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Research Library Virtual Resources & Instructional Initiatives: Subtopic: Special Collections

The Virtual Resources and Instructional Initiatives survey produced 230 instances of special or noteworthy projects being supported in ARL libraries. In order to assist readers with focused interests, 18 subtopics have been assigned that group only those survey responses that relate in whole or in part to that topic.

pdf vrii-special-collections-dec08.pdf

 
     

SPEC Kit 307: Manuscript Collections on the Web (October 2008)

SPEC Kit 307 investigates how many manuscript collections are held in ARL member libraries; what percentage of these collections are represented on the Web; what types of information about the collections are available in finding aids and on the Web; what formats are used for finding aids on the Web; how many library staff are working on manuscript collections, the challenges and benefits of migrating collection information to the Web, and whether and how usage of manuscript collection information is tracked. It includes documentation from respondents in the form of manuscript collection Web sites, finding aid Web sites, arrangement and description guidelines, and Web processing procedures.

This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf  for complete pricing and purchase options information.

Link to the online SPEC Kit 307 on the ARL Digital Publications website.

 
 

SPEC Kit 305: Records Management (August 2008)

SPEC Kit 305 explores the state of records management in ARL member institutions. The survey results also show which staff manage records and how much time they spend on this activity; how staff are trained; who pays for records management; who makes policy decisions; what types of materials are included; where these materials are stored; procedures for adding and discarding materials; who may retrieve records from storage; and more. This SPEC Kit includes documentation from respondents in the form of records management unit Web pages, policies, retention schedules, job descriptions, transfer, retrieval, and destruction forms, and management of electronic records.

This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf  for complete pricing and purchase options information.

Link to the online SPEC Kit 305 on the ARL Digital Publications website.

 
 

Celebrating Research: Rare and Special Collections from the Membership of the Association of Research Libraries

Philip N. Cronenwett, Kevin Osborn, Samuel A. Streit, eds. • 2007 • ISBN 978-1-59407-769-2 • 312 pp., 402 illus., index

This compendium includes 118 special collection profiles, each from a different ARL member library. Each profile is illustrated with color photographs and tells a story of a single collection, recounting how the resources were acquired and developed. Also included is an introductory essay by British rare book expert Nicolas Barker and an appendix that provides a broad description of each library's special collection holdings and pertinent contact information. The book contains a detailed index; the companion Web site provides a search engine.

Print copies are also available for $135 ($115 ARL members) plus shipping & handling.

 
 

SPEC Kit 300: Open Access Resources (September 2007)

SPEC Kit 300 gathers information on whether and how ARL member libraries are selecting, providing access to, cataloging, hosting, tracking usage of, and promoting the use of open access research literature for their patrons by using established library resources such as the OPAC and link resolvers. It includes documentation from respondents in the form of newsletter articles and blogs, open access and institutional repository Web pages, and collection development and cataloging policies.

This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf  for complete pricing and purchase options information.

Link to the online SPEC Kit 300 on the ARL Digital Publications website.

 
 

Research Libraries' Enduring Responsibility for Preservation

Collectively ARL libraries hold more than 470 million print volumes. These works are complemented by many digital works and special collections. Preservation has long been an area of significant activity both for ARL and its member libraries. In 2007, the ARL Task Force on the Future of Preservation in Research Libraries convened a group of preservation experts and association leaders who issued a set of recommendations for ARL, associations sharing ARL’s preservation concerns, and ARL member libraries. This statement expresses the emphasis the task force sees for research libraries and their preservation mission: “For the scholars and researchers we serve to have enduring access to scholarship in all formats, ARL members libraries must invest in maintaining strong local and cooperative preservation programs.”

pdf preservation-responsibility-24july07.pdf

 
 

SPEC Kit 298: Metadata (July 2007)

SPEC Kit 298 investigates how metadata is implemented in ARL member libraries: which staff are creating metadata and for what kinds of digital objects, what schemas and tools they use to create and manage metadata, what skills metadata staff need and how they acquire them, and the organizational changes and challenges that metadata has brought to libraries. It includes documentation from respondents in the form of mission statements, organization charts, job descriptions, and policies.

This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf  for complete pricing and purchase options information.

Link to the online SPEC Kit 298 on the ARL Digital Publications website.

