Against the Grain

Volume 25 | Issue 6 Article 40

2013 Hidden Collections--Are There "Hidden Collections" in Special Collection Libraries? Allison Day Western Kentucky University, [email protected]

Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/atg Part of the Library and Information Science Commons

Recommended Citation Day, Allison (2013) "Hidden Collections--Are There "Hidden Collections" in Special Collection Libraries?," Against the Grain: Vol. 25: Iss. 6, Article 40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/2380-176X.7435

This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. • Over 750 reviews now The Charleston available • Web edition and database provided with ADVISOR all subscriptions Critical Reviews of Web Products for Information Professionals • Unlimited IP filtered or name/password access • Full backfile included comparative“The Charleston Advisor reviews...reports serves up timely editorials and columns, from • Comparative reviews of standalone and comparative reviews, and press releases, among the field...interviews with industry aggregators featured other features. Produced by folks with impeccable library and players...opinion editorials... • Leading opinions in publishing credentials ...[t]his is a title you should consider...” every issue comparative— Magazines reviews...reports for Libraries, eleventh edition, edited from by the field...interviewsCheryl LaGuardia with consulting with editors Billindustry Katz and $295.00 for libraries Linda Sternberg Katz (Bowker, 2002). players...opinion editorials... $495.00 for all others

❏✓ Yes! Enter My Subscription For One Year. ❏ Yes, I am Interested in being a Reviewer. Name______Title______

Phone: 303-282-9706 • Fax: 303-282-9743 • Fax: 303-282-9706 Phone: Organization______6180 East Warren Avenue • Denver, CO 80222 • Denver, Avenue 6180 East Warren Address______City/State/Zip______Phone______Fax______

Subscribe to The Charleston ADVISOR Today! Email______Signature______

Collection Management Matters Hidden Collections — Are there from page 66

Listening to National Public Radio (NPR) “Hidden Collections” in Special is a major addiction for me. If I don’t like what’s playing on Nashville’s FM station, I Collection Libraries? move over to the AM station. I go online to listen to the programs that my local stations Column Editor: Allison Day (Kentucky Librarian / Assistant Professor, Special do not carry. I even listen to it at my desk Collections Library, Western Kentucky University) while I am working on spreadsheet lists. Consequently, I hear a lot of author interviews pecial collection libraries house a variety researcher use without great care and supervi- and book reviews. I started going to the book of rare and unique materials within their sion by conservators. page to find the title that I heard discussed on collections. The majority of special col- the drive home, but could not remember the S Why Collections Remain Hidden lection library collections include rare books, author or the title. There are several fiction manuscripts, photographs, letters or diaries, Several challenges can delay or prevent rare and non-fiction lists for adults and juveniles newspapers, broadsides, scrapbooks, or ephem- collection materials from being processed for on the NPR’s book page (http://www.npr.org/ era. Researchers search for new ways to access researcher use. Inadequate personnel, small books/). What is unique about some of their these special collection materials for vital infor- budgets, unavailability of special scanning lists is the crowdsourcing method they use mation that might be crucial to their research. equipment, and preservation issues can also to compile them. They will request readers’ However, there may be “hidden collec- prevent the quick processing of various collec- recommendations for their favorite books in a tions” within a special collection library that tions. Although hidden collections may become genre and compile a list of the ones that get the are unavailable for researcher use. Unpro- available to the public faster with new research- most votes. I am not a science fiction reader, so cessed or uncataloged materials are inaccessi- er interest, increased preservation needs or more I know very little about the popular authors in ble to outside research while library personnel funding opportunities are usually needed. that field. I used NPR’s Best Science Fiction work with the items. The underlying problems Internal collection management software books list to update our collection. and overwhelming workload associated with like Past Perfect that is used by several special Doing book selection on the side does not hidden collections have drawn my attention collection libraries, archives, or museums may not be completely compatible with on- have to be labor-intensive or time-consuming for new ways in which we could process inaccessible materials to provide that critical line library catalog or management systems, when you have a few trusted places that you research potential that otherwise would remain depending on the needs of the facility. Some can turn to for quality reviews. The key is undiscoverable. For example, historic news- collections or objects may not display proper- to not let too many months go by and have a papers that are extremely rare are unavailable ly for researchers to locate the items without backlog of lists, so I try to check my sources to researchers because of inherit preservation time-consuming backup assistance from soft- on a monthly basis. issues associated with the extremely brittle ware or content managers. However, Past Per- and acidic makeup of the paper that prevents continued on page 68

