Anyone caring for archives will know the horrors of rusty staples and paperclips or claggy broken rubber bands, which riddle most modern collections. In this great blog post, "Why I Hate Mr Clippy", Beth Doyle of Duke University Libraries explains the mischief these fasteners do and shares some tips for dealing with them quickly and … Continue reading We ALL Hate Mr Clippy: the horrors of paperclips
Five Theses on the Future of Special Collections
"Preservation without use is an empty victory. It ought to be our primary purpose at all times to minimize barriers to use ..." "[It is] crucial to reach out and demystify special collections, to convey the message: 'Please touch. This is here for you. You are special enough for special collections'." So says John Overholt … Continue reading Five Theses on the Future of Special Collections
New from Ashgate – Library Space and Archives in Time
The latest catalogue of librarianship books from Ashgate features a couple which should be of particular interest for special collections: Smith, C and Stead, L. (eds). The boundaries of the literary archive. August 2013. Includes contributions by archivists about practical issues in literary archives, such as confidentiality and use in teaching and marketing. The case … Continue reading New from Ashgate – Library Space and Archives in Time
Too Many Collections, So Little Time?
Are you struggling with increasing numbers of users, demand for digital, crumbling collections, unsuitable storage space, intellectual property conundrums, born-digital collections, lack of skills, pressure of public sector cuts and recession ...? You are not alone! Two essential new reports reveal the challenges faced by UK special collections and archives and give us the evidence … Continue reading Too Many Collections, So Little Time?
From Ewww to Wow!: funding preservation work
Out of all the things special collections do, I believe the easiest one to raise funds for is preservation (compared to other areas, no fundraising is easy these days!). It is something that naturally resonates with the public and is popular with many funders - and even small sums of money can make a noticeable … Continue reading From Ewww to Wow!: funding preservation work
Manuscripts Online! And in the Public Domain …
"My vision then of a future manuscript catalogue would be of something that links together a wide range of resources ... anchored by the record of the physical manuscript itself ..." This vision is outlined by Andrew Prescott, Professor of Digital Humanities at Kings College London, in The Function, Structure and Future of Catalogues, now … Continue reading Manuscripts Online! And in the Public Domain …
Modernising Copyright: the White Paper is published
Important and good news for UK special collections services and their users. The UK government has just published the final part of its response to consultations following the Hargreaves review of intellectual property: Modernising copyright: a modern, robust and flexible framework. While not addressing underlying problems of copyright, the changes outlined allow a wider range … Continue reading Modernising Copyright: the White Paper is published
What’s new (and not so new) in cataloguing
Cataloguing methods and standards are in an exciting and uncertain state. RDA is coming! What does this mean? Like many librarians, I'm waiting to see what will happen. However, we shouldn't worry about the hybrid future in which RDA and AACR2 records will co-exist. It was ever thus, as this piece by Anne Welsh explains. … Continue reading What’s new (and not so new) in cataloguing
If you’ve got it …
... Flaunt it! Exhibitions of special collections are a wonderful way to reach audiences who might never think or wish to use them in a reading room setting. However, it isn't easy to create exhibitions and most of us struggle with limited funding and space problems. Speakers at the 2011 CILIP Rare Books and Special … Continue reading If you’ve got it …
Mini Emergency Toolkit
"Eeek! Wet books! Water everywhere! What do I do first? What do I do next? How do I dry these books out? Should I freeze these things? IS THAT MOULD??" Special collections are at risk from floods (topical, alas) and other water leaks, not to mention fire. Prompt and effective action can make a huge … Continue reading Mini Emergency Toolkit
The Special Collections Handbook 