I searched Google to find a good website for a special collections or archive in an academic or public library. I found a great website entitled The Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library of the Duke University Libraries. What was particularly interesting was the Research Guides and Pathfinders section. The description of this section is "Staff members have compiled a variety of guides and pathfinders based on topics that may provide helpful direction if you are beginning a research project. Please note that these guides provide highlights, not comprehensive lists."
The URL for the website is http://library.duke.edu/specialcollections/
The website also includes excellent archival finding aids, guides to manuscript collections, and information about their digitized collections. This of course is not an exhaustive or extensive list but rather the highlights I found interesting. There were plenty of other websites that were interesting but I loved the pathfinders that Duke provided.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Competency 8 -- Research Visual/Multimedia
Digitization of material in archives and special collections has become more prevalent since access is becoming the focus of most archives and special collections. Although I have not addressed this in my blog so far I would be remiss if I went the whole semester without addressing digitization. The following images show the project that the National Library of Australia has undertaken.
The description the website gave before the images was "As of 30 June 2008, a total of 134 228 collection items (consisting of 389 830 images) have been digitized. As of 31 December 2008, the total reached 139,533 items (410,175 images). This includes pictorial material, maps, sheet music, manuscripts, and selected print items. The graphs below illustrate the breakdown of the Library’s digital collections."
Graph 1 – Number of items in the National Library’s digital collections by collection format, as of 31 December 2008
National Library of Australia. 2009. Digital Collections (Items) as of 31 December 2008. http://www.nla.gov.au/digital/images/Graph1Dec2008.JPG
Graph 2 - Number of images in the National Library’s digital collections by collection format, as of 31 December 2008
National Library of Australia. 2009. Digital Collections (Images) as of 31 December 2008.
http://www.nla.gov.au/digital/images/Graph2Dec2008.JPG
The library I work for is also undertaking a digitization initiative. We do not have nearly the numbers of the National Library of Australia but are starting the project to make our collections more accessible to the public as a whole.
The description the website gave before the images was "As of 30 June 2008, a total of 134 228 collection items (consisting of 389 830 images) have been digitized. As of 31 December 2008, the total reached 139,533 items (410,175 images). This includes pictorial material, maps, sheet music, manuscripts, and selected print items. The graphs below illustrate the breakdown of the Library’s digital collections."
Graph 1 – Number of items in the National Library’s digital collections by collection format, as of 31 December 2008
Graph 2 - Number of images in the National Library’s digital collections by collection format, as of 31 December 2008National Library of Australia. 2009. Digital Collections (Images) as of 31 December 2008.
http://www.nla.gov.au/digital/images/Graph2Dec2008.JPG
The library I work for is also undertaking a digitization initiative. We do not have nearly the numbers of the National Library of Australia but are starting the project to make our collections more accessible to the public as a whole.
Competency #7 -- Image
An archive and a special collection in any type of library or location will have varying types of material. I came into this competency hoping I could find an image depicting this. I searched the words archives OR "special collection" on Google Images and came across several images that were reflective of archives and special collections. I found a perfect example of varying types of material from the Business Archives at the University of Glasgow on the Universitas 21 website. Here is the image:
Universitas 21. Business Archives of Glasgow. 2009. http://www.universitas21.com/images/photos/Business%20Archives%20Display%201.jpg
The image above was chosen because it depicts photographs, books, letters, CDs, Floppy Disks, advertising booklets, a company's business register, and various other material. Dealing with the different types of material can be challenging since each requires different care and treatment but the value they bring the researcher makes it all worth it.
Universitas 21. Business Archives of Glasgow. 2009. http://www.universitas21.com/images/photos/Business%20Archives%20Display%201.jpg
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Competency #6 -- Databases -- Citation Pearl Search
The last search I will be conducting is a Citation Pearl Database in the Library Lit Database.
During one of my previous searches I found the article:
Preservation in American Public Libraries: A Contradiction in Terms by Susan L. Tolbert
I decided to look at the subject headings and choose one to explore further.
