Collection Gaps: The Detrimental Effect on Archival Collections

  Bowers, J., Crowe, K., & Keeran, P. (2017). “If You Want the History of a White Man, You Go to the Library” : Critiquing Our Legacy, Addressing Our Library Collections Gaps. Collection Management, 42(3–4), 159–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/01462679.2017.1329104

Submitted By: Gracie Petersmeyer

Summary

    In the article entitled "If You Want the History of a White Man, You Go to the Library' by Jennifer Bowers, Katherine Crowe, and Peggy Keeran, the University of Denver special collections librarians, our authors, are actively critiquing their collection is relation to its lack of content regarding Native American voices. 

    "In 2016, the Task Force on Native American Inclusivity [at the University of Denver] provided recommendations for more inclusion of Native American culture, history, and experience in the curriculum; a memorandum of understanding between DU and the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations," (Bowers et. al., 2017, p. 159). The University of Denver, being one of the first universities built when expanding westward, has a long and troubled past with the Native American communities surrounding the institution. The founding of the university was only completed in part due to a massacure of native populations by an early university public figure (Bowers  et. al., 2017, p.161). Over the course of the article, the university librarians determine that their special archives collection is not necessarily lacking in documents regarding the indigenous communities surrounding the university, but they are lacking in materials in their voice. Almost all of the collections are from the perspective a white person rather than the indigenous communities that were actively being colonized. 

    The librarians lay out a plan for how to better their collection as well as reframe the narrative of the topics discussed when from the point of view of a white colonizer. Using aspects of critical race theory and the feminist 'ethics of care' the librarians "critique collecting and cataloging practices, as these are often a continuation of the institutionalized dehumanization of marginalized people," (Bowers et. al., 2017, p. 163). While the librarians can't grow their collection significantly due to funding, they suggest buying a few titles and other materials that focus narrative on indigenous perspective, while working to actively reframe the collections that they already have from a different perspective. They also suggest utilizing online databases that have large collection of primary and secondary sources regarding these topics, such as the Library of Congress or ProQuest. The Indigenous communities currently living today should also be involved whenever possible, as these materials might be sensitive and require approval for use (Bowers et. al., 2017, pp. 167-169).

    When the archival materials are used in classes, for observation or otherwise, librarians should instruct the students to consider other perspectives. Since the current collection is mostly written from the perspective of white colonizers, student's should use other primary and secondary resources provided by the institution for context,  (Bowers et. al., 2017, pp. 172).

Opinion/Evaluation

    Overall, I thought that this article was well thought out and well researched. The librarians' recognize that their collections need to be updated and the perspective needs to be shifted. Their enthusiasm for this shift is evident and it is nice to see and institution that has been so involved in the history of the colonization of Indigenous lands be actively working towards making a difference in the history told. 

    I thought that the librarians' research into different theories of thought and teaching was throughout, as well as the context that followed. I also appreciated the inclusion of the cataloging and archival systems created by Indigenous archivists, even if it is not recognized by the Society of American Archivists. These conversations are important to have and those in power in institutions such as the University of Denver must continue to do better to represent everyone in history. 

    

Reexamining the Documentation Strategy of Archival Acquisitions in a Web 2.0 Environment

Hamby, Megan

Thomas, L. M. (2012). The Embedded Curator: Reexamining the Documentation Strategy of Archival Acquisitions in a Web 2.0 Environment. RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts & Cultural Heritage, 13(1), 38-48.

This article introduces the term “embedded Curator” which is essentially someone who documents a specific community using a collection policy while also serving as a resource to that community. With the ever developing digital age we live in, the article discusses the need to find ways to archive digital material using collection development policies and the struggle with preserving digital records in time before they no longer become available. These curators can use a something called More Product Less Process (MLPL) which helps with community and donor relationships and the collection or they can speak directly to their donors early on before records are gifted to an institution. Thomas stresses the importance of sharing archival processes with donors and communities so that these communities might be better informed in how they can back up and preserve important files for archiving.

I found this article interesting because it focuses on how important it is to implement a solid collection development policy in order to archive important and relevant digital materials from various communities. According to Thomas, “well-designed collection development policies and deeds of gift can provide curators with tools and documentation to allow them to change their minds about the direction of the collection…should they need to do so” (p. 40). These embedded curators can also impact the collection and archival processes by speaking to the donors about the importance of maintaining their records for future archiving. This was interesting because often I hear of stories of archival records coming to repositories in boxes without any arrangement or order. By speaking directly to important donors whose records are anticipated being gifted, curators and archivists would be able to satisfy their collection policy much easier. 

Developing an Archival Zine Collection

Brett, J. (2015). “Deep in the Heart of Texzines:” Developing an Archival Zine Collection. Technical Services Quarterly, 32(4), 390-401.

I found this article to be extremely fascinating, for it describes the creation and development of a zine collection at Cushing Memorial Library at Texas A&M University.  The author had developed a similar zine collection at the University of Iowa, so he used that experience as the basis to do the same at Texas.  Brett was motivated to collect zines because they are cultural artifacts that represent the diversity of people in this country, and their voices tend to be those who are outside the mainstream.  Also, as an archivist, Brett felt inclined to preserve these records, especially given “their ephemeral and underground nature.”  He outlines the steps taken to build the collection, such as getting administrative support, developing a collection policy, and hosting a zine event at the library to publicize the collection.  Zines are not a common source/record that are collected.  By and large they are still seen as being on the margins, and perhaps as disposable.  But in the author’s eyes, zines are worth preserving, and will one day be important historical sources.  I would recommend this article to anyone interested in zines and collection development, for it shows how one particular archivist, through his vision and efforts, was able to establish such a collection.

