Essential Journals

• Journals are publications that contain scholarly and peer reviewed articles and studies about a specific topic- here, art and art history. There are many different journals to choose from in this subject, both in print and online. The articles are written by experts in the field and are widely used by both scholars, artists, and students. In an institution, users can find these journals through a reference interview or by using an online database. Libraries often have to pay for subscriptions to these journals and therefore extend access to their users. They are an important part of an institution's budget. 
• Art and art history journals are essential to research libraries, and especially academic institutions. Many of the primary users include professors and students who need access to information for research. Because art is often theory as much as it is practice, journals are needed to provide context as well as information about a particular piece as well as time periods, artist biographies, and related information. 
• Cooperative agreements, licensing contracts for online databases, and maintenance costs for print subscriptions all influence purchasing decisions for institutions to consider while looking at journals [1]. Additionally, information professionals must be aware of any overlap that may occur between journals [1]. This will help spread resources and funds while maintaining a wide array of resources for researchers, plus it will make for a more streamlined and accurate reference interview [1]. 
• Another issue that information professionals must be aware of is discrepancies between illustrations in print journals compared to online journals but this is something information professionals can review while looking into journal subscriptions [2]. 

Examples

1. Art Journal
1. "Journal arranged thematically under a guest editor including articles by and about artists, exhibition reviews, book reviews and lists of books and catalogues received." 
2. Available in both print and online.
3. Available through JSTOR, Academic Search Complete, and Taylor and Francis on the Simmons website, as well as in the Simmons stacks.
4. Provides a broad perspective of many different subjects and could be used as a good starting point in research or a reference interview.
2. Journal of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
1. "The journal is comprised of scholarly feature articles written by members of the curatorial and conservation staff and outside scholars. Articles focused exclusively on objects in the MFA's permanent collection that were either acquired or reconstructed during the preceding decade."
2. Available through JSTOR via Simmons.
3. Can be searched by date and by article, and articles can be read online or downloaded as a PDF.
4. Gives a very specific focus on a particular collection and can be used for a more narrow and detailed research question. 
3. Woman's Art Journal
1. "Woman's Art Journal is the periodical of choice for those interested in women artists and issues related to women in all areas of the visual arts. Subjects covered range from antiquity to postmodern debates. Articles and book reviews document the art and lives of neglected women artists (also the accomplishments of some patrons and art historians), offer new perspectives on the lives and works of better-known artists, and deconstruct images of women in canonical paintings."
2. Available through JSTOR and Simmons print resources, as well as the publication's own website: womansartjournal.org
3. While this journal is a more specific look at art than another journal may provide, this journal gives perspective on a popular aspect of art and provides consistent themes for the researcher. 
4. The Art Bulletin
1. "The Art Bulletin publishes leading scholarship in the English language in all aspects of art history as practiced in the academy, museums, and other institutions. Articles take a variety of methodological approaches, from the historical to the theoretical. In its mission as a journal of record,The Art Bulletin fosters an intensive engagement with intellectual developments and debates in contemporary art-historical practice. "
2. Available in Simmons print resources as well as Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, and Taylor & Francis. 
3. While another journal that gives a broad look at the subject, Art Bulletin provides history and theory to the many subjects that previous journals might not cover. 
5. Digital Creativity
1. "Concerned with the development of technologies of relevance to those working in different digital media, with their relationship to traditional practices of art and design, and to the relationship of all these to education."
2. Available through Taylor & Francis via Simmons.
3. This journal sets itself apart by exploring resources for more modern and technological types of art while still maintaining a connection to the other resources. 

Bibliography

[1] White, Tony. Journal Title Overlap Study of Four Major Online Art Indexes. Art Documentation. Vol. 24, No. 1. 2005. 

[2] Hehman, Jennifer L. Between the Lines: Bibliography of Online Full-Text Art Journals with Images. Art Documentation. Vol. 27, No. 1. 2008.