I chose to search:
Author=tolbert
Title = preservation in american public libraries
The subject heading I chose to explore further was "Preservation of library materials."
Some of the searches returned were:
Conway, P. Tec(h)tonics: Reimagining preservation. College & Research Libraries News v. 69 no. 10 (November 2008) p. 598-601
Anderson, R. Preservation, Yes - But What Shall We Preserve?. Against the Grain v. 20 no. 5 (November 2008) p. 52, 54
Hutchins, D., et. al., The Conservation Kitchen: Basic Tools for Any Preservation Recipe. PNLA Quarterly v. 73 no. 1 (Fall 2008) p. 27
Bee, R. The Importance of Preserving Paper-Based Artifacts in a Digital Age. The Library Quarterly v. 78 no. 2 (April 2008) p. 179-94
Eggert, P. The Conservator's Gaze and the Nature of the Work. Library Trends v. 56 no. 1 (Summer 2007) p. 80-106
-------------------------------------
Reflection on Search: I really liked this search. It provided extremely relevant articles about how to conserve and preserve library, archival, and museum collections. I really liked the Preservation, Yes - But What Shall We Preserve article because it made me think about what really would be beneficial for my library to spend the time to preserve. I think I might try this searching method a lot more because it brought up extremely relevant results and narrowed the search really well.
During one of my previous searches I found the article:
Preservation in American Public Libraries: A Contradiction in Terms by Susan L. Tolbert
I decided to look at the subject headings and choose one to explore further.
I chose to search:
Author=tolbert
Title = preservation in american public libraries
The subject heading I chose to explore further was "Preservation of library materials."
Some of the searches returned were:
Conway, P. Tec(h)tonics: Reimagining preservation. College & Research Libraries News v. 69 no. 10 (November 2008) p. 598-601
Anderson, R. Preservation, Yes - But What Shall We Preserve?. Against the Grain v. 20 no. 5 (November 2008) p. 52, 54
Hutchins, D., et. al., The Conservation Kitchen: Basic Tools for Any Preservation Recipe. PNLA Quarterly v. 73 no. 1 (Fall 2008) p. 27
Bee, R. The Importance of Preserving Paper-Based Artifacts in a Digital Age. The Library Quarterly v. 78 no. 2 (April 2008) p. 179-94
Eggert, P. The Conservator's Gaze and the Nature of the Work. Library Trends v. 56 no. 1 (Summer 2007) p. 80-106
-------------------------------------
Reflection on Search: I really liked this search. It provided extremely relevant articles about how to conserve and preserve library, archival, and museum collections. I really liked the Preservation, Yes - But What Shall We Preserve article because it made me think about what really would be beneficial for my library to spend the time to preserve. I think I might try this searching method a lot more because it brought up extremely relevant results and narrowed the search really well.
Competency #6 -- Databases -- Successive Fractions
My next search will be a successive fractions search in the WorldCat database. I still want to focus on preservation and conservation in libraries, archives, and museums during natural disasters.
I felt the broadest facet would be the search archive OR library OR museum.
S1 is archive OR library OR museum and returned 7,021,068 results. These results did not surprise me though because all terms in this facet are extremely broad.
S1 AND preservation OR conservation returned 351,559 results. These results still did not surprise me though because I had not narrowed down to the specific area I am interested in.
S2 AND natural disaster OR emergency OR catastrophe returned 625 results. These results were a little more manageable compares with the other numbers. I still wanted to narrow it down a little more and chose to add a few limiters.
I limited S3 to the language English, material type Books, and Years 1995-2009. This returned 135 results. A few of the results were:
Preservation : issues and planning /
Author: Banks, Paul N.; Pilette, Roberta.
Publication: Chicago : American Library Association, 2000
Protecting your library's digital sources : the essential guide to planning and preservation /
Author: Kahn, Miriam
Publication: Chicago : American Library Association, 2004
Preserving library materials : a manual /
Author: Swartzburg, Susan G., 1938-
Publication: Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1995
An ounce of prevention : integrated disaster planning for archives, libraries, and record centres /
Author: Wellheiser, Johanna G.; Scott, Jude,
Publication: Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press ; Toronto, Ont. : Canadian Archives Foundation, 2002
Disaster management for libraries and archives /
Author: Matthews, Graham,; Feather, John.
