Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Scholarship Breakfast (by invitation)

– Sponsored by Atlas Systems

Registration

Opening Plenary: Book as Archive

– Sponsored by Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers

Our opening plenary will focus on the artifact (i.e., the book, manuscript, and archive) as the fundamental unit central to our mission and to scholarship. Brian E. C. Schottlaender will address the topic from the perspective of a university library administrator and collector exploring the growing demands for innovation and collaboration. Andrew Stauffer will provide his view as a scholar researching the ‘book as archive’ and the impact of his discoveries on our work.

Moderator: Nicole Bouché, Director, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia

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

ABAA Booksellers’ Showcase

Discussion Group: Librarian as Bibliographer (and Buyer)

– Sponsored by California Rare Book School

As libraries consider reducing their stacks, either by moving items into remote storage facilities or by discarding “duplicates,” bibliography is becoming increasingly important, both to identify materials and also to assess their teaching and research value. How can librarians, booksellers, collectors, and academics work together to harness the power of bibliography in service of teaching and research? How can we draw on bibliography to preserve collections, build them, and make them available to students and faculty? What particular challenges do librarians and bibliographers face in the current environment, where space is limited and resources are few—and what can we do about it?

Moderators: Virginia Bartow, Sr. Rare Book Cataloger Special Formats Processing, New York Public Library; Barbara Heritage, Assistant Director & Curator of Collections, Rare Book School, University of Virginia

Seminar: What Do People Want and How to Get It to Them: Patron- Driven Processing Priorities

– Sponsored by Bonhams

Special Collections librarians constantly consider how to prioritize access, tackle backlogs, and get patrons the materials they want with limited resources. Why not let our researchers guide our choices?  This seminar explores how to develop strategies for setting patron-driven priorities based on localized recommendations and course requests. Practical instruction will illustrate how to channel researcher involvement into your collection development and processing decisions while developing rare book and manuscript collections.  This session presents the most current knowledge on creating and setting priorities and developing long-range plans based on patron requests and how this approach can provide a much-needed focus for any special collections repository.

Speakers: Pam Hackbart-Dean, CA, Director, Special Collections Research Center, Morris Library-Special Collections Research Center, Southern Illinois University Carbondale; Susan Potts McDonald, Coordinator of Arrangement and Description Services, Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia; Elizabeth Slomba, University Archivist, University of New Hampshire

Moderator: Elizabeth Slomba, University Archivist, University of New Hampshire

Papers Panel 1: Digital Humanities Plus

Moderator: Colleen Theisen, University of Iowa

“Digital Humanities and the History of Science: Retrofitting Old Collections for New Purpose”, Anne Bahde, Oregon State University Libraries and Press

History of science collections offer unique possibilities for data visualization, data mining, and social involvement. This paper will discuss an Oregon State University Libraries project involving the records of the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists (ECAS), a group founded by Einstein in 1946 to educate the public on the dangers of nuclear war and the peaceful uses of atomic science. This project creates an integrated tool that combines the digital humanities capabilities of multiple discovery platforms, enabling crowdsourced transcription, visual exploration of the digitized correspondence, and manipulation of collection metadata to reveal geographic concentrations, demographic patterns, donation trends, and more. These facets allow fresh insight into microhistorical questions about the successes and failures of the ECAS, but also enable exploration of larger questions about how Americans grappled with the new atomic reality.

“New Tools to Document Old Thefts: Mapping the Offenbach Archival Depot”, Mitch Fraas, University of Pennsylvania and Melanie Meyers, Center for Jewish History

It is not widely known that along with cultural treasures books were also plundered by the Nazis during WWII; entire libraries were confiscated and housed in the Offenbach Archival Depot. In 1946, the MFAA , or Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives division dispatched one of the “ Monuments Men”, Colonel Pomrenze, to sort through the stores of looted books stored at Offenbach. Using the Offenbach scrapbooks, scrapbooks containing thousands of book plates and stamps Mitch Fraas and Melanie Meyers have created digital maps of the libraries and regions looted. they will discuss their work in bringing this chapter of print history to light, touching on the history of “The Monuments Men”, the plight of libraries in the aftermath of WWII, and how using geo-mapping allows us to present a new, visually engaging take on 60 year old thefts.

“Studying the Book Arts in the 21st Century: Using Linked Data to Enhance Knowledge and Context”, Allison Jai O’Dell, University of Miami Libraries

Appreciation of a given visual or narrative artwork is strengthened by knowledge of its creator’s themes, subjects, and techniques, their working relationships, access to resources, and social, geographic, and educational background. For works within the handmade book genres, this contextual information is available in and/or can often be inferred from library catalog databases, but is typically dispersed among data elements and records. This paper will present the findings of a recent project to harvest metadata concerning the University of Miami Libraries Artists’ Book Collection, expose relationships between creators, works, and spaces, and semi- automatically enhance the library’s data with information from WorldCat Identities, VIAF, and other Web resources. This same workflow could be replicated to reveal or connect knowledge about any book genre, and the paper will discuss the benefits of twenty-first-century data sharing techniques for the study of bibliography and the book arts.

