The Library

Conveniently located in the center of campus the library is an integral component of the college community and our educational process. The library’s unique strength lies in the multiple collections geared to the specific curriculums of photography and filmmaking. An emphasis has been placed on collecting and maintaining materials that support creative artists in their professional and personal inquiries of aesthetics, production technique, art history, philosophy, mythology and storytelling. Access to the library includes the use of monographs, historical and contemporary texts, reference books, supporting course materials, newspapers, trade magazines, specialty journals and books entered into annual Golden Light Book Award Competition.

These items are contained within four collections via donation or loan to the school from four primary imagemakers: photographers David Lyman, Kate Carter and Ernst Haas and film editor and director, Ralph Rosenblum. To further enhance the library holdings the school offers a small slide collection on site and extends access to over 10,000 images via electronic database subscriptions to both Grove Online Dictionary of Art and to a museum consortium known as AMICO that provides images from the top museums around the world. Also available is an ever-growing film collection consisting of video cassettes and digital video discs which can be used in the on-site screening facility and, or for individual or group use by the community. In addition to the main library collections the school provides a special collection of master prints, and glass plate negatives via our non-profit arm, the Rockport Institute of Photographic Education.

The Library’s Mission

The mission of the Library and Resource Center is to respond to the needs of students, staff, and faculty who are working in the visual arts and exploring their individual voices within the larger, collective fields of communication arts. The materials housed in our collections not only provide instructional assistance to our emerging artists and our versatile faculty but they also serve as inspirational resources that challenge students to expand methods and manner of seeing and creating. Students and faculty are encouraged to continually be open to learning new methods of research and application. The peaceful atmosphere of the library with its high, wood-beamed ceilings and decorative rugs encourages not only contemplation but a healthy level of inner debate.

Through a collaborative effort, the library staff, the teaching faculty, the student body and the Business Manager develop a renewable collection acquisitions plan that incorporates current and future needs. The development plan is geared to successfully mixing primary resources with secondary resources in order to build a well-rounded and dynamic collection. Part of providing beneficial materials includes a cohesive and progressive system of researching, cataloging, circulating and maintaining the books, periodicals, films, slides, databases and audio archives.

All the collection materials whether print, digital or electronic serve dual purposes of providing the faculty with lecture and presentation resources and the students with instructive, and inspirational resources in addition to providing support to their creative projects and homework assignments. The library has a strong belief in media literacy and understands the benefit of quality training and, or instruction in practical methods of research, reading, writing, and referencing skills. Practical training is important as is instilling the ability to teach someone how to teach themselves.

The library offers emerging artists an opportunity to connect with the historical and contextual history and practices of their predecessors and their contemporaries. However, the library empathizes with artists who often need to use their own lives, inner contemplations, ancestry, and personal history to soul search and to explore their own organic source of creativity. The physical layout of the library with its first floor open room and second floor sectional spaces offer students a place where they can meet and share their questions, experiences, mishaps, and successes or if they wish, tuck themselves quietly away to privately imagine and dream, to think or reflect.

The Library’s Availability

The library is available to all registered students, staff and members of the faculty during the academic year and the summer breaks. Posted hours vary depending on the term and needs of the campus. Hours are posted on the library doors and are also available by calling or emailing the staff. Those seeking access to the reserve and, or special collections should contact the library for permission and use policies. Due to the specialized nature of the collections the majority of materials are for research purposes only, however, to accommodate students, staff, and faculty we do have some standard texts and popular materials that are available on a limited loan basis. During regular hours of operation computers loaded with word processing, Final Draft, internet and printing ability can be used by all members of Rockport College community. While there is a non-lending policy for those not directly associated with the school the library welcomes patrons from all of our neighboring townships as well as anyone who lives in the state of Maine or is visiting from another state or country. Whether you are part of our academic community, going through a personal self-study process for your own pleasure, or a working professional in the industry the Rockport College Library is a valuable repository for creative artists in all stages of their endeavors.

Collections & Materials

The Carter Collection contains photographic books on individual artists, group collections, specific themes, historical and contemporary processes, and critical studies texts. This collection also includes a diverse set of art history books. Over 400 audio cassettes of guest lecturers and visiting artists are also housed within this collection.

The Film Collection consists of over 500 titles on a mix of formats from video cassette, digital discs, and laser discs. Films range from documentaries, dramas, foreign language, and classic studio films. Books and magazines in this collection cover areas related to technology, writing, production, directing, and film history.

The Reference Collection is a set of standard reference works, including but not limited to encyclopedias, dictionaries, and CD indexes.

The Haas Collection consists of a variety of books on long-term loan from the estate of the photographer Ernst Haas. The range of books include: poetry, eastern religion, art history, and Japanese culture.

On-line Subscription Databases allow students to access the Grove Dictionary of Art and the Amico image consortium from both on campus and from off campus locations where they have internet connections.

The Library Catalogue has a detailed inventory of all of our collections to aid researchers in locating specific authors, subjects, titles, etc.

* Please note that all students and faculty have access to the Rockport Public Library which is within three blocks of the campus. The Camden Public Library, The Farnsworth Museum Library, and the Rockland Public Library are additional resources within the local townships.

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