Against the Grain / December 2013 - January 2014 67 reference desks can create hidden collections, if with the Hidden Collections Registry, Hidden Hidden Collections the information is not updated on a regular basis Collections Symposiums, or their applicant / from page 67 or there are incomplete item listings. However, recipient information portals.4 the paper finding aids assist the library per- fect is a content management system that allows sonnel with the location of materials not yet Reveal Hidden Collections: Good library or museum personnel to connect their available for online research. Paper finding Staff and Specialized Equipment accessioned items for viewing by researchers aids also help researchers to locate microfilm, Special collections personnel continue to be a over the Internet in a visually appealing way county files, family files, or local history files valuable — and sometimes the only — resource to look at photographs, pictures, drawings, or that may only be available to researchers within for researchers. Library personnel have great three-dimensional objects. the library research room. The card catalog insight into helping researchers to find more seems daunting for some modern researchers, information than originally anticipated for di- The Experts Agree therefore delaying research access to collection verse library collections. Library materials that The Association of Research Libraries materials. It can also be a very time-consum- are being processed, removed for preservation (ARL) 2009 report, entitled Special Collec- ing task for library personnel to look up each needs, or waiting to be cataloged can usually be tions in ARL Libraries, revealed “the hoard of card catalog record and then transfer the vital located by special collection personnel to meet unused evidence that is still locked up in our information to an electronic version. There are most of the researcher requirements. Therefore, undescribed, “hidden collections” is incalcula- a lot of detailed listings in old card catalogs that 1 it’s always a great idea for researchers to contact ble.” The ARL report discussed the problem need to be transferred to online catalog records special collection library personnel to glean as of backlogs and processing priorities for special to assist researchers with valuable yet hidden much information as possible about a research collections. Processing priorities for what information. Sometimes there are handwritten topic while visiting the library. collections should be processed or remain as a notes from retired librarians on old catalog Special equipment like overhead scanners hidden collection is a daunting task for many cards that have not been transferred to the online can facilitate access to hidden collections special collection libraries. External funding bibliographic records. that require careful handling of the materials. can sometimes generate enough interest in a Special collection libraries rely heavily on Overhead scanners are usually equipped with specific collection to warrant immediate pro- personal donations and welcome unique family v-shaped cradles that allow fragile materials to cessing and accessibility for researchers. The treasures to their collections. Occasionally, gift be easily scanned digitally from an overhead historical and local community connections of agreements can complicate access to certain position that doesn’t break the book bindings or a rare item may expedite the processing method materials, and full photocopy/scanner usage by damage brittle pages. Archival boxes, acid-free for increased researcher access. researchers with restrictions may also create paper/folders, and archival plastic sheets also Mark Dimunation, Chief of the Rare Book hidden collections. Donated items to special help to protect library materials from the dam- and Special Collections Division in the Library collection libraries may include unique items or aging fluorescent lights in most reading rooms of Congress, shared interesting insights about duplicate materials already held within the collec- or processing areas. There may be many special hidden collections at the 2011 Charleston Li- tion. Large donations require a lot of staff time, collection items that are unprocessed and un- brary Conference that covered a background material assessment, and storage space before cataloged while librarians or conservators are history, overall challenges, and cataloging cataloging or even initial processing can begin. working on the preservation needs of the ma- problems about hidden collections. Dimuna- terials. However, soft book cradles or modern tion stated, “For it struck me that the powerful Preservation and Digitization Issues book pillows can increase researcher viewing or impact of pulling the curtain back on collections The preservation needs of special collection ease the library processing of fragile materials. previously hidden is that the results sparked a items may require careful handling by staff 2 There are a variety of reasons why certain desire to see even more.” The knowledge that and researchers. Historic newspapers that are hidden collections within special collection special collection libraries, archives, and mu- highly acidic and become brittle over time are a libraries are not always readily accessible to re- seums across the United States and around the great source of concern for many special collec- searchers. However, library personnel continue world still hold undiscovered hidden collections tion libraries which may wish to retain unique to work on innovative ways to provide viable is an exciting prospect that there are valuable stories, obituaries, advertisements, local and access to thousands of rare items waiting to be treasures waiting to be revealed. national topics, and political information before discovered by interested researchers. Special the paper breaks down completely. The fragility Discoverability and Access Concerns collection libraries look for new funding oppor- of older newspapers or brittle books prevents tunities to decrease hidden collections and to Online finding aids initially provide a general regular usage by library patrons until electronic process backlogs of rare materials. Hopefully, listing of what can be found within a certain access can be established. Digitization stations the amount of “hidden collections” will be collection that can be helpful for researchers that require special equipment like overhead reduced over time with increased staffing and to search and locate more information about a scanners and microfilm processes may be labor funding for special projects to promote better topic. The researcher gets a small taste of the intensive or too expensive for some special researcher access while still preserving the rare special collection library holdings. For example, collection libraries to acquire. Digital projects materials. a researcher from another state called to check or consortiums can assist in recovering hidden on a family name that was mentioned within an collections like newspapers by providing better online manuscript collection finding aid. The access. There are programs, grants, and funding family was excited to acquire new information opportunities that invite applications or propos- Endnotes about their ancestors and the location of a vital als to obtain much-needed resources to assist 1. Association of Research Libraries, family document. Electronic catalogs and library in uncovering hidden collections within special “Special Collections in ARL Libraries,” Websites reveal the majority of large and small collection libraries or archives. March 2009, accessed online at www.arl. library collections, but they are dependent on at org/bm~doc/scwg-report.pdf. The Council on Library and Infor- 2. Mark Dimunation, “Everything We least minimum processing by library personnel. mation Resources (CLIR) administers the Digital access to the special collection materi- See Hides Another: coping with Hidden Andrew W. Mellon Foundation program to Collections in the 21st-Century Library” als, what most modern researchers expect and help catalog hidden collections within special (2011). Proceedings of the Charleston demand, is a challenge for many collection libraries and archives Library Conference. special collection libraries to across the United States. Since 3. The Council on Library and Informa- acquire, maintain, and provide 2008, the Mellon Foundation tion Resources, “Cataloging Hidden Special to researchers without the proper has provided funding to several Collections and Archives,” accessed online funding assistance or administra- special collections or archives at http://www.clir.org/hiddencollections/ tive support. with “eighty-seven grants to- index.html. In-house finding aids present taling nearly $20M.”3 There 4. The Council on Library and Informa- other types of access problems are innovative ways to connect tion Resources, “Cataloging Hidden Special for researchers who are ham- with other institutions through Collections and Archives,” accessed online pered by time and distance. Pa- the Council on Library and at http://www.clir.org/hiddencollections/ per finding aids like card catalogs Information Resources and the index.html. and information binders kept at Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

68 Against the Grain / December 2013 - January 2014