Papers Panel 2: Preservation

Moderator: Colleen Barrett, Lilly Library, Indiana University

“Paul N. Banks Becomes a Book Conservator, 1956-64”, Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa, University of Delaware

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the new Council on Library Resources, the Association of Research Libraries, and the American Library Association began to support and apply theoretical, scientific, and practical “systems” approaches to the pressing preservation issues of the day. As important as these undertakings were, and for the historical credit they have received in promoting preservation of the nation’s research collections, they tell only one side of the larger story of the growth of preservation thought, research, and practice in the United States. To depict the nature of the field in its naissance, this paper examines the young book conservation field through the life and work of Paul Banks from 1956 until 1964, the period preceding his tenure at the Newberry Library as the first named book conservator in the United States assigned the responsibility to manage the preservation of a research collection.

“A Journey through the Preservation of the Alfred Rodman Hussey Papers”, Ikumi Crocoll, University of Michigan

The Alfred Rodman Hussey Papers are considered one of the more important Japanese collections at the University of Michigan’s Asia Library, largely because of the story they tell of the creation of the new constitution and re-construction of the government and its policies by the US in post-World War II Japan. From the careful microfilming done by the Library of Congress to current propositions for digitization by the University of Michigan Asia Library, the Alfred Rodman Hussey Papers have gone through a long journey of preservation techniques since their creation in the 40s through 60s. This paper will discuss assessing these valuable papers as part of a preservation needs assessment of the Asia Library and the creation of the collection finding aid illustrating the collaborative efforts between departments and libraries necessary to put such a project into practice.

“Preserving Voices: Digitizing the Mid-Century Folk Collection of Mary Celestia Parler”, Timothy G. Nutt, University of Arkansas Libraries and Krista Oldham, University of Arkansas Libraries

Mary Celestia Parler, wife of famed folklorist Vance Randolph, preserved the unique heritage of the Ozark Mountain residents through the collection of folk songs, sayings, legends, and remedies during the 1950s through the 1970s, utilizing her students at the University of Arkansas as interviewers and collectors. The collection contains over 4,700 field recordings of songs and tales gathered from around the Arkansas Ozarks, as well as nearly 1,000 class reports documenting customs and stories, such as tales of Jesse James, Belle Starr, and other outlaws hiding out in mountain caves. The Special Collections at the University of Arkansas has begun a project to digitize these important cultural items. The original reel-to-reel audio tapes had begun to deteriorate, and the information on the unique Ozark culture was in danger of being lost. This session will discuss Parler’s collection and efforts to preserve the voices captured on tape and paper.

Regional Discussion Groups

Gather with your colleagues from institutions from your region for a lively discussion that is group-derived and colleague-led. Explore topics that pertain to what matters most in your careers, professional interests and/or institutions. Your moderators are sensitive to the regions within regions and will coordinate the session to enable everyone an opportunity to be a part of the dialogue.

South Discussion Group

Moderator: Steven Smith, University of Tennessee

West Discussion Group

Moderators: Maggie Kopp, Brigham Young University & Shannon Supple, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, UCLA

Northeast Discussion Group

Moderators: Elizabeth Call, Columbia University & Moira Fitzgerald, Yale University

Midwest Discussion Group

Moderators: Elspeth Healey, University of Kansas & Kate Hutchens, University of Michigan

Tour of the ABAA Booksellers’ Showcase

Hosted by E.C. Schroeder, Director, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

Discussion Group: On the Ground and In the Cloud: Instruction with Physical and Digital Materials

– Sponsored by Alexander Street Press

“Special Collections as laboratory” has become a useful metaphor for thinking about how we teach with rare materials. We strive to bring students as close as possible to historical evidence, empowering  budding scholars to examine, review, and interpret artifacts as free of mediation as possible. At the same time as we bring students physically close to objects, many of our institutions are increasingly taking advantage of new digital tools to reach remote audiences. In this session, participants are encouraged to share experiences teaching in person and in the electronic ether. Join your colleagues as we dive into a range of pedagogical questions: How has your teaching changed with digital technologies? How have student interactions with historical artifacts changed? What dream teaching environments do you imagine?

