Renovating Special Collections Facilities

ABSTRACT

Special collections play an increasingly important role in university libraries. As library collections move to digital formats and collections are similar from one library to another, special collections are one of the ways in which libraries can build a distinct identity. Because of their unique nature, special collections must be permanently retained because of their artifact value and need specialized storage conditions with appropriate levels of security. Library administrators will increasingly face the need to provide expanded space for special collections as well as improving storage conditions to ensure that unique and valuable materials are preserved for research in the future.     

Getting It Right-The Evolution of Reference Collections

Summary

Reference works were present in the earliest libraries; and their numbers have grown inexorably ever since. They consume an increasing share of library acquisitions budgets. This article traces the evolution of reference collections, drawing on experiences at the author's library. The author concludes that while reference questions will always be with us; it is perhaps less certain that they will always be answered from “reference works” in collections labeled “reference.”     

Special Collections in View: Marketing and Outreach as Reference Services

Abstract

This article discusses the marketing and promotion of special collections in academic law libraries as complementary to, and a part of, effective reference services based in those collections. The two activities can share similar goals and be mutually reinforcing: good marketing can lead to better reference service and an increase in patrons using special collections; and better, more engaged reference service can lead to long-term interest and support for special collections among a library’s stakeholders.     

An Opportunity for Change: College Accreditation and the New Library Manager

Abstract

Administering special collections within an academic branch library presents challenges in the areas of public services, collection management, facilities planning, and staffing. In art and architecture libraries, special collections can include a variety of materials such as rare books, trade catalogs, builder's guides, graphic and visual materials, artists' books, archival records in many formats, and files of ephemera. Public service issues relating to the administration of special collections housed in an architecture branch library (and its off-site repositories) will be addressed. Collection care and access services will be examined in light of recent technologies.     

Use of Special Collections as an Opportunity for Outreach in the Academic Library

ABSTRACT

Academic special collections librarians have made great strides in making their collections discoverable and accessible to a wide audience. This article examines use of special collections departments and the many kinds of outreach librarians undertake to increase access to and knowledge of their collections, including creating electronic finding aids, digitizing material, collaborating with faculty, increasing participation in instruction and reference, and using exhibits, social media, and relationships with community partners to further the mission and goals of the library and the college or university. The article uses the University of Illinois at Chicago Special Collections Department as a case study.     

The Cultural Legacy and Libraries in Russian Legal Space

ABSTRACT

The author discusses federal laws that relate to Russian libraries and demonstrates the need for legislation to protect the physical condition of collections, particularly special collections (rare material, deposit collections, etc.). A working group from the Historical Library has drafted a proposed law, called Regulation for the Use of Special Collections Materials in Libraries of the Russian Federation.     

Frog Voices,Whispers, and Silences: Problems and Issues in Collecting for an African Studies Library in Africa

SUMMARY

This article is an attempt to respond to two questions about discrete special African studies collections in African university libraries. First, do we need to have such collections at all? Second, if we do, how can we write collection development policies that make sense, given the present turmoil in African studies and indeed in the social sciences in general? Librarians have a responsibility to recognise that their practice cannot be value-free, and that their collections are biased by the choices made by writers, by publishers, and by themselves. Their duty, especially in Africa, may simply be to ensure that African voices are not drowned out in their collections.     

Critical Explorations of Human Rights: Recent and Selected Works

Abstract

The author provides an overview of recent critical works on human rights that constitute important contributions to the literature and ties together key threads from the discourse. Monographs, edited collections, and select articles on human rights are examined that draw primarily on critical legal theory and feminist approaches, among others, such as radical democracy and radical cause lawyering. Also explored are intersections between the critical human rights scholarship surveyed and recent works on ecological feminism and environmental human rights. The author argues that such collected works are invaluable contributions for those seeking transformative approaches to law and social change through the critical human rights lens.     

The Congressional Archive: A Breed Apart

ABSTRACT

Congressional archives are unique among archival collections. Bigger in size and often broader in scope in terms of the kinds of records they contain, these collections place an uncommon strain on academic archives. Before agreeing to assume such a burden, it is important for administrators to understand the special characteristics of a congressional archive and their staff's ability to manage the project while fulfilling their mission to the educational institution.     

Special Academic Libraries and the Millennial Patron

ABSTRACT

Special academic libraries are in the unique position to blend the innovative and user focused services of academic libraries with the niche collections of special libraries when serving their Millennial student population. Millennials are a highly researched generation, but special libraries may have not updated their services to reflect the needs and expectations of this rising generation. Maine Maritime Academy's Nutting Memorial Library serves as a case study of methods in which special academic libraries can incorporate Millennials' expectations of library spaces, services, and collections in sustainable ways.     

The Persistence and Decline of German Scholarship in Hungarian Library Collections and Culture in the Twentieth Century

ABSTRACT

The article examines the status of German scholarship in Hungary (meaning written by Germans and published in the German language), based on the evidence of library collections and the study of the language. Hungary's long association with Austria and Germany and the privileged position of its German minority gave special importance to German culture and scholarly publications in Hungarian library collections for much of the twentieth century. This edge persisted even after the influence of the German minority waned and then Nazi domination came to an end. Despite the rise of English, German still retains a special position in Hungary.     

