Library and Information Science Commons^™

Managing Sustainability And Scalability With Successful Archival Projects: Two Lone Arranger, Dual-Role Archivist Case Studies, Autumn M. Johnson, Ann E. Merryman

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Two lone arranger, dual-role archivists are faced with highly successful, yet outsized, collaborative projects that have placed unexpected demands on time and resources. The archivists describe their successful projects which similarly engage students with primary source archival materials in innovative ways, from expanding the use of the institutional content management system (CMS) for student creators to providing career-relevant training to German language students. While these projects provide opportunities for institutional and community recognition and engagement with the archives, they require the archivist to consider ways to manage sustainability, scalability, and assessment of their collections along with their overwhelming workload. Lone …

A View Into Collaborative Methods Between Minority Organizations And Archivists At The University Of Kentucky, Claudia Elizabeth Benito

Anthropology Presentations

This poster examines the white and male-dominated narrative promoted in the archives. Archivists hold the power to record and contribute to what is included in the archives. The lack of descriptions and identifiers causes archivists to define materials to the best of their ability. A third party is then creating historical notes that may not be complete and the materials lose, to some extent, their meaning and value. This becomes even more problematic when the materials have originated from or highlight minority individuals or groups. Particular language, or lack thereof, can make locating and understanding these materials more difficult for …

In With The Old: Encouraging Archives Use With Innovative Faculty Outreach, Kimberly Veliz, Ronald Rozzell

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

In order to encourage archives usage, an instruction librarian and archivist at a small community college collaborated to design an interactive instruction session for faculty. The session was to use breakout boxes to demonstrate how to incorporate archival materials into classroom activities at an institution wide professional development workshop event. Plans for an in-person breakout box session were scrapped after the COVID-19 Omicron wave forced workshops online. After designing and carrying out an online archives introduction, the session was reconfigured back into an in-person session utilizing breakout boxes. Despite lower-than-expected attendance, the innovative outreach made faculty and staff aware of …

Cycles Of Learning And Growth: Developing The Tribal Digital Stewardship Cohort Program Guided By Indigenous Perspectives, Lotus Norton-Wisla

Journal of Western Archives

This article provides lessons learned through four cycles of the Tribal Digital Stewardship Cohort Program at Washington State University’s Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation. The author coordinated the hybrid online and in-person training program from 2015-2020, focused on the unique needs of staff at Indigenous archives, libraries, and museums at the beginning of digital projects with unique access considerations. The learning and professional growth of program staff was informed by the participants in the program, whose words and work are highlighted in the article. The author reflects on the program design, curricular outcomes, site visits, building relationships and peer …

Ethical And Anti-Oppressive Metadata: A Collaboration Between Catalogers And Archivists At George Mason University Libraries, Liz Beckman, Lynn Eaton, Yoko Ferguson, David Heilbrun, Rachel Lavender, Tricia Mackenzie, Dorothee Schubel

Collaborative Librarianship

Systems of library and archival resource description have historically reinforced the societal power structures of white supremacy, patriarchy, and cis-heteronormativity. Following the framework of critical librarianship and acknowledging our positionality as predominately white departments, George Mason University Libraries’ Metadata Services (MS) and Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) have been engaging in a variety of projects of reparative resource description. To discuss points of collaboration between the two departments, the Task Force for Ethical and Anti-Oppressive Metadata (TEAM) was formed, consisting of staff and faculty members from both groups who work with resource description. Although the departments have a history of …

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 …

Mapping Renewal: How An Unexpected Interdisciplinary Collaboration Transformed A Digital Humanities Project, Elise Tanner, Geoffrey Joseph

Digital Initiatives Symposium

Funded by a National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Foundations Grant, the UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture’s “Mapping Renewal” pilot project focused on creating access to and providing spatial context to archival materials related to racial segregation and urban renewal in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, from 1954-1989. An unplanned interdisciplinary collaboration with the UA Little Rock Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI) has proven to be an invaluable partnership. One team member from each department will demonstrate the Mapping Renewal website and discuss how the collaborative process has changed and shaped …

To Discovery And Beyond: Using Workflow Automation As An Opportunity For Collaboration And Education, Rebecca B. French

