephemeral materials hold for future research, teaching, and scholarship.