Publication: Aldershot, Hampshire, England ; Burlington, VT : Ashgate Pub., 2003
-------------------------------------
Reflection on Search: I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of relevant results so close to the top. I found several items that I am going to try and get my hands on for further examination. I like this search method because it lets you look at what comes up as you add each additional facet to the search string. This was helpful in finding additional resources that might be filtered out when you add the next facet or buried further down in the results.
I felt the broadest facet would be the search archive OR library OR museum.
S1 is archive OR library OR museum and returned 7,021,068 results. These results did not surprise me though because all terms in this facet are extremely broad.
S1 AND preservation OR conservation returned 351,559 results. These results still did not surprise me though because I had not narrowed down to the specific area I am interested in.
S2 AND natural disaster OR emergency OR catastrophe returned 625 results. These results were a little more manageable compares with the other numbers. I still wanted to narrow it down a little more and chose to add a few limiters.
I limited S3 to the language English, material type Books, and Years 1995-2009. This returned 135 results. A few of the results were:
Preservation : issues and planning /
Author: Banks, Paul N.; Pilette, Roberta.
Publication: Chicago : American Library Association, 2000
Protecting your library's digital sources : the essential guide to planning and preservation /
Author: Kahn, Miriam
Publication: Chicago : American Library Association, 2004
Preserving library materials : a manual /
Author: Swartzburg, Susan G., 1938-
Publication: Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1995
An ounce of prevention : integrated disaster planning for archives, libraries, and record centres /
Author: Wellheiser, Johanna G.; Scott, Jude,
Publication: Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press ; Toronto, Ont. : Canadian Archives Foundation, 2002
Disaster management for libraries and archives /
Author: Matthews, Graham,; Feather, John.
Publication: Aldershot, Hampshire, England ; Burlington, VT : Ashgate Pub., 2003
-------------------------------------
Reflection on Search: I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of relevant results so close to the top. I found several items that I am going to try and get my hands on for further examination. I like this search method because it lets you look at what comes up as you add each additional facet to the search string. This was helpful in finding additional resources that might be filtered out when you add the next facet or buried further down in the results.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Competency #6 -- Databases -- Specific Facet First Search
I next decided to complete a specific facet search in ERIC/Ebscohost. I did not think it would be very successful given the generic nature of each set of search strings independent of each other.
The preservation set gave me 12903 results.
The archive set gave me 63216 results.
The natural disaster set gave me 5061 results.
I looked at the natural disaster set since it was the smallest and at first glance it had nothing to do with what I wanted to research. It did provide interesting information though. I particularly liked the results:
How Disasters Affect Local Labor Markets: The Effects of Hurricanes in Florida
By: Belasen, Ariel R.; Polachek, Solomon W.. Journal of Human Resources, v44 n1 p251-276 Win 2009
Community Preparedness
By: Randazzo, Dante. Community College Journal, v79 n3 p28-30, 32-33 Dec 2008-Jan 2009
While the results did not have anything to do with libraries it did provide general information of which some could be applied to preparing for a natural disaster.
I decided to go back and perform a standard building block search.
When I completed a standard building block search I received 63 results.
I particularly liked:
Preservation in the Digital Age: What Is To Be Done?
By: Smith, Abby. American Libraries, v30 n3 p36-39 Mar 1999
Disaster Response Plan, Cunningham Memorial Library, Indiana State University
By: Gaul, Kathleen. 1998 24 pp
Disaster Response and Planning for Libraries
By: Kahn, Miriam B.. 1998 184 pp.
Preservation in American Public Libraries: A Contradiction in Terms?
