New Online Catalog Launched for University Art Collections

In spring 2025, the Weinberg Memorial Library and Hope Horn Gallery announced the launch of an online catalog for The University of Scranton Art Collections. The new catalog showcases works from the University’s collections and enables the public to learn more about the artists and artworks represented in the University’s holdings. The catalog includes records for artworks from the Hope Horn Gallery, the Weinberg Memorial Library, and public artworks on campus. The multi-year project was a partnership between the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Hope Horn Gallery, combining expertise in art history, curation, and collection management.

The University holds an impressive collection of artworks including paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, and significant historical and cultural objects that create a campus-wide museum experience. Many of the works in the University’s collections are displayed in academic buildings, administrative offices, the Library, Hope Horn Gallery, and public areas. The collections enrich the campus environment through their cultural and artistic expression, historical significance, and thematic connections to the University’s mission. Until now, there has not been a dedicated platform to explore the University’s holdings or learn about the works online. With the launch of a catalog for the University Art Collections, students, researchers, and visitors can now browse the collections online, learn about individual pieces, and better appreciate how art is woven into the fabric of campus life.

Project Objectives

The project originated in spring 2023 with the primary objectives of documenting the collections and providing online access to the public. The Library and Gallery worked in collaboration to enable access to the artworks in a centralized online platform in order to enhance research opportunities with the collections. Students, faculty, and researchers in the arts, history, and cultural studies are now able to access information about artists and artworks in the collections and, in some cases, connect that information to records in the University Archives. The online catalog invites exploration of the collections by the campus community and the broader public while also deepening an appreciation for the works and their contributions to the campus environment. In addition to enhanced research opportunities, the new catalog enables the Hope Horn Gallery and Library to more effectively document, track, and manage the art collections. Catalog records for artworks and artists streamline the organization and arrangement of collection information, making it easier to manage the collections over time.

The project team in the Library included faculty and staff from three different departments – Cataloging, Digital Services, and Library Systems – who worked in close collaboration with Gallery Director Dr. Darlene Miller-Lanning. The first project phase focused on inventorying the collection to gather information about the artworks, including location and condition, and photographing them for documentation. Library faculty and staff worked building by building across campus during the inventory phase and recorded whatever information was obtainable about the artworks including artist, title, medium, and dimensions. Cataloging & Metadata Librarian Marleen Cloutier and Dr. Miller-Lanning also addressed many questions related to ownership, acquisition, and provenance. The project team kept track of any acquisition or provenance information that was available in records from the University Archives and Hope Horn Gallery.

However, the University’s extensive collections have been acquired over many years. Some of the works were purchased by University administrators and academic offices, while others were acquired by the Gallery or Library. And, in many cases, works were obtained through donation. The Hope Horn Gallery had documentation for many of the works inventoried, while some detective work was also required since many works were no longer in their original campus location or lacked documentation.

By the second year of the project, the Library had gathered enough information to create the

online catalog, prepare individual records for artworks and artists, and develop the public website. The information obtained about the artworks during the initial inventory phase was entered into a collection management system and used to create the searchable online catalog.

To date, 18 campus buildings, totaling over 600 works, have been inventoried. Approximately 330 of the artworks have catalog records that are publicly available online. Library faculty and staff are continuing their research to prepare the remaining catalog records to be publicly viewable. Catalog records will be further enhanced as archival materials and documentation from the Gallery are processed and added. The Library project team will continue to review records for possible reference and links to holdings in the Library’s collections to further assist researchers and visitors in learning about the artworks.