Thursday, June 26, 2014

Registration

Plenary: Marketplace

Thursday’s plenary will examine the marketplace and its effect on the special collections ecosystem. Nina Musinsky will offer an overview of the market as a member of the rare book trade. Steve Enniss will follow with an upper-level administrator’s perspective on the marketplace. Michelle Light will consider the evolving roles and opportunities for Special Collections in the marketplace, particularly with the advent of digitization and users’ enhanced expectations.

Moderator, Rachel D’Agostino, Curator of Printed Books, The Library Company of Philadelphia

Plenary Speaker descriptions can be found at the 2014 Preconference homepage.

Posters & Beverage Break

– Sponsored by Caladex Logistics

“Space planning for Special Collections primary source instruction”, Chris Caldwell, University of Tennessee Libraries and Alesha Shumar, University of Tennessee Libraries

University of Tennessee Libraries is conducting research to develop a purpose-built special collections and primary sources instruction classroom. The classroom space will be intentionally designed for instruction that utilizes rare and special materials in hand, such as early printing specimens and other historical artifacts, as opposed to using surrogate scans or derivatives of the same rare material when teaching in a traditional or shared classroom space. Through information collected from practicing Special Collections professionals from across the nation who are engaged with primary source instruction, UTK plans to analyze, develop, and share innovative models for classroom space which will allow instructors and students alike the ability to engage with this rare and valuable material as never before.

“Scanning Key Content during Cataloging & Accessioning”, Amy Benson, Schlesinger Library, Nell Carlson, Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Deborah Funkhouser, Schlesinger Library, Karen Nipps, Houghton Library

In 2012, four special collections librarians embarked on a project to enrich Harvard’s online catalog with images of content such as covers, title pages, and tables of contents captured during accessioning or cataloging. This project demonstrates that cataloger-collected images can be used to enhance bibliographic description and discovery as a complement to centralized imaging services activities. Several Harvard libraries now routinely contribute publically-accessible images using the equipment and workflows established during this project. Our poster will illustrate how we did it. We hope our story encourages others to try similar projects.

“Paper Towels and Rubber Bands: How Not to Store Magic Lantern Slides”, Amanda Lanthorne, San Diego State University

San Diego State University’s Special Collections and University Archives holds the Homer and Betty Peabody Magic Lantern Collection containing over 5,000 glass slides of various shapes and sizes as well as 42 magic lanterns.  Because our special collections primarily houses books and paper-based materials, the Peabody collection presented a unique preservation problem that none of our staff had experience with.  Although the collection was donated in 2008, it was not until 2010 that we created a serious processing plan that addressed the myriad preservation concerns.  In total, it took a little over six months to fully process.  This poster presentation will document the research, resources, and good old fashioned resourcefulness used to process and preserve this one-of-a-kind collection.

“The Egg: 50 Years in the 1964 Fine and Rare Book Room”, Mary Catharine Johnsen, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries

With her experience as bibliophile, collector and bookbinder, Rachel McMaster Miller Hunt specified a design and fittings for a Fine & Rare Book Room dedicated in 1964 that worked quite well for 45 of the last 50 years.  With her prescient design, Special Collections has been able to adopt and house flat art and posters, oversized folios, miniatures on purpose-built shelves and almost 1,000 artists’ books on variable shelving.  The room is oval or egg-shaped, implying a safe, self-contained environment for rare books. 50 years later, we need to add more electricity and wi-fi connections to provide acceptable service for students and readers.  Moral: be glad that your donor knows about the variety of print artifacts to provide so many storage options, but plan for extensible walls.  Poster to be accompanied by photos of the Fine and Rare Book Room and its nifty fittings, plans and specifications from the Archives, and some of the problems that have developed in 50 years.

