In today’s uncertain political and economic climate the ability to demonstrate why heritage and culture matter – and to whom – has never been more important or relevant. I'd agree with that! These words are from the website of Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities, a conference which will help us to tackle this challenge. Taking place … Continue reading Need help with demonstrating impact of collections? Discover DCDC …
Tag: Advocacy
Bye Bye Basement!
Fingers crossed and all that, my service, Special Collections at the University of Bradford, should get our long-awaited new premises in 2016. Hooray! Our project is part of a wider programme which will transform the lower floors of our 1970s Library to meet the needs of modern students. Before: rambling, dark mazes full of odd … Continue reading Bye Bye Basement!
How can unique and distinctive collections support University mission?
Delighted to share news of a report which should help anyone trying to make the case for investment in special collections. Or indeed considering whether they should invest in them ... Unique and distinctive collections: opportunities for research libraries is freely available online from the Research Libraries UK website. It's based on fieldwork I carried … Continue reading How can unique and distinctive collections support University mission?
Accredited!
Thrilled to announce that Special Collections at the University of Bradford has achieved Archive Accreditation! We are the first English university to reach this new standard. I'll blog about the experience for professional colleagues soon: why we applied, what we made of the process, and how we think it will help improve our service. And … Continue reading Accredited!
Bingo for Buttons: the archive accreditation workshop
Back in September (20th to be exact) I went along to a workshop on archives accreditation. Though I've been following the growth of the new standard pretty closely, I still found the event really helpful. If you're thinking of applying, do try to get to one of these sessions! What did I like about this … Continue reading Bingo for Buttons: the archive accreditation workshop
Going for Gold: archive accreditation is here
Exciting news for archives managers! A new standard can help you improve your services and highlight your excellence. Find out more on the Archive Service Accreditation webpage and in this blog post by Melinda Haunton. Three things I like about the scheme: One size doesn't fit all. The scheme accommodates archives services of all shapes … Continue reading Going for Gold: archive accreditation is here
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
Delivering Value for Money: Internal Marketing Matters
I just discovered (thanks to an academic colleague) a very useful dissertation available online. Elizabeth Morgan's dissertation (UCL, 2010), Delivering Value for Money: why and how institutional archives should market themselves to their internal publics, explains why internal marketing/advocacy is absolutely essential. She includes lots of great realistic examples of what can be done, drawn … Continue reading Delivering Value for Money: Internal Marketing Matters
The Special Collections Handbook 