By: Tolbert, Susan L.. Public Libraries, v36 n4 p236-45 Jul-Aug 1997
Preparing for Library Emergencies: A Cooperative Approach
By: Davis, Mary B.; And Others. Wilson Library Bulletin, v66 n3 p42-44,128 Nov 1991
-------------------------------------
Reflection on Search: I knew when I started this search it would not bring many specific results since each of my facets were so generic. The facets had meaning when I combined them together by completing a standard building block search. Again I did receive good general information about preparing for a disaster and what communities or cities do to prepare their material and equipment. I also did receive great results when I completed the standard building block search. I again found great subject headings that could be used later to complete a citation pearl search.
The preservation set gave me 12903 results.
The archive set gave me 63216 results.
The natural disaster set gave me 5061 results.
I looked at the natural disaster set since it was the smallest and at first glance it had nothing to do with what I wanted to research. It did provide interesting information though. I particularly liked the results:
How Disasters Affect Local Labor Markets: The Effects of Hurricanes in Florida
By: Belasen, Ariel R.; Polachek, Solomon W.. Journal of Human Resources, v44 n1 p251-276 Win 2009
Community Preparedness
By: Randazzo, Dante. Community College Journal, v79 n3 p28-30, 32-33 Dec 2008-Jan 2009
While the results did not have anything to do with libraries it did provide general information of which some could be applied to preparing for a natural disaster.
I decided to go back and perform a standard building block search.
When I completed a standard building block search I received 63 results.
I particularly liked:
Preservation in the Digital Age: What Is To Be Done?
By: Smith, Abby. American Libraries, v30 n3 p36-39 Mar 1999
Disaster Response Plan, Cunningham Memorial Library, Indiana State University
By: Gaul, Kathleen. 1998 24 pp
Disaster Response and Planning for Libraries
By: Kahn, Miriam B.. 1998 184 pp.
Preservation in American Public Libraries: A Contradiction in Terms?
By: Tolbert, Susan L.. Public Libraries, v36 n4 p236-45 Jul-Aug 1997
Preparing for Library Emergencies: A Cooperative Approach
By: Davis, Mary B.; And Others. Wilson Library Bulletin, v66 n3 p42-44,128 Nov 1991
-------------------------------------
Reflection on Search: I knew when I started this search it would not bring many specific results since each of my facets were so generic. The facets had meaning when I combined them together by completing a standard building block search. Again I did receive good general information about preparing for a disaster and what communities or cities do to prepare their material and equipment. I also did receive great results when I completed the standard building block search. I again found great subject headings that could be used later to complete a citation pearl search.
Competency #6 -- Databases -- Building Block Search
I chose to start with a building block search in Academic Search Complete. I wanted to focus on preservation and conservation in an archive, library, and museum setting during a natural disaster.
My different facets are:
Here are my searches:
preservation OR conservation = s1
archive OR library OR museum = s2
natural disaster OR emergency OR catastrophe = s3
s1 AND s2 AND s3 = 92
Here are a few hits I received from the search:
Repairing Art Damaged By Natural Disasters.
By: Henning, Joel. Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition, 8/12/2008, Vol. 252 Issue 36, pD7, 0p, 1 bw
Protecting Treasures On A Shaky Planet
By: Kino, Carol. New York Times, 03/12/2008, p18, 0p
Disaster Planning in Libraries.
By: Yi Ling Wong; Green, Ravonne. Journal of Access Services, 2006, Vol. 4 Issue 3/4, p71-82, 12p
Coming Back From Major Disaster: Month One
By: Curzon, Susan Carol. Public Library Quarterly, 2006, Vol. 25 Issue 3/4, p17-29, 13p
The Seven Deadly Sins of Disaster Recovery
By: Silverman, Randy. Public Library Quarterly, 2006, Vol. 25 Issue 3/4, p31-46, 16p
-------------------------------------
Reflection on Search: I had tried using truncation (*) on several of my search terms to include plural and alternative spellings but doing this brought up way too irrelevant results. I chose not to truncate in order to get a more manageable set of search results and more relevant results. I was happy overall with the results although the terms did trigger some medical results since several journals start with Archives in or Archives of. I did find several subject headings that I would like to complete a Citation Pearl or Snowballing Approach search with.
