For immediate release:
November 17, 2008

For more information, contact:
Lee Anne George
Association of Research Libraries
202-296-2296
leeanne@arl.org

Manuscript Collections on the Web, SPEC Kit 307, Published by ARL

Washington DC—The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has published Manuscript Collections on the Web, SPEC Kit 307, which surveys ARL libraries' current efforts to provide information about their manuscript collections online.

There is growing demand from users, administrators, and donors for Web availability of manuscript collection information. Many of those who are responsible for the arrangement and description of manuscript and archival materials suffer from chronic backlogs and often lament the lack of resources (staff and time) to deal with their workloads. How do libraries accomplish the task of posting information about their valuable resources online?

This SPEC survey investigated 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.

Of the 123 ARL member libraries, 72 completed the survey by the March 2008 deadline for a response rate of 59%. All of the survey respondents indicated that they are managing to post at least some information about their manuscript collections on the Web. Most of the comments indicated that the respondents want to post more information online, but are unable to do so for a variety of reasons, primarily staff and time constraints. Almost all respondents are creating MARC records for their collections; fewer are creating EAD finding aids. A select few represent all of their manuscript collections on the Web in some way, either as MARC records, brief blurbs in HTML, or EAD finding aids.

The survey results also show that librarians and archivists squeeze arrangement and description duties in between a multitude of other responsibilities. They are not the only staff in these institutions who perform these tasks, but they do spend larger percentages of their time than anyone else on actually adding information to the Web.

This SPEC Kit includes documentation from respondents in the form of manuscript collection Web sites, finding aid Web sites, Web sites of collaborative online resources, arrangement and description guidelines, and Web processing procedures.

The table of contents and executive summary from this SPEC Kit are available online at http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/spec307web.pdf.

Ordering Information

SPEC Kit 307, Manuscript Collections on the Web
Donnelly Lancaster Walton
October 2008 • ISBN 1-59407-806-8 • 198 pp. • $45 ($35 ARL members)

Shipping and Handling

US: UPS Ground, $10/publication
Canada: UPS Ground, $15/per publication
International and Rush Orders: Call (301) 362-8196 or e-mail pubs@arl.org for quote.

Payment by check, money order, MasterCard, or Visa is accepted. Make check or money order payable in US funds to the Association of Research Libraries, Federal ID #52-0784198-N.

Order from:

ARL Publications Distribution Center
PO Box 531
Annapolis Junction MD 20701-0531
Phone: (301) 362-8196
Fax: (301) 206-9789
E-mail: pubs@arl.org
Web: http://www.arl.org/resources/pubs/pubsorderform.shtml

SPEC Kits Exchange Information

Designed to examine current research library practices and policies and serve as resource guides for libraries as they face ever-changing management problems, each SPEC Kit contains a summary analysis, survey questions with tallies, pertinent documentation from participating libraries, and a reading list and Web site references for further information on the topic.

Subscribe to SPEC

2008 SPEC Kit subscription (ISSN 0160-3582): $220 ARL member/$290 nonmember, six issues per year, shipping included (additional postage may apply outside North America).

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 123 research libraries in North America. Its mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the Web at http://www.arl.org/.