Moderator: Molly Schwartzburg, Curator, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia

Seminar: Publishing for Professional Growth

– Sponsored by Simon Beattie

There are many reasons why a special collections professional might embark on the promising though perilous journey of publishing one’s work: for tenure or promotion, to extend outreach efforts, or to share ideas and research findings among a community of peers, to name a few. But writing and publishing, whether it takes a traditional route or makes use of online media, can present a big challenge. So how does one manage it? In this seminar, the four speakers will draw on their own experiences writing for different audiences, in different formats, and with different ambitions. They will share ideas and suggestions for getting started and staying focused (and sane) while tackling a variety of writing projects with professional development goals in mind.

Speakers: Anne Bahde, History of Science Librarian, Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Oregon State University; Jeremy Dibbell, Director of Communications and Outreach, Rare Book School; Jessica Pigza, Assistant Curator, Rare Book Division, New York Public Library; Colleen Theisen, Outreach and Instruction Librarian for Special Collections & University Archives, University of Iowa

Moderator: John Overholt, Curator of the Donald and Mary Hyde Collection of Dr. Samuel Johnson and of Early Modern Books and Manuscripts, Houghton Library, Harvard University

Seminar: Retrofitting Expectations or Redefining Reality: What Does the Future of the Special Collections Professional Look Like?

– Sponsored by Archival Products

Does the popular image of the special collections librarian match what professionals now find in their jobs? Fundamental changes in librarianship and academia are impacting departments and their staffs. New economic and technological realities are reshaping the demands of the communities we serve – both patron and employer. The reality of the work we do may not resemble our visions of the profession when we started.  Today’s professional needs a new understanding of expectations and opportunities in order to succeed. This moderated “fishbowl” discussion will put questions to two library administrators and two professionals in order to clarify their expectations and goals.  The seminar will aim to provide strategies for building a successful career in a changing field.

Speakers: Mark I. Greenberg, Dean of Libraries, Western Washington University; Timothy J. Johnson, Curator of Special Collections & Rare Books and E. W. McDiarmid Curator of the Sherlock Holmes Collections, Elmer L. Andersen Library, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Melanie J. Meyers, Senior Reference Services Librarian, Special Collections, The Center for Jewish History; R. Arvid Nelsen, Archivist, Charles Babbage Institute, Elmer L. Andersen Library, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Brian E. C. Schottlaender, The Audrey Geisel University Librarian, UC San Diego Library, UC San Diego

Papers Panel 3: Bibliography

Moderator: Elizabeth Ott, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia

“Alphabet soup no more! Revision of Standard Citation Forms”, Marcia Barrett, University of California, Santa Cruz, Valerie Buck, Brigham Young University, and Emily Epstein, University of Colorado, Denver

Standard Citation Forms has always been and remains a valuable resource for the rare book community, even more so with the 2014 revision (the third edition). The new title, Standard Citation Forms for Rare Materials Cataloging, reflects the expanded scope to include all types of rare materials, not exclusively printed materials. Moreover, responding to the principles of the new cataloging standard Resource Description & Access (RDA), this revision of Standard Citation Forms, provides clearer, fuller forms of bibliographic citations that will enable all users, not just specialists, to identify and locate the cited resource without confusion and ambiguity. In this session, the editors will introduce users, both those who are familiar with the earlier editions and those who are unfamiliar with this important resource, to the new platform (WordPress) and will provide an overview of the new working principles that inform the way new citations are constructed and the set of rules that result in entries notable for intelligibility, consistency, and simplicity (if not brevity).

“Modified schedule of the Dewey Decimal Classification system for Native American”, Cheryl Miller, Libraries and Archives of the Autry

This paper will discuss the modified schedule of the Dewey Decimal Classification system for Native American materials as used by the Braun Research Library, Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, California. The Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, California, is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of the material cultures of the prehistoric and historic Americas. It was founded in 1907 by the writer and ethnologist Charles F. Lummis. As the library of the Southwest Museum, the Braun Research Library is a major center of information concerning the Indians of the Western Hemisphere. In 1942, Julia M. Schmitz proposed a modified schedule for the classification of Native American materials. The schedule was based on the DDC number 970.1: “North American native races, Indians of North America” under the heading “General History of the United States.” This schedule has been revised in 1962, 1986, and 2006.

“Hidden Book History, Unknown and Untapped: Signed Bookbindings in Rare Book Collections”, Robert J. Milevski

Historically, some rare book libraries have noted gold-stamped and other highly decorated bookbindings in their collections as well as the work of famous binders. However, the vast majority of signed bindings—that is, bindings in which the binders have left a mark identifying themselves—remain hidden and unknown, an untapped resource with the potential to be discovered and to bring researchers of many stripes into the reading rooms of these libraries. This paper will review the range of signed bindings from the 11th century to the present, discuss how libraries may proactively discover and record these bindings in their rare book and other collections, and provide examples of how researchers can use signed bindings to uncover hidden book history.