Amy Ballmer

Prior to joining Pratt in 2017 I worked as a reference & instruction librarian at academic and museum libraries in Chicago and New York City. My research intersects the study of small press and ephemeral artist publications with critical librarianship. I am co-creator of the open access discovery tool Avalanche Magazine Index , and have published articles in Art Documentation, Art Libraries Journal, and Serials Review.

B.A. English and Art History, Eastern Michigan University; M.L.S. Information and Library Science, Pratt Institute; M.S. Theory, Criticism, and History of Art, Design, and Architecture,
Pratt Institute

• Ballmer, Amy, and Jennifer Poggiali. “Rethinking Periodical Indices to Expand Art Historical Research: A Case Study of Avalanche Magazine Index.” Serials Review, vol. 45, no. 1-2, 2019, pp. 39–47., doi:10.1080/00987913.2019.1624908.
• Ballmer, Amy, and Jennifer Tobias. “Trend Forecasting: Collecting the History of the Future.” Art Libraries Journal, vol. 42, no. 1, 2017, pp. 19–25., doi:10.1017/alj.2016.40.
• Ballmer, Amy, and Siân Evans. “Alternative Access Models: Enhancing the Discoverability of Small Press and Avant-Garde Art Journals.” Art Documentation, vol. 32, no. 1, 2013, pp. 20–32., doi:10.1086/669986.
• Ballmer, Amy, and Jennifer Poggiali. Avalanche Index, http://avalancheindex.org [Research tool].
• Ballmer, Amy. “Avalanche Magazine: In the Words of the Artist.” Art Documentation, vol. 30, no. 1, 2011, pp. 21–26., doi:10.1086/adx.30.1.27949563.
• Ballmer, Amy. “Pochoir in Art Nouveau and Art Deco Book Illustration.” Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies, vol. 34, no. 2, 2008, pp. 26-29.
• Ballmer, Amy, and Peter Blank. “Special Collections in the Art Museum Library.” Art Museum Libraries and Librarianship, edited by Joan Benedetti, Scarecrow Press, 2007.