“Distinctive Space for the World’s Largest Cartoon Research Library”, Jenny Robb, The Ohio State University Libraries, Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

 In 2013, with the generous support of a vibrant and committed comics and cartoon arts community and in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University Libraries renovated historic Sullivant Hall into a new home for the largest research library dedicated to cartoon and cartoon art in the world.  The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum project offered a wide variety of opportunities and challenges—from retrofitting historic space with state-of-the-art HVAC, security and classrooms, to sharing space with active dance and art education programs, to installing 3 new museum quality exhibit galleries featuring custom display cases, to changes in staffing to meet user needs.  So much more than a renovation project, this effort has surfaced innovative partnerships for teaching, learning, and research, opened new conversations with donors, and created exciting prospects for engaging more deeply with aspiring artists, both on campus and in the community.

Discussion Group: Dis-placed Librarians: Curating Local History as a Newcomer

– Sponsored by Backstage Library Works

New to the area? Retrofitting your role in your last position into a different location/job/activity? How do you get up to speed? What are some tips for quickly building bridges and learning the ropes? Discuss this and more with colleagues who have been there or are going there.

Moderator: Katie Henningsen, Archivist and Digital Collections Coordinator, University of Puget Sound

Seminar: Back to the Future: The Reinvention of the Library Catalog, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

– Sponsored by The Bibliographical Society of America and presented by the RBMS Bibliographic Standards Committee

It was just about 50 years ago when an earlier generation of catalogers came together to develop a statement of cataloging principles while at the same time facing down the inevitable obsolescence of the catalog card. Today we are seeing the adoption of a new set of rules based on a conceptual theory of bibliographic functions along with a new display of our rare materials metadata. In this seminar we will provide a brief overview of how we got to where we are today and how a new initiative for web-based bibliographic data (BIBFRAME) is currently changing the way we search and link information. How can Special Collections take advantage of these changes to provide enhanced access to rare materials?

Speakers: Eric Miller, President, Zepheira; Aislinn Sotelo, Head, Special Collections Technical Services, UC San Diego Library, University of California, San Diego

Moderator: Nina M. Schneider, Head Cataloger, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles

Seminar: Teaching Ambidextrously: Supporting the Seamless Research Experience

– Sponsored by Alexander Street Press

Students using materials from special collections frequently need to consult them hand-in-hand with secondary sources, whether for context or simply to find appropriate primary sources to begin with. And yet it can feel as though our instructional efforts happen in a vacuum, separate from other library instruction. In this seminar, subject bibliographers, general reference librarians, and special collections librarians address together how they integrate the use of special collections and general collections in their instruction. By teaching these sources jointly, rather than emphasizing the differences, students have a more complete understanding of the research process and we librarians learn from one another and begin to blend cultures. The panel members – including two librarians from the core of the library – highlight successful collaborations and hybrid assignments.

Speakers:

Regina Lee Roberts, Librarian in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford University; Mattie Taormina, Head of Public Services and Manuscripts Processing Librarian, Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University; Alanna Aiko Moore, Librarian for Sociology, Ethnic Studies and Gender Studies, UC San Diego Library, University of California, San Diego; Heather Smedberg, Reference & Instruction Coordinator, Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Library, University of California, San Diego; Lance J. Heidig, Outreach and Learning Services Librarian, Olin/Uris Libraries and the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

Moderator: Bill Landis, Head of Public Services, Manuscripts & Archives, Yale University Library

Papers Panel 4: Space/Renovation

Moderator: Maureen Maryanski, The New-York Historical Society Museum & Library

“This Old House: Reimagining Public Space in Special Collections.”, Sara Logue, Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, Emory University

In the summer of 2014, the Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library of Emory University will begin a full renovation of its public spaces. Built in the 1960s, the current public side of MARBL occupies the 10th floor of the Robert W. Woodruff Library stacks tower at the center of the main campus in Atlanta, GA. What made sense when the floor was constructed has proven to be prohibitive to our goal of offering premier collections in a welcoming, technologically advanced, and secure environment. We attempt to balance public events, exhibitions, a robust instruction program, and scholarly research in a space that was not meant to accommodate so many endeavors. This paper will explore how public spaces in special collections have changed in the past 50 years and how public space may have taken a backseat to improving storage and processing spaces. As well, it will look at the advancements that have led to these changes, and how special collections libraries are being planned for the future.