My different facets are:
- Preservation, archives, natural disaster
- Preservation, conservation
- Archive, library, museum
- Natural disaster, emergency, catastrophe
Here are my searches:
preservation OR conservation = s1
archive OR library OR museum = s2
natural disaster OR emergency OR catastrophe = s3
s1 AND s2 AND s3 = 92
Here are a few hits I received from the search:
Repairing Art Damaged By Natural Disasters.
By: Henning, Joel. Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition, 8/12/2008, Vol. 252 Issue 36, pD7, 0p, 1 bw
Protecting Treasures On A Shaky Planet
By: Kino, Carol. New York Times, 03/12/2008, p18, 0p
Disaster Planning in Libraries.
By: Yi Ling Wong; Green, Ravonne. Journal of Access Services, 2006, Vol. 4 Issue 3/4, p71-82, 12p
Coming Back From Major Disaster: Month One
By: Curzon, Susan Carol. Public Library Quarterly, 2006, Vol. 25 Issue 3/4, p17-29, 13p
The Seven Deadly Sins of Disaster Recovery
By: Silverman, Randy. Public Library Quarterly, 2006, Vol. 25 Issue 3/4, p31-46, 16p
-------------------------------------
Reflection on Search: I had tried using truncation (*) on several of my search terms to include plural and alternative spellings but doing this brought up way too irrelevant results. I chose not to truncate in order to get a more manageable set of search results and more relevant results. I was happy overall with the results although the terms did trigger some medical results since several journals start with Archives in or Archives of. I did find several subject headings that I would like to complete a Citation Pearl or Snowballing Approach search with.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Competency #5 -- Tagging/Indexing
I searched for material on LibraryThing about special collections, archives, rare books, and preservation. I found a book on archives and a book on preservation that I had to add. They both were very applicable to working in a special collections at a public library. They both are items that will help libraries accomplish sometimes challenging tasks. I plan on referencing both books as issues arise at the special collection/archive I work at.
The first item I selected was Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives: A How-To-Do-It Manual by Gregory S. Hunter. It's LibraryThing URL is http://www.librarything.com/work/46381/book/41952684
Here is its tag cloud:
The second item I selected was Historic Preservation: An Introduction to Its History, Principles, and Practice by Norman Tyler. It's LibraryThing URL is http://www.librarything.com/work/294527/book/41953024
Here is the tag cloud:
The first item I selected was Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives: A How-To-Do-It Manual by Gregory S. Hunter. It's LibraryThing URL is http://www.librarything.com/work/46381/book/41952684
Here is its tag cloud:
The second item I selected was Historic Preservation: An Introduction to Its History, Principles, and Practice by Norman Tyler. It's LibraryThing URL is http://www.librarything.com/work/294527/book/41953024
Here is the tag cloud:
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Competency #4 -- RSS Feed
I chose to add four RSS feeds for this competency. Two focus on Archives and Special Collections. The other two focus on State and Local History. The library I work for is a State and Local History Special Collections Library.
The first RSS feed I added is for the blog ArchivesNext. The blog URL is http://www.archivesnext.com/. I chose this blog because it provides a plethora of information about the future of archives and special collections. It provides news on areas from Web 2.0 to Library Preservation. This information is extremely important because for special collections and archives to remain relevant they must adapt to new trends and better practices.
The second RSS feed is for American Historical Associations' AHA Today blog. The blog URL is http://blog.historians.org/. I chose this blog because it keeps a special collections librarian informed of current interest and trends in research. It also helps librarians particularly those working in State and Local History libraries to know about items becoming available for purchase in the marketplace.
The third RSS feed is for the Rare Book News blog. The blog URL is http://www.rarebooknews.com/. I chose this blog because it provided information about rare books. Many special collections include books and archives with a portion of the books being rare. Rare books are priceless and most of the time cannot be replaced. This blog helps a person better care and acquire material.
