Curriculum, Departmental, and Faculty Mapping in the Visual Arts Department

The role of the subject liaison in academic libraries is evolving from reactive to pro-active. Curriculum, departmental, and faculty profile mapping are tools that liaisons use to gain a better understanding of the needs of their academic departments. The Louisiana State University Research and Instruction Services department modified the University of Central Florida Libraries’ mapping charts as part of its own liaison training process. These mapping tools were useful as a starting point for text-based disciplines but were inadequate when applied to the College of Art and Design. The author discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the tools, with particular attention paid to the faculty profile map’s limitations in charting studio arts faculty research and creative output. The Claremont College Mindomo mind-mapping tool is presented as one alternative for creating flexible, image-friendly maps that allow for a visual mapping of the visual arts disciplines.