“Delicate balance at Z. Smith Reynolds Library”, Rebecca Petersen, Z. Smith Reynolds Library, Wake Forest University

Wake Forest’s Z. Smith Reynolds Library was planned and built (along with the rest of the campus) to provide space for a rapidly growing student body in the 1950s. Designed with many great closed libraries in mind, the space quickly became out of vogue and needed reworking. Today, almost 60 years later, Special Collections & Archives struggles with space and architectural limitations when considering the future of the collection. This presentation will discuss the plans to modernize a 1950s space while reappraising collections and considering our needs for the future. There is a delicate balance between honoring beloved Special Collections & Archives Reading Room (or as the students call it, Hogwarts) and making plans for a 21st century archives. This presentation will highlight challenges and successes when considering our old space, our new space, and how we should fill it.

“Old Space, New Space: Retrofitting the Vassar College Archives & Special Collection Library”, Ronald Patkus, Vassar College

Between the early 1960s and 2013, the Archives & Special Collections Library at Vassar College occupied three different locations; yet with only slight variation the footprint for each of these was the same. In recent years, new priorities have emerged in the profession and at Vassar: an interest in teaching and programming; a desire to provide more robust reference services; a need for appropriate shelving and better security. Staff envisioned a new space to address these priorities, but in the wake of the recent economic downturn, a new building or addition was not possible. What to do? During the last two years library staff planned and executed a renovation plan to re-design the space. Though occupying a footprint similar to the one used in the early 1960s, Special Collections now is better able to carry out its present goals.

Discussion Group: Exhibition Techniques: Making the Most of Analog and Digital Displays

– Sponsored by The Kelmscott Bookshop

Celebrating the artifact through exhibitions has been a fundamental endeavor of our profession. What are some practices that we can deploy to make the most of the physical exhibition as well as online exhibits? What can be retrofitted into the digital realm? What are some techniques that may blend both? Questions about both the analog and digital display of our treasures will be welcomed as we think about the narratives of our exhibits in any realm.

Moderators: Michael Inman, Curator of Rare Books, New York Public Library; Charlotte Priddle, Assistant Curator and Librarian for Printed Books, Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University

Seminar: Unveiling the Past: Hidden Diversity in the Archives

– Sponsored by Priscilla Juvelis, Inc. and presented by the RBMS Diversity Committee

Many special collections departments hold materials that directly or indirectly document Native American history and culture. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition that holding these collections places a certain responsibility upon institutions to reach out to the tribal organizations from which these materials originated, but from whom these collections have been “hidden” for years or decades. Additionally, as special collections increasingly seek to collect materials reflecting the full diversity of our cultural heritage, institutions are collaborating directly with tribal organizations to develop and share historical documentation.  The speakers in this seminar would be asked to speak to the sensitive processes surrounding these collections, including acquisition, processing and access, outreach, and donor relations

Speakers: Shayne Del Cohen, The Indian Reporter; Mike Kelly, Head of Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College; Paula Mitchell, University Archivist, Southern Utah University.

Moderator: Elizabeth Joffrion, Director of Heritage Resources, Western Washington University Libraries

Papers Panel 5: Space/Function

Moderator: Emily Dunlay

“Labyrinth Libraries: The Care and Storage of Fictional Books”, Cassie Brand, Drew University

My paper discusses several novels portraying labyrinth libraries, including The Name of the Rose, The Shadow of the Wind, The City of Dreaming Books, and Automated Alice. By making the library a labyrinth, the authors eschew standard library organization to create a space in which books are protected from users and inaccessible without the aid of a librarian. These fictional works allows us to explore the contradiction of access versus preservation and the role of the librarian in balancing the two. Labyrinths are inherently difficult to navigate, making it so the characters must learn or create a navigational system in order to access the books. Labyrinth libraries also depict the ways in which space affects the user experience, library organization, and navigation of the library. Each author carefully constructs a labyrinth to fit the needs of the library he creates. The physical aspects of the library influence the organizational system, which in turn influences the navigation of the library.