The final RSS feed I included is for Will's Texas Parlor blog. The blog URL is http://texasparlor.blogspot.com/. I chose this blog because Will Howard is a well known author and former librarian who focuses on Texana material. I work for a Texas and Houston History special collection library and find reviewing his blog invaluable when it comes to staying current on recently published material and current research trends so my library can be prepared when patrons come to the library.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Competency #3 -- Podcast
I used YouTube (http://www.youtube.com) to try and find a podcast or video about Special Collection in a public library. I was able to find an absolutely fascinating documentary on the history of the Special Collections at the Newark Public Library in Newark, NJ. The title of the video is ART FOR ALL: The Special Collections. The URL is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnRb7dH1oVM
I chose the above video because not only does it introduce the special collections but it provides valuable information about why the special collections is an absolute keeper for the Newark Public Library. It is an example of an effective marketing tool to use when potential budget cuts loom. I will take this video back to my coworkers and see if we can create something similar.
------------------
Two other interesting videos about special collections in libraries are located below.
Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TXgr8fgo4k
"This video describes the Southwest Collection/Special Collections library on the campus of Texas Tech University. This library is the official archive of the College Baseball Foundation."
Special Collections Overview | MSU Libraries | PBS WKAR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ZUcslkPMA
"With books dating all the way back to 1472, the MSU Libraries are home to one of the greatest collections of popular culture in the world. A former MSU professor, Russel B. Nye, made the founding donation to the collection. His work on the book, The Unembarassed Muse, was the seed for the impressive collection that is now housed at the MSU Libraries."
I chose the above video because not only does it introduce the special collections but it provides valuable information about why the special collections is an absolute keeper for the Newark Public Library. It is an example of an effective marketing tool to use when potential budget cuts loom. I will take this video back to my coworkers and see if we can create something similar.
------------------
Two other interesting videos about special collections in libraries are located below.
Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TXgr8fgo4k
"This video describes the Southwest Collection/Special Collections library on the campus of Texas Tech University. This library is the official archive of the College Baseball Foundation."
Special Collections Overview | MSU Libraries | PBS WKAR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ZUcslkPMA
"With books dating all the way back to 1472, the MSU Libraries are home to one of the greatest collections of popular culture in the world. A former MSU professor, Russel B. Nye, made the founding donation to the collection. His work on the book, The Unembarassed Muse, was the seed for the impressive collection that is now housed at the MSU Libraries."
Competency #2 -- Blog
I knew finding other blogs focusing on special collections in universities or museums would be fairly simple. Finding a blog that focused on special collections in public libraries though I knew would be a little more challenging. I used Google Blog Search (http://blogsearch.google.com/) to try and find a public library's special collections department that maintained a blog.
After some searching I was able to find a blog entitled Notes for Bibliophiles. The tagline for this blog is "The official blog of the Special Collections department of the Providence Public Library." The blog URL is http://pplspeccoll.blogspot.com/ This blog seems to feature different items and resources in their collection. I particularly found the "Crew lists on a whaler" post from Saturday, January 10, 2009. The URL for the blog post is http://pplspeccoll.blogspot.com/2009/01/crew-lists-on-whaler.html
Here is a sample of the posting:
"Maritime voyages often evoke romantic images (either grandiose or tragic), but what most people forget is that they were always business ventures. As such, they generated an awful lot of paperwork, from fitting out the ship to the financial disbursements after she came home (these could take decades or longer). If some happening on the voyage generated a lawsuit, or if the ship was seized lawfully (by a privateer) well, the paperwork became quite heavy. Shown here is an example of a crew list, done for the whaler Thomas Hunt on a voyage in 1880… In the PPL we have several dozen crew lists, and other maritime collections have them as well. Most of the extant crew lists related to American whaling are in New Bedford, MA. In fact, you can search crew members by name here: http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/Library/Whaling/Whaling.html This database is a comprehensive index of men and ships on whaling voyages from the New Bedford Customs District from 1807 through 1925. Fabulous."
For anyone interested in learning more about the Special Collections department at Providence Public Library should visit their website: http://www.provlib.org/resources/books/special/special.html.
