This post from the Special Collections librarian at the Jerwood Library, Trinity Laban, is inspiring. It tells a story of hidden, neglected special collections which were a burden and a concern for library staff. The writer shows how making the collections visible and making the case for their support changed everything. It's particularly interesting that … Continue reading Making the Case is Key for Music
Tag: Special Collections
Dear Special Collections, your service is …
How do we find out what users (and non-users) think of our services? We need to know this in order to ensure our services meet their needs and to argue our case for resources to improve them. Pretty obvious stuff, but it can be hard to get that feedback, to manage it, and to make … Continue reading Dear Special Collections, your service is …
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
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
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 …
Hidden Collections in the UK
One of the greatest problems facing Special Collections services is the legacy of historic collecting policies - or, rather, lack of them: hidden collections. Uncatalogued, sometimes wanted, sometimes not, taking up space and resources and causing all kinds of problems. As I quote in the Handbook, such collections really are our dirty little (big?) secret. … Continue reading Hidden Collections in the UK
Emergency Toolkit
An essential new book from the Handbook's publishers, Facet Publishing, on a subject which is the very heart of special collections librarianship: Emergency planning and response for libraries, archives and museums, by Emma Dadson. To quote my comments on the Facet website, this book is ... "A realistic and practical primer on all aspects of … Continue reading Emergency Toolkit
52 Fantastic Bindings – what next?
Special Collections at the University of St Andrews have been running a weekly series: 52 Weeks of Fantastic Bindings, highlighting the gorgeous bindings of their rare books and manuscripts. I mentioned this great series before, but, now that the 52 Weeks are over, I think it's time to mention it again! The series is worth … Continue reading 52 Fantastic Bindings – what next?
Special, Safe and Secure
An impressive new work published by the Association of College & Research Libraries offers comprehensive coverage of all aspects of security for special collections: Guide to security considerations and practices for rare book, manuscript and special collection libraries, compiled and edited by Everett Wilkie (ACRL, 2011). The book offers definitive expert guidance on this vital … Continue reading Special, Safe and Secure
The Special Collections Handbook 