“Impacts of CSU Libraries of the Future Taskforce”, Danelle Moon, San Jose State University

Library space, collection care, and the libraries of the future will have a significant impact on rare book collecting, preservation, and access of print collections. The California State University system is a good example of new pressures to eliminate traditional circulating collections through massive weeding projects to increase library space for student commons, writings centers, and technology centers. In this presentation, I will present the difficulties that all special collection libraries will face specifically in the CSU system in the light of the CSU Libraries of the Future (LOFT) Taskforce and address how massive weeding and demand for new space will impact special collection staff workload, collection care practices, print collection development, and space allocation in special collection departments across the system.

 “Retrofitting the Special Collections Space: Using Values, Trends, and Needs to Inform Physical Design”, Melissa Nykanen, Pepperdine University, and Mark Roosa, Pepperdine University

Currently a small reading room that also serves as the director’s office, a classroom, event space, display space, and even an occasional warm-up room for musicians, the Special Collections department at Pepperdine is planning a renovation and is dreaming big. But as a small department with a modest budget, how do we re-envision and prioritize our space? In order to make the most of this opportunity, we are thinking about our values and considering time-honored tradition as well as current and future trends and needs. Inspired by this year’s theme, some of the questions we will address in this presentation include: What were the values and priorities that defined the way special collections space was designed and used in the 1960s? Have these values changed? How should our current priorities, technological trends, and user needs be reflected in our new spaces?

Papers Panel 6: History of Science

Moderator: Ellen Ellickson, Yale University

“Micro-monsters: Printing and Transmitting Newly Visible Worlds”, Shannon K. Supple, William Andrew Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles

This paper investigates the transmission of new knowledge made visible through microscopy in the combination of image and text, using as its case study Robert Hooke’s Micrographia, Or, Some physiological descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses. With observations and inquiries thereupon (London: Printed by J. Martyn and J. Allestry, 1665). The printing of Micrographia’s text and engravings were heavily mediated by the author himself, whose careful drawings of what he saw beneath his microscope were precisely engraved under his supervision. What potentials for transmission and transformation of that knowledge were made possible through the process of printing? How did visibly precise detail in the engraved rescaling of these minute bodies change how the 17th century experienced the monstrous?

““ Names swallowed by the cold”: Reconstructing the Libraries of Arctic Explorers”, Adam Doskey, Bentley Rare Book Gallery, Kennesaw State University

In the 1960s, the University of Illinois purchased the libraries of Arctic explorers Sir John Richardson and Paul-Louis Mercanton in quick succession at the request of a physiology professor researching Arctic explorers with medical backgrounds. The libraries were broken apart into individual items, classified by subject, and dispersed throughout the university library. This paper describes how these items were brought together again and re-processed as a special collection in the 21st century to promote the study of these explorers’ libraries through the wider lens of current bibliographical scholarship and a more inclusive view of what constitutes the history of science; topics that include the history of reading, the creation of reference libraries by Arctic explorers, and the networks of readers and writers within pre-World War IIEuropean scientific circles.

“Ephemera Hoping to Save Lives: The United States Breast Cancer Research Stamp”, Robert Cagna, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Charleston Division

This paper will offer a historical review of the United States Breast Cancer Research Stamp, ephemera issued by the US Postal Service. How has the stamp raised public awareness of breast cancer, and how has it helped to find a cure? This historical analysis will examine the causes and effects of the forces that opposed issuing the stamp and the forces that championed it. This tiny bit of paper has sold in the millions. Presenter Cagna will also look at the issue of how stamps and letter covers, in both archives and special collections, can be preserved and valued as part of the historical record.