--------------------------------------
I also found another blog I would be remiss if I did not mention it. It is titled Confessions of a Curator. The blog URL is http://niurarebooks.blogspot.com/ I particularly like this blog because the author states the following "I'm the Head of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University, a teaching and research collection with a special emphasis on American popular culture materials from the 19th and 20th centuries. I blog about items from our collections, and around the web, that are of interest to me, and possibly, our users." I particularly like the Google Reader Round-Up posting she does. The URL for one of these posts is http://niurarebooks.blogspot.com/2009/01/google-reader-round-up-ala-midwinter.html
Here is the posting:
Here's what you may have missed while attending ALA Midwinter:
After some searching I was able to find a blog entitled Notes for Bibliophiles. The tagline for this blog is "The official blog of the Special Collections department of the Providence Public Library." The blog URL is http://pplspeccoll.blogspot.com/ This blog seems to feature different items and resources in their collection. I particularly found the "Crew lists on a whaler" post from Saturday, January 10, 2009. The URL for the blog post is http://pplspeccoll.blogspot.com/2009/01/crew-lists-on-whaler.html
Here is a sample of the posting:
"Maritime voyages often evoke romantic images (either grandiose or tragic), but what most people forget is that they were always business ventures. As such, they generated an awful lot of paperwork, from fitting out the ship to the financial disbursements after she came home (these could take decades or longer). If some happening on the voyage generated a lawsuit, or if the ship was seized lawfully (by a privateer) well, the paperwork became quite heavy. Shown here is an example of a crew list, done for the whaler Thomas Hunt on a voyage in 1880… In the PPL we have several dozen crew lists, and other maritime collections have them as well. Most of the extant crew lists related to American whaling are in New Bedford, MA. In fact, you can search crew members by name here: http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/Library/Whaling/Whaling.html This database is a comprehensive index of men and ships on whaling voyages from the New Bedford Customs District from 1807 through 1925. Fabulous."
For anyone interested in learning more about the Special Collections department at Providence Public Library should visit their website: http://www.provlib.org/resources/books/special/special.html.
--------------------------------------
I also found another blog I would be remiss if I did not mention it. It is titled Confessions of a Curator. The blog URL is http://niurarebooks.blogspot.com/ I particularly like this blog because the author states the following "I'm the Head of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University, a teaching and research collection with a special emphasis on American popular culture materials from the 19th and 20th centuries. I blog about items from our collections, and around the web, that are of interest to me, and possibly, our users." I particularly like the Google Reader Round-Up posting she does. The URL for one of these posts is http://niurarebooks.blogspot.com/2009/01/google-reader-round-up-ala-midwinter.html
Here is the posting:
Here's what you may have missed while attending ALA Midwinter:
- Robert Darnton says smart things as usual about Google Books and settlements and libraries.
- Penn's Van Pelt library has just received a large collection of comics.
- LISNews has been busy. They have stories on OCLC's records sharing policies, a birth at Denver Public Library, an interesting article about mentoring programs in academic libraries, a discussion of why you can't find a library book in your search engine, a tool for verifying digital records, and a discussion about the digital disappearing act with the head of the British Library.
- Also, sadly, John Updike passed away.
- ArchivesNext has a great guest blog about diversity in the archival profession. I hope that once the RBMS Diversity Committee publishes our toolkit (which should be soon), they might find some of it useful.
- The Michigan Library Consortium will be hosting a preservation workshop. via Kevin Driedger's Library Preservation blog.
- LibLime has announced a new digital archiving product called Kete. Via LISWire.
- The SF magazine Realms of Fantasy is, sadly, closing its doors.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Why ... and My Library Interest
This blog is written by Dr. Hilbun’s graduate assistant for her sections of LS 5013 ISAR, otherwise known as Information Storage and Retrieval. I will post the competencies here throughout the semester in order to fulfill the requirements for LS 5013. I hope to provide examples and ideas that will guide you through this ISAR course.
I am interested in special collections access and availability in all types of libraries. Special Collections can exist in all types of libraries but are mostly found in university and public libraries. Completing these competencies along with you will not only be fun but will also assist me with my research interests and will help me with my full-time position. I am currently a Collection Development Librarian for a special collection at a public library.
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