Attitudes About And The Affects Of The Use Of Student Assistants In Special Collections And Archives.

The continuing backlog in collections processing could be reduced through the application of More Product Less Process (MPLP) or other approaches, but the effort is still hampered by a lack of personnel to assign to processing. This discussion addresses whether it is possible to consider student assistants a viable labor source in special collections and archives to mitigate this personnel gap. A retrospective literature review determined historical attitudes toward the use of student assistants in academic libraries and the tasks that students were capable of performing. Study participants practicing in Special Collections and Archives in academic libraries in Georgia were interviewed concerning their views on student assistants. Their responses were compared against the perceptions uncovered in the literature review. These responses revealed that historical attitudes toward student assistants persist, but that students can be a viable labor source to mitigate labor shortages

Se l’archivio è artificiale. Verso uno ius archivi partecipativo?

The article, starting from consolidated methodological observations, aims to evaluate the concept of digital archive in a critical and comparative key, analyzing sedimentation processes that give rise to peculiar and “artificial” aggregations, such as invented archives and participatory archives. An attempt is also made to reflect on the consequences of the multiplication of potential producers and on the idea of democratization of history, with particular reference to the role of the archival discipline in these scenario

Theoretical and methodological assumptions of legacies preservation in libraries

Cilj. Cilj je rada razrada teorijskog okvira očuvanja legata s posebnim osvrtom na specifičnosti koje nalazimo u knjižnicama. Svrha je rada stvaranje teorijsko-metodološkog polazišta za daljnja istraživanja kojima će biti moguće dobiti sveobuhvatniji uvid u stanje očuvanja legata u knjižnicama u Republici Hrvatskoj. Pristup/metodologija/dizajn. U radu je razrađen teorijski pregled najvažnijih tema u okviru problematike očuvanja legata u knjižnicama. Prikazan je pregled relevantne literature pri čemu je poseban fokus stavljen na razmatranja terminoloških i pravnih pitanja te problematiku očuvanja, obrade, organizacije i smještaja legata u knjižnicama kao i pitanja njihova vrednovanja i uporabe. Rezultati. Na temelju teorijskih razmatranja dobiven je uvid u percepciju legata kao vrijednosti i za knjižnicu i za širu lokalnu zajednicu. Sveobuhvatno je definiran pojam legata u knjižnicama s čitavoga niza gledišta, a poseban naglasak stavljen je na moguće prepreke i probleme s kojima se susreću knjižničari u radu s ovim posebnim zbirkama. Razmatrana je problematika legata kroz različite aspekte upravljanja zaštitom što je rezultiralo definiranjem sveobuhvatnog teorijskog okvira očuvanja legata u knjižnicama. Ograničenja. Problematika legata, njihove organizacije i očuvanja u RH nije do sada sustavno istraživana. Prepreke u radu s legatima najčešće su vidljive kroz raspršene podatke o zbirkama i/ili nepostojanje evidencije baštinskih zbirki na nacionalnoj razini. Također je u velikoj mjeri prisutna i neobrađenost zbirki zbog nedostatka osoblja, financijskih i prostornih ograničenja, a što za rezultat ima nedostupnost građe za korisnike, te neprepoznatost legata kao vrijednosti na institucionalnoj, regionalnoj i nacionalnoj razini. Praktična primjena. Rad treba promatrati kao temeljni doprinos sustavnom promišljanju legata u knjižnicama, njihovoj organizaciji te očuvanju i prezentaciji u kontekstu kulturne baštine kao jednog osobito značajnog dijela kulturne baštine. Originalnost/vrijednost. Mogući su različiti pristupi obradi, organizaciji, pohrani i dostupnosti legata u knjižnicama. U radu je prikazan teorijski okvir očuvanja legata i najvažniji podaci o njihovu upravljanju i organizaciji. Razrada teorijskog okvira očuvanja legata u knjižnicama predstavlja polazište za daljnje sveobuhvatno i sustavno istraživanje legata kao vrlo važnog dijela cjelokupnog korpusa naše kulturne baštine. Pri tome se valja osobito usmjeriti na pitanja implementacije učinkovitih rješenja u knjižničnoj praksi.Purpose. The aim of the paper is to develop a theoretical framework for the preservation of legacies with regard to the specifics that we find in libraries. The purpose of the paper is to create a theoretical and methodological starting point for further research that will make it possible to gain a more comprehensive insight into the state of preservation of legacies in libraries in the Republic of Croatia. Approach/methodology/design. A review of the relevant literature is presented, with a special focus on the consideration of terminological and legal issues and the issue of preservation, processing, organization and placement of legacies in libraries, as well as the issue of their evaluation and use. Findings. Based on theoretical considerations, insight was gained into the perception of legacies as values both for the library and for the wider local community. The notion of legacies in libraries is comprehensively defined from a whole range of points of view, and special emphasis is placed on possible obstacles and problems encountered by librarians in working with these special collections. The issue of legacies through various aspects of protection management was considered, which resulted in the definition of a comprehensive theoretical framework for the preservation of legacies in libraries. Research limitations/implications. The issue of legacies, their organization and preservation in the Republic of Croatia has not been systematically researched so far. Obstacles to working with legacies are most often visible through scattered data on collections and/or the lack of records of heritage collections at the national level. There is also a large number of unprocessed collections due to the lack of staff, financial and spatial constraints, which results in the unavailability of materials for users, and unrecognized legacies as values at the institutional, regional and national levels. Practical implications. This paper should be seen as a basic contribution to the systematic consideration of legacies in libraries, their organization, preservation and presentation in the context of cultural heritage as one of the main identity features. Originality/value. Different approaches to the processing, organization, storage and availability of legacies in libraries are possible. The paper presents the theoretical framework of this issue and presents general data on legacies, their management, organization and preservation. The elaboration of the theoretical framework for the preservation of legacies in libraries is the starting point for further comprehensive and systematic research of legacies as a very important part of the entire corpus of our cultural heritage. In doing so, special attention should be paid to the issue of implementation of effective solutions in library practice