Posters & Beverage Break

– Sponsored by Caladex Logistics

“Earth to the Moon and the Sky in Between: Embry-Riddle’s Aviation Safety and Security Archives”, Melissa Gottwald, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

From Icarus’ ill-fated flight to eighteenth century balloon ascents, from the Wright Brothers’ first flights to the Apollo missions to the moon, the history of aviation and aerospace is a story of striving to reach new heights. The path to the sky and beyond was not simple or obstacle-free, but dedicated dreamers overcame disasters and developed new technologies to achieve their goals. The collections of the Aviation Safety and Security Archives (ASASA) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University illustrate this history with a focus on the effort to comprehend and overcome the dangers inherent in leaving the earth. The Archives is also working to redefine its role as a subject-focused repository by not only making its collections available on site and, increasingly, on-line, but also developing an on-line portal to help researchers locate relevant resources available elsewhere.

“Viva Las Minis: Retrofitting the Mighty Mini for Today’s Special Collection Library”, Lori Lynn Dekydtspotter, The Lilly Library, Indiana University and Cherry Dunham Williams, The Lilly Library, Indiana University

With their long and rich history, miniature books rarely fail to engage and excite viewers. This fascination is nothing new, as miniature books have been popular throughout history as novelties that can be easily carried and/or concealed. By utilizing this appealing format, the mighty world of the “mini” can provide a very effective and uniquely engaging look at primary resources, and they can provide an inviting introduction to the rare books and manuscripts repository. This poster will briefly illustrate the history of miniature books and explain through images and text how they can be used today to introduce school-aged students to the historical and creative aspects of the miniature book as a physical object through hands-on demonstrations and creative activities.

“History of Science Rare Book Collecting at the University of Arizona”, Roger Myers, University of Arizona Library Special Collections

Space and place exist in the University of Arizona Library Special Collections. Spurred by a young university president, John P. Schaefer, a new library was designed that included a wing devoted to a growing Special Collections. Fueled by Schaefer’s energy and interest, the library expanded its holdings rapidly. Astronomy and Optics, two areas of excellence in the university’s research divisions, became the focus of a rewarding decade of investment in the history of science and technology. The poster session will capture the whirlwind days in relation to a growing research university of the late 20th century.

“Going ATOMic: Completing the Victoria R.I. Catalogue in the Digital Age”, Valerie Buck, Brigham Young University, and Maggie Kopp, Brigham Young University

In 1969, San Francisco bookseller David Magee published a 3-volume catalogue of a collection of Victorian books, manuscripts, and ephemera entitled Victoria R.I. (in an edition of 625 printed by the Grabhorn-Hoyem Press). But the catalogue only partially documented Magee’s collection, which was sold in its entirety to Brigham Young University. Magee’s books arrived at BYU accompanied by thousands of item descriptions typed on half-sheets of paper, which were used to catalog the books then set aside for decades. Today, faculty at BYU’s Harold B. Lee Library are retrofitting Magee’s printed catalog, along with his unpublished descriptions, into a searchable online format using an in-house software solution (ATOM, A Table Of Metadata). This poster will document the progress of our efforts to turn Magee’s arch item descriptions and annotations into a user-friendly database and how, in the process, we regained some institutional memory about one of BYU’s most valuable rare book collections.

““Freedom is Everybody’s Business”: Using Multi-Faceted Outreach to Draw Student Attention to Local Archival Collections on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s”, Joshua Youngblood, University of Arkansas Libraries

As the recent celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington demonstrated, numerous digital projects and numerous scholarly and popular print publications have made the grander stories and lessons of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s widely available. But what about the lesser known heroes and the local and regional episodes that have not received the same level of interest? Manuscript collections that capture those hidden stories, integral to the achievements—and setbacks—of the Civil Rights Movement, can provide students access to richer understandings of the social and political watersheds of the era. This presentation will show how through LibGuides, social media, and other web-based outreach platforms, in concert with traditional in-class instruction and exhibiting, the records of Arkansas’s civil rights experience are made increasingly accessible to students on and off campus.

