As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Art Libraries Journal in 2026, I am delighted to announce that three colleagues are joining the editorial team: a new Reviews Editor, Jennifer Ly, as well as a new Associate Editor, Jack Mulvaney, both of whom will be working closely with our seasoned Associate Editors Kraig Binkowski, Lindsey Reno and Mike Wirtz. Naomi Siderfin will be Associate Editor-at-large, a newly created post that will focus on bringing the perspectives and voices of practicing artists into the Journal, building on previous work in this area. We are proud that Gavin Jantjes, Tom Phillips, Mark Pawson and Fehras Publishing Practices have been published on our pages, and would like to feature many others, and more regularly than in the past.

Early last December we received the sad news of the passing of Philip Pacey, founding editor of the Art Libraries Journal (1976-78 and 1986-97). Many of our readers would have known him and his important contribution to art librarianship, as chair of ARLIS UK & Ireland (1978-82), chair of IFLA Art Libraries Section (1981-85), and editor of the ARLIS Newsletter (1972-76), Art Library Manual (1977) and A Reader in Art Librarianship (1985), among many other roles. We will publish an obituary in our next issue.

At last count, we have published 2,427 articles in 200 issues of the Journal in these five decades. This extraordinary achievement is testament to the work of many editors led by Pacey, Sonia French (1978-81), Beth Houghton (1982-85), Gillian Varley (1998-2013) and Erica Foden-Lenahan (2013-2020). It is, crucially, the legacy of hundreds of art librarians (and friends) in many countries who found the time and energy to share ideas and practice, to the benefit of art librarianship and documentation internationally.

Happy birthday, and many happy returns!