Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Aim High: Pushing Collaboration And Outreach Limits For The 50th Anniversary Of Apollo 11, Molly Stothert-Maurer, Julie Swarstad Johnson

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Exhibits in archives and special collections function as an important outreach tool for these specialized, sometimes formidable repositories. Exhibits increase public knowledge of available collections, promote engagement with those collections, reach new audiences, and provide opportunities to build bridges across campus units. This case study looks at a rotating exhibition titled Moon at the University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections created to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing on July 20, 2019. This article covers exhibit design, programming and events that accompanied the exhibit, and coordinated efforts across the University of Arizona campus to celebrate this …

Perspectives And Practices: Archival Processing Metrics Survey Findings, Cyndi Shein, Sarah R. Jones, Tammi Kim, Karla Irwin

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Professional literature and case studies demonstrate that processing metrics are valuable in advocating for resources, informing priorities, supporting grant proposals, and predicting costs for collection storage and care. This article analyzes responses to an archival processing metrics survey that gathered perspectives and practices from archivists working in a variety of repository types. The findings describe how archivists collect processing metrics in different ways, what data points they view as essential, and how they use certain data points to serve specific purposes. The findings indicate that although most respondents acknowledge the value of processing metrics, the majority of them still do …

Balancing The Art And Science Of Archival Processing Metrics And Assessment, Cyndi Shein, Sarah R. Jones, Tammi Kim, Karla Irwin

Journal of Western Archives

At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) University Libraries, archival processing metrics are used to support value propositions, project proposals, project management, and strategic planning. When making data-driven decisions, UNLV Special Collections Technical Services staff strive to balance the art and science of archival processing metrics—to critically assess their data and look beyond the numbers for additional information that brings meaning to the metrics. In this research paper, the authors review processing metrics across the profession and place their own archival processing field data within the context of more than three decades of professional practice. They report and explore …

Review Of Advocacy And Awareness For Archivists, Erin Hurley

Journal of Western Archives

Review of Kathleen Roe's book Advocacy and Awareness for Archivists.

Review Of Digital Preservation In Libraries: Preparing For A Sustainable Future, Lara Michels

Journal of Western Archives

Review of Digital Preservation in Libraries: Preparing for a Sustainable Future, edited by Jeremy Myntti and Jessalyn Zoom.

History In The Making: Outreach And Collaboration Between Special Collections And Makerspaces, Erin Passehl-Stoddart, Ashlyn Velte, Kristin J. Henrich, Annie M. Gaines Mlis

Collaborative Librarianship

Makerspaces present unique possibilities for creative partnerships within libraries, including the opportunity for interdisciplinary use of emerging technologies with archival objects and primary sources. One example of this type of interdisciplinary collaboration is the fabrication of cultural heritage replicas via 3D scanning and printing of historical university objects in academic libraries. Two departments in the University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives (SPEC) and the Making, Innovating, and Learning Laboratory (MILL), partnered on such a project as a way to broaden maker competencies across library departments, leverage interdisciplinary connections between emerging technologies and historic archives, and create innovative outreach …

Learn By Doing: Cal Poly Pomona's Efforts To Modernize Archival Practices And Increase Student Life Records In Special Collections And Archives Through Collaborative Partnerships, Katie Richardson, Alexis Adkins, Elizabeth Gomez

Collaborative Librarianship

"Learn by Doing" focuses on the steps Cal Poly Pomona Special Collections and Archives staff have taken to modernize and align unit practices with other special collections and archival repositories in the field and their effort to increase the documentation of student life in their university archives. The article outlines steps taken, lessons learned, partnerships established along the way, and suggestions for those wishing to engage in a similar endeavor.

Reflections On Digitization, Outreach, And The Value Of Ephemera In Special Collections: A Case Study, Gregory K. Seppi

Journal of Western Archives

This case study describes the process L. Tom Perry Special Collections used to create and promote a digital collection of ephemera on Internet Archive. It follows the process from selection to uploading, discusses how decisions related to digitization were made, and how the collection was promoted following digitization. This paper establishes the value of digitizing ephemera related to topics known to be of interest to patrons and demonstrates one approach to special collections outreach. Data gathered during the creation of this case study demonstrates that even small efforts to promote digital collections can significantly improve usage of niche ephemera collections …

A Shared Space: The Collaborative Alliance Between The College Of Charleston Special Collections And The South Carolina Historical Society Archives, Mary Jo Fairchild, Molly Inabinett, Joshua Minor

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

In December 2014, the South Carolina Historical Society relocated nearly 5,000 linear feet of manuscript material and more than 3,000 rare books and monographs to a shared space within the Special Collections department at the College of Charleston’s Addlestone Library. Exploration of the antecedents and evolution of this partnership between a private non-profit manuscript archive and a public academic repository can demonstrate lessons learned from the process of condensing archival spaces and personnel to create a deeply rich repository for research and inquiry. In the absence of a formula or analytical framework for the envisioned collaboration, stakeholders at each institution …