Papers Panel 7: Digital Special Collections

Moderator: Linda Isaac, California State University, Fullerton

“On Digital Archives: Lessons from the Susan Sontag Papers”, Tom Hyry, UCLA Library Special Collections

Archives and special collections have achieved important technical advances in our ability to acquire, preserve, and provide access to born-digital materials, but ethical, philosophical, financial, and practical issues remain. As the nature of collections evolves, new questions emerge: Should born-digital archives of recognized figures, such as writers and artists, have monetary value when a market for their analog materials continues to thrive? What impact will digital content have on dealers and the marketplace for personal papers? Is the aura of originality lost amidst forensic imaging and file migration? How can we balance ethical responsibilities with the benefits digital media provide to researchers? This paper will feature a narrative of how UCLA Library Special Collections approached these complex issues in the process of acquiring the digital component of the Susan Sontag papers.

“Permission to Launch: Seeking Copyright Permission for the Religion in North Carolina Digital Collection”, Elizabeth B. DeBold, Duke University, Divinity School Library

The Religion in North Carolina Digital Collection is a grant funded, collaborative project with the Internet Archive that seeks to bring together, preserve, and provide access to the unique publications and documents from religious bodies across the state of North Carolina. Implemented by Duke Divinity School, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest University, this collection includes published and unpublished works from the eighteenth century through the twenty first, with the bulk created and/or produced during the twentieth century. This presentation will cover work conducting copyright clearances for such items, including topics such as “orphan” works, learning the most effective ways to approach different types of rights holders, and detective work to find those who have inherited rights from deceased authors. DeBold will also share best practices developed by the team during the project planning stage.

“Collaborating with the Community at the East Texas Research Center”, Linda Reynolds, East Texas Research Center, Stephen F. Austin State University

The East Texas Research Center (ETRC) is using digitization, community relations and marketing to help preserve the rich history of the rural East Texas area, including Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas. The ETRC works with other cultural institutions and individual community members to create free online community collections. One of the biggest successes is the Cason Monk Metcalf Funeral Directors. The ETRC has digitized the 1900 1955 funeral home records, added them to CONTENTdm which also has an additional bonus of the Viewshare software that maps which cemetery the entries are buried, their race and religion. This project helps with the basic preservation of the wear and tear of the books and also makes the information freely available to anyone in the world.

Seminar: Crowdsourcing: The Possibilities and Pitfalls of User Participation

– Sponsored by Bonhams

Many libraries have been posting collections of materials on the internet for users across the world to transcribe, tag, or describe. These crowdsourcing projects draw on resources beyond those an institution can command, open the collections to many users who might not otherwise find them, and can generate excellent publicity, but may also generate unexpected pitfalls. The speakers on this panel have all been involved in crowdsourcing projects (DIY History, What’s On the Menu, and Old Weather), and will bring their expertise to a discussion of when and why to use crowdsourcing, what to consider before starting a project, and what others can learn from both their successes and disappointments.

Speakers: Rebecca Federman, Electronic Resources Coordinator & Culinary Collections Librarian, The New York Public Library; Michael Inman, Curator of Rare Books, The New York Public Library; Mark C. Mollan, Archivist, Old Navy/Maritime Reference Section, National Archives and Records Administration; Greg Prickman, Head, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Iowa Libraries, University of Iowa

Moderator: Sarah Horowitz, Head of Special Collections/Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, Haverford College

Papers Panel 8: Space/Alternatives

Moderator: Nina Mamikunian, UCLA

“Special Collections in Space: How to Make your Entire Campus the Reading Room”, Leslie Fields, Mount Holyoke College and Caro Pinto, Mount Holyoke College

At Mount Holyoke College, we think of Archives & Special Collections post-building, post-reading room. Special collections is about hearts and minds! Special collections at Mount Holyoke lives in classrooms, in the pages of student produced zines, outside on winter walks, inside library tote bags given to every new student, through digital exhibitions, on Tumblr and 1” buttons. While these efforts celebrate the College’s history, they are also essential components of campus initiatives to retain students and connect alumnae. We are pleased to share our experiences with First Year Seminars and digital exhibits, raucous Milk & Crackers after dark, a moving remembrance of Martin Luther King, a cold January walk, a multi-generational zine event, and sustained social media outreach to demonstrate how infusing special collections across campus transforms the whole campus into special collections.