 
 

Letter to Steve Leggett re: comments in support of a study on the current state of recorded sound preservation in the United States (Jan. 26, 2007)

This statement is submitted on behalf of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in response to the request by the Library of Congress for comments in support of a study on the current state of recorded sound preservation in the United States. Sound recordings are a critically important part of our Nation's cultural and educational landscape. As a consequence, the scope of these collections within the ARL community is significant and diverse. Unfortunately, these collections are also in various stages of risk.

pdf lt-leggett-avmaterials-study-26jan07.pdf

 
   

SPEC Kit 294: Managing Digitization Activities (September 2006)

SPEC Kit 294 investigates the purposes of ARL member libraries’ digitization efforts, the organizational structures these libraries use to manage digital initiatives, whether and how staff have been reassigned to support digitization activities, where funding to sustain digital activities originated and how that funding is allocated, how priorities are determined, whether libraries are outsourcing any digitization work, and how the success of libraries’ digital activities has been assessed. It includes documentation from respondents in the form of organization charts, mission statements, job descriptions, policies and procedures, and selection criteria.

This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf  for complete pricing and purchase options information.

Link to the online SPEC Kit 294 on the ARL Digital Publications website.

 
 

ARL Special Collections Task Force Final Status Report

This is the final report of the ARL Special Collections Task Force, chaired by Joe Hewitt. The task force was charged with advancing a seven-point action plan. The final status report summarizes the task force’s activities. An addendum recommends further actions to be taken.
pdf special-collections-task-force-final-status-report-july2006.pdf

 
 

SPEC Kit 292: Institutional Repositories (July 2006)

SPEC Kit 292 collects baseline data about ARL member institutions’ institutional repository activities. For the purposes of this survey, an IR was simply defined as a permanent, institution-wide repository of diverse locally produced digital works (e.g., article preprints and postprints, data sets, electronic theses and dissertations, learning objects, and technical reports) that is available for public use and supports metadata harvesting. If an institution shares an IR with other institutions, it was within the scope of this survey. Not included in this definition were scholars’ personal Web sites; academic department, school, or other unit digital archives that are primarily intended to store digital materials created by members of that unit; or disciplinary archives that include digital materials about one or multiple subjects that have been created by authors from many different institutions (e.g., arXiv.org). This SPEC Kit includes documentation from respondents in the form of IR home pages, IR usage statistics, deposit policies, metadata policies, preservation policies, and IR proposals.

This publication is available for purchase in both online and print versions. Download the spec-kit-purchase-options-2013.pdf  for complete pricing and purchase options information.

Link to the online SPEC Kit 292 on the ARL Digital Publications website.

 
         

Sound Savings: Preserving Audio Collections

Edited by Judith Matz • 2004 • ISBN 1-59407-663-4 • 158pp.

In July 2003, many of the key stakeholders in audiovisual preservation met at the University of Texas at Austin to share their experiences and discuss the challenges ahead, specifically in the area of preserving sound recordings. The program featured talks by experts on topics ranging from assessing the preservation needs of audio collections to creating, preserving, and making publicly available digitally reformatted audio recordings. Conference attendees--critical stakeholders of the future of audio preservation--articulated seven areas for future action to move the field effectively forward. In this publication, ARL presents the symposium papers and these recommendations for future action.

pdf sound-savings.pdf

Print copies are also available for $45.00 plus shipping & handling.

 
 

Education and Training for Careers in Special Collections: A White Paper Prepared for the Association of Research Libraries Special Collections Task Force

Responding to data gathered by the 1998 Survey of Special Collections in ARL Libraries and anecdotal evidence, the ARL Task Force on Special Collections investigated issuesrelated to education and training needs for careers in special collections. The resulting white paper considersthe scope of need, surveys the current environment, and proposes recommended strategies and action items for ARL and other organizations and groups.

pdf special-coll-career-training-nov04.pdf

 
       

Library Print Preservation: An Administrative Briefing

George J. Soete with Janice Mohlhenrich Lathrop • 2003 • ISBN 0-918006-99-6 • 29 pp.

This publication responds to a need articulated by ARL library directors for a brief non-technical survey of preservation, preservation methods--their appropriate uses, advantages, and disadvantages--and preservation costs. It is intended to provide an overview and to help library administrators in their local planning for preservation and in their communication with preservation specialists.

pdf library-print-preservation.pdf

Print copies are also available for $15.00 plus shipping & handling.

 
     

Special Collections Statement of Principles: Research Libraries and the Commitment to Special Collections

This statement of principles, "Research Libraries and the Commitment to Special Collections," was prepared by the ARL Task Force on Special Collections in December 2002 and endorsed by the ARL Board of Directors on February 6, 2003.

pdf special-collections-statement-of-principles-2003.pdf

 
   
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