Altmetrics And Archives, Elizabeth Joan Kelly

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Altmetrics are an alternative to traditional measurement of the impact of published resources. While altmetrics are primarily used by researchers and institutions to measure the impact of scholarly publications online, they can also be used by archives to measure the impact of their diverse online holdings, including digitized and born-digital collections, digital exhibits, repository websites, and online finding aids. Furthermore, altmetrics may fill a need for user engagement assessments for cultural heritage organizations. This article introduces the concept of altmetrics for archives and discusses barriers to adoption, best practices for collection, and potential further areas of study.

Merging Special Collections With Gis Technology To Enhance The User Experience, Gina L. Nichols

School of Information Student Research Journal

This analysis evaluates how PhillyHistory.org merged their unique special collection materials with geospatial-based progressive technology to challenge and educate the global community. A new generation of technologically savvy researchers has emerged that expect a more enhanced user experience than earlier generations. To meet these needs, collection managers are collaborating with community and local institutions to increase online access to materials; mixing best metadata practices with custom elements to create map mashups; and merging progressive GIS technology and geospatial based applications with their collections to enhance the user experience. The PhillyHistory.org website was analyzed to explore how they used various geospatial …

Attitudes About And The Affects Of The Use Of Student Assistants In Special Collections And Archives., Carol Waggoner-Angleton

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

The continuing backlog in collections processing could be reduced through the application of More Product Less Process (MPLP) or other approaches, but the effort is still hampered by a lack of personnel to assign to processing. This discussion addresses whether it is possible to consider student assistants a viable labor source in special collections and archives to mitigate this personnel gap. A retrospective literature review determined historical attitudes toward the use of student assistants in academic libraries and the tasks that students were capable of performing. Study participants practicing in Special Collections and Archives in academic libraries in Georgia were …

An Interview With University Archivist Orson Kingsley, Ellen Scheible

Bridgewater Review

It has been about one year since Bridgewater State hired Orson Kingsley to become the head of the university’s archives, a large and growing treasure trove of information about our institutional history and the people who have passed through our doors. In September 2012, Bridgewater Review Associate Editor Ellen Scheible visited Mr. Kingsley in his Maxwell Library office and asked him to reflect on the role of the university archivist and his experiences at Bridgewater State.

Exposing Ourselves: A Case Study In Collection Management Software Implementation, Suellyn Lathrop, Sue Lynn Mcdaniel, Nancy Richey

The Southeastern Librarian

In the 21st century, libraries are well aware of the problem of hidden collections and so must seek by computer technology to make these “virtually” hidden collections available to our clients in a single, easy-to-use database. The Kentucky Library & Museum (KYLM), which opened in 1939, houses the special collections department of Western Kentucky University Libraries, and holds materials collected from 1919 to the present. Special collection libraries and archives such as the KYLM are known for their diversity of materials including manuscripts, ephemera, institutional records, maps, images, objects, audio and video recordings. These collections are of great research value …

University Of South Carolina, Contentdm, And The Ege Leaves, Sara Swain

The Southeastern Librarian

Discusses how the University of South Carolina digitized the Oto F. Ege Leaves Special Collection to make the collection more widely available.

New Voices: Digital Description And Access: The Hugo L. Black Collection At The University Of Alabama School Of Law Library, Julie Griffith Kees

The Southeastern Librarian

The following paper was presented at the 2002 SELA/South Carolina Library Association Joint Conference in Charleston, South Carolina, as part of the “New Voices” program, sponsored by the University and College Libraries Section (UCLS) of SELA. The Southeastern Librarian is pleased to reprint the paper in its entirety.

The Hugo L. Black Collection consists of an extensive book collection, various exhibits, personal correspondence, tapes and transcripts of interviews, descriptions of court decisions, office materials, biographical and bibliographical information, photographs, student papers, lecture notes, and personal memorabilia. Hugo LaFayette Black served two terms as a United States Senator, was an Associate …

Low Tech And High Tech: The Spectrum Of Special Collections Use In A Technological Institute, Anne A. Salter, Marilyn Williamson

The Southeastern Librarian

The gradual expansion of the Georgia Institute of Technology ‘s Library and Special Collection has resulted in a unique and outstanding science and technological research facility. The process was expanded by a number of individuals who dedicated their professional years to improving the holdings. Unique among these treasures is the first edition of Newton’s Principia. Collecting, preserving, and utilizing the new technologies to expand access to this outstanding collection has proved challenging. The primary materials, carefully collected over the years, are being protected and made available through traditional means; while at the same time technological advances are being utilized to …