The Practice, Power, and Promise of Archival Collections Assessment

Abstract

In the ongoIng transItIon from institution-centered collections to a user-centered world of networked information, the role of the research library has changed dramatically. "Rather than focusing on acquiring the products of scholarship," a recent ARL issue brief noted, "the library is now an engaged agent supporting and embedded within the processes of scholarship."1 Successful collection management in this new environment has become a juggling act requiring careful consideration of a number of factors including the proliferation of shared print repositories, the shift to patron-driven acquisitions, the role of digital surrogates in discovery and use, and the importance of redirecting effort from bringing the "outside in" (acquiring local inventory) to pushing the "inside out" (surfacing distinctive collections).2 Accompanying this transformation is a recurring theme in which the role of special collections is increasingly prominent.3 If research libraries are successful in realigning general print collections, and if indeed their focus is now more oriented to building and exposing collections of rare and unique materials and collections of "local" importance-those that support the teaching, learning, and research mission of the institution-then research libraries must assess their existing special collections with the goal of reducing cataloging and processing backlogs, effectively disclosing existing collections, and strategically acquiring new ones.

Data-Driven Decision Making: An Holistic Approach to Assessment in Special Collections Repositories

“…More recent literature, particularly the Fall 2012 special RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage issue on assessment, focuses on a varied array of hypothetical assessment strategies for special collections and archives. Articles from this issue establish the framework for an evidence-based practice approach to assessment (Chapman & Yakel, 2012), outline methods for conducting archival collections assessment (Conway & Proffitt, 2012) and instruction assessment (Bahde & Smedberg, 2012), and considerations for assessing online finding aid and website design (Hu, 2012). Only one article offers a practical case study, detailing how assessment methodologies might be applied in a specific circumstance (Gustainis, 2012).…”

Appraisal Practices in University Special Collections

“…This argument has already been made in the literature, suggesting that well-defined collection policies can promote cooperation and lessen competition (Conway & Proffitt, 2012). Future research could, however, consider how archivists define value at institutions lacking collection policies.…”

“…However, this research value was defined variably among the different participants. This variability arises because the term "research value" typically pertains to the value of a collection in relation: to how rare, extensive, or detailed information about a topic that has received substantial prior attention, is currently gaining prominence, or has evident potential to attract significant interest (Conway & Proffitt, 2012). Also notable was the fact that the archivists frequently framed research value through the lens of the collection policy.…”