Using Outreach Efforts to Acquire Documentation

Christina Perris
INFO 266
Fall 2015

Using Outreach Efforts to Acquire Documentation

Hughes-Watkins, Lae'l. (2014). Filling in the gaps: Using outreach efforts to acquire documentation on the black campus movement, 1965-1972. Archival Issues: Journal of the Midwest Archives Conference, 36(1), 27-42.

This journal article focuses on the Department of Special Collections and Archives at Kent State University’s efforts to develop their collection of documentation on the Black Campus Movement, 1965-1972.  The archivist opens by presenting a brief history of the black campus movement: first, on broad, national scale; then, in the context of how it was on the campus of Kent State.  The archivist discusses the efforts she undertook to assess the deficiency in the department’s collections through a survey of the holdings, and then how she creates a collection development plan to address these shortcomings.  The archivist goes on to explain how she reviewed the outreach strategy and brought it into alignment with the new collection development plan.  She then explains how she went on the acquiring the collection focused on the black campus movement and black student life.

This article is an probably one of the most ambitious, thorough and detailed accounts of what it truly takes to acquire a representative collection – whether it is specifically targeted to a special collection department, a special collections department with an archive or an archive alone – in your repository.  Whether you work in an academic library of a state-run university with a special collections department or a local historical society’s community-based archive, it might be advisable to be somewhat versed in the history of the United States educational system as it relates to state-run universities (at least, the “major events” in the system, such as the passage of Civil Rights legislation, students rights movements, etc.) or the basic history of the community.  Knowing the history – preferably from unbiased, academic sources – will allow to assess where “gaps” in the existing collection lie.  Once you identify these gaps, as the author did, you can then determine how to “remedy” them and present a more complete – and therefore, accurate – representation of the history of the institution or community.      

 

Collection Policy and the Library of Congress

       During our last workshop, we explored library policy. This post examines areas of policy within the Library of Congress. By exploring elements used and not used by our National model of libraries we can assess how other libraries adapt policies, and if they align with Library of Congress Practices. They provide the policy framework to support the Library's responsibilities to serve the Congress as well as the United States Government as a whole, the scholarly community, and the general public (LOC, 2008). The collection policy begins by defining who the policy serves. Second, the LOC explains what the collection policy does, “They set forth the scope, level of collecting intensity and goals sought by the Library to fulfill its service mission” (LOC, 2008). While these points are simple, they are strategically important in order to make decisions about collection developments.  Fundamental principal of the collection include:

• The Library should possess all books and other materials (whether in original form or copy) which record the life and achievement of the American people; and
• The Library should possess in some useful form, the records of other societies, past and present, and should accumulate, in original or in copy, full and representative collections of the written records of those societies and peoples whose experience is of most immediate concern to the people of the United States.

This principals continue and a framing of the design begins is easily understood by both librarians, government officials, and the general population. LOC policies continue and branch off to different subjects. Picking a subject at random, the LOC maintains a sense of their frameworks when examining earth sciences. The Library is committed to collecting all subject areas in earth sciences primarily at the research level regardless of formats in order to serve the needs of the Congress, scholars, and the general public, and to carry out the Library’s archival responsibility to collect and preserve historical materials for tomorrow’s researchers (LOC, 2008). The model of policy frameworks for the LOC collection is a great reference for librarians to use when defining their own library policy. 

References:

Library of Congress, November 2008

http://www.loc.gov/acq/devpol/earth.pdf

http://www.loc.gov/acq/devpol/cps.html

10,000 Zines and Counting: A library's quest to save the history of Fandom!

          

       Ward, Tyler

         Robertson, A. (2015, September 4). 10,000 zines and counting: a library’s quest to save the history of fandom | The Verge.  from http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/4/9257455/university-iowa-fanzine-fan-culture-preservation-project  Retrieved September 13, 2015,

      Summary: This blog posts details the Special Collection of the University of Iowa and their current project: saving fanzines. First question, what is a fanzine? A fanzine is a magazine usually for a specific fandom (Superman, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, you get the picture), but a fanzine is done usually by the community, and by amateurs. A modern online example would be TORN (TheOneRing.net) a fandom website that is 100% dedicated to keeping the Tolkien fandom updated on goings on in publishing, cinema, or other related Tolkien news. This tracks some of the earliest cases of "fandom" and how the communities developed

     Evaluation: Fanzines are important and show the different ways that users of information can collaborate on a single project. It's certainly interesting historically because we can see how fandoms have changed through the century and how communities developed and interacted with information. It's also interesting because it shows how the average user can be a creator! 

Metadata For Image Collections

Casso, Gillian

Metadata For Image Collections

Woodward, E. e. (2014). Metadata for image collections.  American Libraries, 45(6), 42-44.

Summary:  This article talks about digitizing materials and making them accessible on the Internet. While making these resources available to the public makes patrons happy and makes the library even more visible to the community it can also be a burden to library staff. Many of these resources haven’t been properly prepared and the quantity of these images becomes more important than the quality of the descriptive metadata. If the item is minimally described or the if it is tagged inappropriately then that makes the item difficult to find in search results. Minimally described images are easier and faster to upload, but when each item is unique then an item level description is more desirable.  Before any launch of a large collection low-level descriptive standards should be in place before the collection is launched online.

Evaluation: I believe that in an online environment materials should be tagged and described in the most comprehensive way possible. This makes each item fast to find. If an item is tagged in a way that I wouldn’t logically think of it being tagged then I won’t be able to find it, unless I just happen to chance upon it. Items that have little or no descriptive metadata aren’t useful to anyone because they won’t be found. Items must be described adequately if they are to be useful to those looking for them. The library that I work at recently digitized a photography collection and unfortunately the only easy way to find the collection is if a patron knows the exact name of the collection. This makes it difficult to find for our patrons. It is unlikely that a patron will just happen to come across the collection.