“Creating a Library Without a Library: Collection of Professor Don Belton”, Erika Jenns, Indiana University, Bloomington

This paper discusses the process of creating a library without the traditional physical space of a library. Using my experiences cataloguing the collection of Don Belton, the late novelist, book collector, and English professor at Indiana University Bloomington, I will address the benefits of using Omeka to create a dynamic access point for users. The site uses tags, rendering it more searchable, and also includes scans of book covers, digitized videos of Belton lecturing and reading, and posts by students who have worked with the collection.

“Collaborative Research in the History of Science”, Sarah Burke Cahalan, Dumbarton Oaks and Jason W. Dean, University of Arkansas

S. Fred Prince (1857-1949), a self-taught botanical and entomological illustrator, is an artist and illustrator in the tradition of John James Audubon and Mark Catesby. Our work seeks to tell the story of his life through his existing accessible manuscript material, held in five institutions (a private library, two academic libraries, a museum library, and the archives of an historical theme park) throughout the United States, none of which are in the same state. This presentation, while discussing Prince’s life and extant work, will focus on the collaborations and technologies needed to share and highlight unique physical diasporic collections and items in the twenty-first century. Starting with the clue of a bookplate, and therefore grounded in the materiality of books, this project has been facilitated by Twitter, Google Drive, Google Maps, Tumblr, and the easy production of digital images by means of smartphones and tablets.

Papers Panel 9: Teaching/Learning

Moderator: Lori Dekydtspotter, Lilly Library, Indiana University

“Career Development for New Professionals: Fellowships and Internships as Alternative Sites of Education”, Alison Clemens, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscripts Library, Yale University

Educational tracks for special collections librarians and archivists tend to separate the library and archives disciplines and encourage students to choose one or the other. This division stands in stark contrast to the realities of the workplace: information professionals working in special collections often must be proficient in practices from both archives and librarianship. Internships and early career professional opportunities, then, provide a real world counter to the library/archives educational divide. In her talk, Alison Clemens will discuss the utility and scope of current academic library archives fellowship programs and her tenure at the University of Houston, specifically, where she operated within a special collections departmental context to work with traditional historical materials, as well as multi-format records pertaining to the history of Houston hip hop. Alison will also discuss her experiences interning and working in an academic library, an archives, and a library and museum.

“Teach with us: managing the demand for classes through collaboration, transparency, and technology”, Emilie Hardman, Houghton Library, Harvard University and Rachel Howarth, Houghton Library, Harvard University

Engaging students with primary source materials in special collections is a function central to our missions, so it should be with excitement that we greet the rise of faculty interest in teaching with us. However, with more than 200 classes per year and promises of growth, Houghton Library staff began to wonder: can there be too much of a good thing? With the help of an Arcadia Foundation Library Innovation grant we designed and produced a Class Request Tool (CRT) to streamline, consolidate, and automate administration of special collections teaching. We propose to share our experiences of building the CRT, the impact it has (and promises to have) on our seminar program, as well as our commitment to making it freely available to the special collections community.

“Students as Producers: Connecting Strategic Archives Projects with Student Needs”, Celia Walker, M. Brielle Harbin and Kevin Patrick Milewski, Vanderbilt University

Students are frequently looking for challenging projects that will improve their job skills and add to their resumes. Library administration often has more ideas for improving access to resources than can be accomplished with limited manpower. Last year, Vanderbilt’s libraries looked closely at workflows for strategic projects to determine if there was a means for using student assistants to accomplish some of those goals. A trial run in spring 2012, hiring a senior to work with mentors to build an interactive exhibition of photographs documenting Appalachian strip mining communities, proved so successful that the program was expanded in 2013 with new students working on one or two semester finite, strategic projects within the libraries. This paper will look at the six projects completed in the first full year of Library Dean’s Fellows that run the gambit of strategic projects typically left on the “wish list.”