Art Books at the Library

Yesterday, a patron from another town complimented BHPL's collection of art books (or 700's as we in the biz call it.) BHPL's subject specialty is art, as disclosed previously on this blog. Each of the nine libraries in the cooperative entity known as M.U.F. (Morris-Union Federation of Libraries) has a subject specialty, which is not to say that other libraries don't acquire art books at all, it's just that at BHPL we have a separate room for the 700's which is a great resource for the local arts community as well as anyone interested in browsing a beautiful collection of arts, crafts, architecture and other fine arts books.



A random sampling of my favorite 700's now shelved in the New Non-Fiction area:


Book + Art, handcrafting Artists' Books by Dorothy Simson Krause (686.3 KRA)
and the closely related EcoBooks, inventive projects from the recycling bin by Terry Taylor (686.3 TAY); both these books show how to take common household materials to make books and give simple directions for binding. Taylor's book takes the reuse idea to a whimsical extreme with a book covered by an egg carton.


Masterpieces of Islamic Art, the decorated page from the 8th to the 17th century by Oleg Grabar. For sheer gorgeousness (word?) and ooh-aahing potential, this coffee table book inspires awe (709.53 GRA)

For escapism, take a look at Italian Rustic, how to bring Tuscan charm into your home by Elizabeth Helman Minchilli ((728 HEL) Strangely, it looks awfully expensive to rusticate a NJ home in the Tuscan style and I'm not sure chunky beams and terracotta floors go well with the many wood colonial revivals or pattern book houses which you see around town, but readers can dream. Maybe a pergola in the back yard?

And finally, two new how-to books, Painting for the Absolute and Utter Beginner by Claire Watson Garcia (751.426 GAR) and the Artist's Guide to Perspective by Janet Shearer (742 SHE) which is sitting on my coffee table at home where I hope it's mere presence will improve my grasp of 3 point perspective.