A library is not an art gallery: curating art in a university library nonetheless

What happens when responsibility devolves upon a library for a wider institution’s heritage pictures and sculptures, albeit with neither additional resources nor art-historical knowledge to care for them? The situation is, if not the norm, by no means unique. At the central University of London art joined the rare books portfolio. How did we cope? This article describes the sort of artwork under consideration, how we catalogued it and why, what we did on the website, and how we could turn a potential burden into an asset, not only by using the art to strengthen corporate identity, but by exploiting it as visual signposts to library strengths. An overall spotlight is now on issues of ethnicity, diversity and inclusion, and art is becoming important to show the University’s values. As the profile of the pictures increased, so did the library profile within the University. Ultimately, it made sense for librarians to care for the art collection.