To hear subscribers tell it, the online search function is a major plus. Online, users can search for a topic and get a complete list of the times it is mentioned throughout the database. They have made more than 5,000 changes in 1999, including reports on the deaths of Roy Lichtenstein and Willem de Kooning, and new entries on Britpack artists Damien Hirst and Rachel Whiteread. Although it may be possible to locate many additional images in various nooks and crannies of the Web and in art books, GDAO provides the additional context and authority of links to museums and other collections that may offer more information about the piece, the artist, related works, and sometimes even an opportunity to acquire a print or poster of the piece.
Acquisition is justified for all institutions with an art audience.
To make a millennial splash, it is floating these assets online in a series of tranches. The Web links mean that if, for example, you're reading the entry on Leonardo and want to know more about the Mona Lisa , you can click on a direct link to the Louvre that will give you more background information, including the museum's own image of the painting. With value-added features like keyword searching, and the promise of continuous updating, the electronic version will undoubtedly secure the Dictionary's status as the most heavily used fine arts reference tool in libraries, museums, and universities well into the future. We are keen to receive feedback from users of The Grove Dictionary of Art .