Libraries

This poster describes a project to automate portions of JMU Libraries' workflow for distributing Special Collections finding aids to various discovery platforms. Through the development of a custom Python app called Spaceport, we were able to greatly improve the efficiency and sustainability of this process while also providing a more consistent discovery experience for our patrons. The project also had broad impacts in other areas. Our incremental and collaborative approach provided space for professional development related to the project, supported evolving project goals and the process of adapting to the new workflow, and strengthened relationships between departments. In addition to …

Digital Collaborations: A Survey Analysis Of Digital Humanities Partnerships Between Librarians And Other Academics, Jessica Wagner Webster

Publications and Research

The present study will investigate the perceptions of information professionals about their role in the work of digital humanities scholars, as well as the perceptions of digital humanities scholars on the role of information professionals in their research. While other scholarly literature has considered collaborations between these groups via surveys or interviews with small project teams, the present study will provide a large-scale analysis of collaborations using survey responses from more than 500 scholars, librarians, and archivists. Questions sought to determine the extent to which these groups collaborate with one another on project teams; how these collaborations unfold and who …

Discovering Digital Archives: A Successful Collaboration Between Archivists And Technical Services Librarians, Christina A. Beis, Kayla Harris, Stephanie Shreffler

Kayla Harris

Effective collaboration between archives and technical services increases the discoverability of special collection materials. Archivists at a medium-sized institution had been using Archive-It to collect websites for a few years, but the information was isolated in a separate platform and wasn't effectively marketed to users. Working together, the team of archivists and technical services librarians incorporated the website collections into the discovery layer. Metadata was added at the seed level and indexed on a single, user-friendly platform. Attendees learned about implementing digital archive collections and explored how to increase their visibility through marketing.

Discovering Digital Archives: A Successful Collaboration Between Archivists And Technical Services Librarians, Christina A. Beis, Kayla Harris, Stephanie Shreffler

Roesch Library Faculty Presentations

Effective collaboration between archives and technical services increases the discoverability of special collection materials. Archivists at a medium-sized institution had been using Archive-It to collect websites for a few years, but the information was isolated in a separate platform and wasn't effectively marketed to users. Working together, the team of archivists and technical services librarians incorporated the website collections into the discovery layer. Metadata was added at the seed level and indexed on a single, user-friendly platform. Attendees learned about implementing digital archive collections and explored how to increase their visibility through marketing.

Building Community, Fostering Collaboration, And Engaging Bridge Program Students With A College’S Historical Archives, Russell Michalak, Monica D. T. Rysavy, Gregory C. Thompson

Journal of Western Archives

Similar to smaller archives, this college’s archives have not been traditionally accessible online. Two instructors sought to teach summer bridge program (Boot Camp) students basic archival practices and quantitatively measure their information literacy skills through using the Information Literacy Skills (ILA) and Students’ Perceptions of their Information Skills-Questionnaire (SPIL-Q) instruments (cite). Boot Camp students’ average perceived confidence with IL skills as assessed by the SPIL-Q instrument increased from 4.00 to 4.77 (+19.2%) on the post-training SPIL-Q. By adding the ILA and SPIL-Q instruments to the course curriculum, combined with end of course reflection questions, the instructors were able to quantitatively …

Collaboratively Creating A Programmatic Information Literacy Strategy: Challenges And Opportunities, Tom Adam, Colleen A. Burgess Ma Mlis, Kim Mcphee, Leanne Olson, Christy Sich

Christy Sich

In 2017, a team of librarians and archivists at Western University developed local Information Literacy Learning Outcomes (ILLOs). The resulting document outlined the skills and understanding that Western University students should demonstrate at the end of a four-year undergraduate degree—specifically, the skills relating to accessing, assessing, and applying information. This article focuses on the challenges and opportunities encountered during the collaborative process as well as the approach employed by the team in the development of these ILLOs.

Six librarians and archivists in very different roles formed the project team. Despite coming from diverse backgrounds, the team recognized that there could …

Collaboratively Creating A Programmatic Information Literacy Strategy: Challenges And Opportunities, Tom Adam, Colleen A. Burgess Ma Mlis, Kim Mcphee, Leanne Olson, Christy Sich

Tom Adam

In 2017, a team of librarians and archivists at Western University developed local Information Literacy Learning Outcomes (ILLOs). The resulting document outlined the skills and understanding that Western University students should demonstrate at the end of a four-year undergraduate degree—specifically, the skills relating to accessing, assessing, and applying information. This article focuses on the challenges and opportunities encountered during the collaborative process as well as the approach employed by the team in the development of these ILLOs.

