PROPOSAL TYPE
Traditional Panel
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
RELATED TOPICS
- Archives
- Museums/Exhibits
- Social Justice
ABSTRACT
For the curators, archivists, and librarians working in Special Collections Divisions across the state and country, maintaining a historical record through the collection of manuscripts, multimedia, and printed forms is not only important but necessary. Despite all this, we are often unaware of the need to maintain our own records for future use and research. This presentation explores the archives and digs into the History of Special Collections at the J. Willard Marriott Library, from its early antecedents in the “Utah Room” to its present-day iteration. Tracing this trajectory through materials in Special Collection’s own holdings presents a story of dedication, scholarship, and a commitment to research and access that continues today
DESCRIPTION
“History of Special Collections” (tentative title) will be presented by Lyuba Basin and Rachel Ernst, the Rare Books Curator and Special Collections Reference Librarian at the J. Willard Marriott Library.
The presentation emphasizes the need to think about the archival history of the archives themselves and demonstrates the importance of developing and maintaining “institutional knowledge” as it applies to research libraries across the state — which will only become more urgent as we begin collecting digital-born records.
We would love feedback from the Program Committee on issues or topics they would like to see addressed in such a presentation, or to provide other suggestions and comments.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Lyuba Basin, University of Utah, [email protected]
ALL FEEDBACK AND OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 7, 2023. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
Hello! The NCPH meetings often value interactivity, so you might want to rethink the traditional panel format in a way that engages the audience. I agree with your point that the topic of the history of archives is often under-appreciated. I’m particularly interested in the topics of Utah history that intersect with social justice. Good luck!
As a fellow archivist, I find this topic to be very interesting and one that I have struggled with as well. There was no written history of the archives and very little in the collection to document it. Consider looking for collaborators who offer additional perspectives of other archives. It could also be good to consider how the existence or lack of records influence the public historians’ ability to do their work.
I agree with Kathleen Broeder above about broadening this beyond the Marriott. And perhaps beyond a university special collection. Maybe partner with a county collection such as the Uintah County History Research Center, or similar in another state.
In working in preservation, I like this topic. Understanding the history preserved and why could entice others to consider ways to keep a record of their own. I would like to know your thoughts concerning keeping digital history.
This is a great topic. I would be particularly interested in a discussion of what archival materials/perspectives the archive has sought to preserve, how those decisions have been made, and how they have changed over time (or not). Similarly, questions about access to records — have access policies changed at all over time? I also agree with the comments above; I think this panel would benefit from additional presenters from other archives, and thinking of ways to engage the audience beyond a traditional panel format.