The Digital Transformation of Special Collections

ABSTRACT

The effect of digital technology on special collections has been profound and ongoing. The purpose of this article is to explore the effect born digital materials, digitization, and intellectual property have had on special collections in the 21st century. In particular this study will focus on how archival materials have been significantly transformed by interacting with digital technology—providing both challenges in management and opportunities for new online environments to expose this content worldwide. Finally, a research experiment underway at the University of Virginia Library offers a framework that may help highlight some strategies for exploiting new opportunities going forward.     

Preservation and Access in an Age of E-Science and Electronic Records: Sharing the Problem and Discovering Common Solutions

ABSTRACT

As academic libraries grapple with the challenge of preserving their own digitized special collections, intensification of interest in preserving other electronic content may present opportunities to collaborate with organizations on campus. This article offers a brief introduction to some of the core issues in digital preservation, and suggests an orientation to the problems that can be helpful in thinking about how to join forces with others on campus.     

Protecting Museum Collections from Vibrations Due to Construction: Vibration Statistics,Limits, Flexibility and Cooperation

ABSTRACT

Vibrations due to heavy construction work continue to be a major concern for museums. Although there has been an increase in research on the effect of vibrations on objects of cultural heritage in recent years, selecting measures to protect collections and remain open during construction work continues to be difficult because of a lack of data on what objects can actually withstand, the complexity of vibration loads, and the uniqueness of each situation. The major renovation of the Central Library in Liverpool, UK, which shared walls with the World Museum and Walker Art Gallery, both of which belong within National Museums Liverpool, showed how museums and other institutions can successfully deal with such situations. An integral approach was taken, beginning with an extensive risk analysis to determine which objects could remain on display, which needed extra protection and regular condition monitoring, and which had to be removed. The museums then negotiated a vibration protocol and action plan with the contractors, including continuous monitoring, and trigger levels requiring consultation or work stoppage. Vibration data were also stored and used for later analysis. This integral approach was successful in protecting the collections on exhibition, with only two incidents of reported damage directly related to vibrations. A combination of museum staff experience, excellent communications with the contractors, and some flexibility in defining vibration limits provided a successful recipe for both museums. The analysis of the vibration data using the basic engineering concept of the Palmgren-Miner rule, supports a more flexible approach to setting vibration limits based on recently published guidelines.     

Altered surfaces,taking the long view: Applications of ethnographic conservation practices to the conservation of contemporary art

While working together on tradition-based and contemporary works at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) and in private practice, the authors found that their expertise in ethnographic conservation can be applied to the conservation of contemporary works. The treatment approach to ethnographic works has evolved over decades, shifting from alteration of original surfaces and heavy restoration to an emphasis on preserving the original integrity of the artwork through minimal intervention. This paper describes the evolution of ethnographic object conservation regarding surface alteration, while specifically focusing on African objects, and discusses applications of this approach to the conservation of contemporary art. The historical change in treatment attitudes is presented using examples from NMAfA's collections to underscore why the profession developed a minimal intervention approach and to argue for the relevance of this approach to related contemporary media.     

Information on Native Americans in U.S. Government Publications

Abstract

This article is a selective annotated list of print and electronic sources that provide information on Native Americans and the United States Government. While most of these are issued by the federal agencies, there are also some commercially published works that cover government resources or describe and interpret federal activities. The bibliography is arranged in broad subject areas; headings include finding tools, federal policy, federal laws and regulations, treaties, statistics, history and culture, and contemporary issues.     

From Collection Management to Content Management in Art Documentation: The Conservator as an Editor

ABSTRACT

It has been widely acknowledged that reinstallations and re-executions of contemporary artworks substantially rely on available documentation. Especially for installations and performances it is crucial to record the artist’s intent, past iterations, and tacit knowledge involved in staging the artwork. The growing presence of contemporary artworks in museum collections increases the importance of documentation as a central focus of collection care. However, collections management systems have limitations in adequately presenting these often rich forms of documentation. Consequently, documentation required for presenting a specific complex artwork is often dispersed across multiple systems, drives, and dossiers inside various departments. In recent years, several initiatives responded to these challenges by implementing a digital platform supporting the conservation of contemporary art. Collaborative networked software such as wiki came into focus as a prominent choice for managing the related documentation. The wiki promises to integrate diverse material in one place and accommodate much-needed requirements such as multiple iterations of an artwork, relations between its elements, and multimedia content. This paper takes the case of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)’s experimental use of MediaWiki to determine whether and under what conditions a wiki is capable of supporting collection care sufficiently in terms of documenting time-based media art. The case further illustrates the consequence of adopting a content management system as knowledge base for conservation. While collections management systems are designed primarily to handle objects using forms, wikis are publishing platforms in the first place and provide a different kind of framework for artwork records. They are designed to employ text and media to compose articles. We propose to conceptualise this consequential role of conservator as a manager of content, an editor.     

A Review of: “HMO/PPO Directory 2011, 23rd ed. Gottlieb,Richard, ed.”

ABSTRACT

There is limited literature on hospital archives projects. Hospitals understandably have a strong focus on patient care, but there is still a critical need to keep institutional archives. Among their many uses, institutional archives preserve corporate memory, provide evidence of interactions with community, and assist in contemporary decision making. This column describes a university-hospital partnership to undertake a one-year project to preserve, detail, and digitize ten boxes, or approximately 3.8 meters, of materials dating from 1980 to 2006. This project serves as a model for other hospital or health care facilities wanting to preserve and more actively engage with their archival collections.