Six librarians and archivists in very different roles formed the project team. Despite coming from diverse backgrounds, the team recognized that there could …

Digging Up The Past: Archival Issues With Found Time Capsules At Illinois State University, April K. Anderson-Zorn

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

During the demolition of an Illinois State University dormitory in the spring of 2016, workers discovered two time capsules. Tasked with their care, the university archivist looked for archival guidance on the safe handling of time capsules, best practices for working with their contents while balancing public demand for access. This case study examines the time capsule as an object of collective memory, how it fits into an institutional collection, the archivist’s work to document and recover materials in two recently discovered time capsules, and how to work with multiple institutional departments to make them accessible. It suggests best practices …

Future And Value: The Library As Strategic Partner, Antje Mays

Library Presentations

Broader economic trends spawn budget pressures for education and libraries, prompting a plethora of studies on the value and relevance of libraries. Numerous reports on economic decline in libraries and studies with mixed pronouncements on the value of libraries have led to a negative self-image within the library profession. Yet libraries' leadership in connecting learners to knowledge is at the heart of producing many of the key skills sorely needed in robust societies and economies. Librarianship has many untapped opportunities for positioning itself as a prominent strategic partner. This paper outlines current research on the economic and societal context for …

Creating Community: Drawing On Staff Expertise To Break Down Silos In Academic Libraries, Lori Birrell, Marcy A. Strong

Collaborative Librarianship

A discussion of the strategies and outcomes behind a special collections and metadata collaboration effort at the University of Rochester, River Campus Libraries, to make finding aids more discoverable and interoperable. Through the use of a project charter and specific goals, the project managers sought to create buy-in and build a culture of teamwork amongst the participants, resulting in both improved finding aids and a model for collaborative work across departments.

Cultural Memory In Danger: Sustainable Information, Preservation, And Technology In The Humanities: A Theoretical Approach, Casey D. Hoeve

Collaborative Librarianship

Abstract

Management of library collections is an inherently collaborative process. Spanning multiple generations, materials are selected that support user communities, striving for the optimization of storage and access at the lowest cost.[i] While established partnerships are crucial for the survival of libraries, within any cooperative network, there exist opportunities for divergent practices. Alternative initiatives may have progressive intentions, but competing systems and groups have the potential to disrupt recognized standards and infrastructure, some of which can prove detrimental to information organizations.

Abrupt format changes and technological advancements have altered the way in which materials are currently acquired, accessed, and …

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 …

Community Engaged Digital Initiatives: Building Academic Library Services And Infrastructure With Faculty And Community Collaborators, Shannon Lucky, Craig Harkema

Digital Initiatives Symposium

Community collaborations have become key drivers for the development of our library’s digital initiatives (DI) program. While collaborative partnerships can complicate the process of getting DI work completed, they can also positively contribute to decision making around digitization projects, metadata use, user interface (UI) design, and infrastructure development. This presentation outlines possibilities for iteratively developing digital infrastructure and service offerings to support community engaged research and discusses key issues to consider when developing such a program. We will describe how we have adapted DI systems to support a range of projects from photography collections to oral histories, to locally created …

Collaboratively Creating A Programmatic Information Literacy Strategy: Challenges And Opportunities, Tom Adam, Colleen A. Burgess Ma Mlis, Kim Mcphee, Leanne Olson, Christy Sich

Western Libraries Publications

In 2017, a team of librarians and archivists at Western University developed local Information Literacy Learning Outcomes (ILLOs). The resulting document outlined the skills and understanding that Western University students should demonstrate at the end of a four-year undergraduate degree—specifically, the skills relating to accessing, assessing, and applying information. This article focuses on the challenges and opportunities encountered during the collaborative process as well as the approach employed by the team in the development of these ILLOs.