Special Collections - Challenges and Contexts: A Case Study

Special collections are undergoing a period of rapid change, as are the libraries of which they are often a part. The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) decided in the late 1990s to study special collections at member institutions in light of changing demands and expectations from users, new technologies, and changing fiscal realities. The purpose of this study is to offer an overview of the challenges facing special collections as presented by the ARL and to determine whether these challenges are also being experienced at smaller institutions that are not affiliated with a research library. To this end, the paper will present a case study of Special Collections at the University of North Carolina, Asheville (UNCA)

Discovery of Streaming Video Resources in Academic Library Collections

This study examined library websites for the types of materials provided for end-users for the discovery of streaming media. Focusing on vendored and government-provided streaming media, the study sought to establish how libraries are currently handling streaming media materials which were not generated in house. A sample of ARL Member Institutions was taken for analysis, followed by a qualitative content analysis of web sites which focused on several key areas; library home pages, FAQ information, Subject and Class guides, and cataloging. The study found that discovery tools for streaming video are still at a basic level. Libraries were giving basic information on the contents of streaming media resources, but had inconsistent amounts of information on video format, technical requirements, and low amounts of information on copyright for media materials. A greater need for individual cataloging is recommended for vendored resources to promote surreptitious discovery

The use of cataloguing tools and resources by cataloguers in the University of Malawi libraries and the Malawi National Library service in providing access to information.

Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.This study investigated the us e of cataloguing tools and resour ces in the University of Malawi (UNIMA) Libraries and the Malawi National Library Service (MNLS) in providing access to information. Cataloguing tools and resources are mainly used by cataloguers to process library materials fo r easy location and access to the collection. The cataloguer’s goal is to meet user needs and make available materials and services for the purpose of supporting the learning, te aching and research needs of the UNIMA Libraries and the MNLS. Cataloguing practice in most of the acad emic and public libraries in developing countries has lagged behind due to financial constraints. Poor budget allocations and economic problems have forced many libraries to operate inefficiently without preparing cataloguers for the work with effective training. The UNIMA Libraries and the MNLS have also been affected by this economic problem. In order to find out how catal oguing tools and resources are being used by cataloguers in UNIMA Libraries and the MNLS in providing access to information, a study sample consisting of fifty cataloguers and directors (Librarians) of libraries was chosen. The cataloguers and directors of libra ries were surveyed by means of a self administered questionnaire a nd an interview schedule to investigate availability and use of cataloguing tools and re sources and the effectiveness of the services to provide for the information needs of the users. Other information requested from the respondents related to the probl ems encountered with the tool s and training offered to the cataloguers. A to tal of thirty-fiv e cataloguers and directors of libraries responded yielding a 70 % response rate. The results were analysed using SPSS. The results were shown in the form of tables and figures. The study revealed that the majority of cataloguers in the UNIMA Libraries and the MNLS used the cataloguing t ools and resources but relati vely infrequently. Results also revealed that the cata loguers encountered various pr oblems with the tools which most of them attributed to a lack of training to adequately prepare them for cataloguing requirements. In addition, the majority of libraries had cataloguing iv backlogs which were attribut ed to various factors such as a lack of professionally trained staff in cataloguing and a lack of cataloguing tools and resources. Recommendations and sugges tions to improve the catal oguing practice in general were made by both the researcher and re spondents with regard to the findings and the literature reviewed

Access to special and local studies collections in UK public libraries

This dissertation investigates access to special and local studies collections in UK public libraries. The aim was to provide an overview of the state of, and current practices connected with, user access to such collections, since much current literature in the area is case study orientated. The issues covered relate to current user access, including the existence and availability of catalogues, and the use of original and surrogate materials in both physical and virtual forms. A review of appropriate literature was carried out to gain background knowledge of the area and to aid in the formulation of data collection questions. A web based questionnaire was used in order to attain the size and distribution of sample needed to provide the overview sought. Relevant electronic mailing lists were used for questionnaire distribution. Data analysis showed a high proportion of collections which are partially or completely uncatalogued. The importance of maintaining a balance between user access, preservation and financial concerns also came through strongly. The difficulty of gaining funding for surrogacy creation (mainly digitisation) was also a main theme in both the study results and related literature. Parallels were drawn between themes evident from this study and those identified in related studies of surrogacy creation funding in archives and local studies libraries (Ward 2004), and digitisation in the UK higher education sector (Bültmann et al. 2005)

Knowing What We Have: Proposing a Sustainable Workflow for the Assessment of Digitized Archival Collections at Wilson Library

The purpose of this paper was to develop a sustainable assessment workflow that could determine if existing digitized archival collections materials in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Wilson Library accurately reflect the current digitization goals of Wilson Special Collections, the broader goals of the UNC Libraries, and the goals outlined by the UNC Libraries’ Reckoning Initiative. To do this, a pilot assessment of four digitized archival collections at Wilson Library was conducted to determine: (1) what types of materials have been digitized, (2) what those materials are about, and (3) who created and/or is depicted in those materials. Descriptive metadata records of digitized archival materials were enhanced and analyzed. The results of this research provide a workflow that can be used to undertake a full-scale assessment and an example of the types of findings and visualizations that a larger assessment could produce.Master of Science in Information Scienc