Six librarians and archivists in very different roles formed the project team. Despite coming from diverse backgrounds, the team recognized that there could …

We Did It! A Collaborative Collection Development Project At The Ku And Ksu Libraries, Lea H. Currie, Mira Greene

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

For many years, the KU and KSU Libraries have looked for a method of combining their resources to create a collaborative collection development project. When KSU joined YBP as their main book vendor, it became evident that such a project might get off the ground since KU Libraries were longtime customers of YBP. Since Proquest was the main vendor for e-books for both schools and YBP sold e-books from Proquest, KU and KSU decided to approach their e-book specialist with Proquest to find out if a collaborative demand-driven (DDA) e-book project was possible. Proquest negotiated with the publishers the two …

Collaboration Made It Happen! The Kansas Archive-It Consortium, Cliff Hight, Ashley Todd-Diaz, Rebecca Schulte, Michael Church

Journal of Western Archives

This case study explores the formation, current membership, and future goals of the Kansas Archive-It Consortium (KAIC), one of the larger consortia contracting with the Web archiving service Archive-It. KAIC, which is composed of the state historical society and five public universities, has its foundation in a statewide culture of collaboration, and participants have agreed on an informal governance structure with a strong commitment to broadening accessible web resources for researchers. After establishing consortial consistency during its first two years, members have shared documentation with partners and are beginning to do collaborative collecting. In the future, the consortium will seek …

Curriculum Connections And Outreach Opportunities: Faculty And Graduate Student Use Of Special Collections, Stephanie Shreffler

Roesch Library Faculty Presentations

Discover faculty and graduate students’ varying preferences regarding curriculum integration of special collections, their interest in using particular formats of materials, and their shared desire for greater outreach from special collections.

Painless Portal Partnerships: Collaboration And Its Challenges For Small Organizations, Christine Mcevilly

Publications and Research

This article addresses challenges inherent in collaborative archival projects involving both large institutions and small historical societies. It identifies these unique problems and outlines potential solutions to overcome these issues. Examples are drawn from the Portal to American Jewish History project and contextualized within the professional literature on ethnic or community archives and archival collaboration. This project collected metadata from a wide range of Jewish history archives and aggregated the records in a single searchable website.

Collaborating Across Workflows: Managing Creative Assets From Legacy Works, Patrice-Andre Prud'homme, Jennifer Hunt Johnson

Central Plains Network for Digital Asset Management

From the perspective of two distinct workflows, this presentation will illustrate how library departments, Digital Collections and Conservation collaborate on the production of digital assets. In essence, both digitization and analog preservation workflows aim to guarantee that collections are easily retrieved and usable. This case study will illustrate two examples. The first one is more linear yet regional; it aims to create digital assets to engage the community by means of crowdsourced transcription. The second one is hands-on, as it addresses the long-term research value of the physical material for use in classrooms by Special Collections. While these workflows may …

The James Merrill Digital Archive: Channeling The Collaborative Spirit(S), Shannon Davis, Joel Minor

Central Plains Network for Digital Asset Management

The James Merrill Papers, housed in Washington University Libraries Special Collections, contains manuscripts, drafts, and other materials from the renowned poet. In 2013, work began to digitize and deliver a selection of the Merrill Papers towards his epic poem, The Book of Ephraim. Because the Libraries’ already used Omeka digital exhibit software for a number of projects, the materials were delivered in an Omeka exhibit, The James Merrill Digital Archive. The process of transforming an archival collection into a digital exhibit required the expertise and input of many collaborators including library staff in Special Collections and Scholarly Publishing, and students …

Review Of Archives In Libraries: What Librarians And Archivists Need To Know To Work Together, Amber D'Ambrosio

Journal of Western Archives

Review of Archives in Libraries: What Librarians and Archivists Need to Know to Work Together.

Strengthening Archival Digitization Efforts With An Interdepartmental Approach: A Case Study, Jessica Hayden, Jane D. Monson, Emory J. Trask

Journal of Western Archives

This case study details how the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Libraries made the shift from a centralized model where digitization took place largely within the archives department, to a decentralized one that encompasses multiple library units. This shift came about as the result of the addition of a digital initiatives librarian position and the formation of a digitization steering committee comprised of employees representing different departments from throughout the Libraries. The result was a marked increase in the number of objects that could be digitized and made available online within a given period of time.

Archivists And Faculty Collaborative Course Development, Courtney Chartier, Gabrielle M. Dudley, Donna Troka

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

This article describes an innovative collaboration and partnership between archivists and a faculty member to enhance teaching and learning on a college campus. For archivists, instruction is often relegated to a secondary function with well-worn show-and-tell sessions that feature collection highlights. However, in a dynamic university environment, these traditional teaching methods are not sufficient for the needs of faculty in their teaching, students in their learning, or archivists seeking broader uses for their collections.