The Adaptable Information Professional

Rachel Grove RohrbaughChatham University Archives

SAA 2012, Session 306August 10, 2012

Combining Library and Archival Expertise to Serve Diverse Patron and Collection Needs

1957, courtesy State Library of New South Wales

1942, courtesy NARA

Can we find a balance?

n.d., courtesy State Library of New South Wales

Dual/Archivist Librarians

• New interest in these hybrid positions—Manning and Silva, 2012

• Surprising positives of combining this work, particularly opportunities for outreach and collaboration

Andrew W. Mellon Hall, c. 1940

Student protests co-education, 1990

Howe-Childs Gate House, c. 1860

Howe-Childs Gate House today

Eden Hall Farm, 2008

My background…• First position at

Chatham as a paraprofessional

• Learned library skills on the job from supportive co-workers

• Simultaneously attended MLIS program at the University of Pittsburgh

Student outside the JKM Library, 1980

Chatham University Archives

• Dating back to at least the 1930s but largely disorganized

• Handled by Library staff

• Benefited from some grant money for special projects and an endowment fund

Rachel Carson on PCW campus, 1926

Excited by my promotion…

But what was I facing?

1952, photo by Sam Hood, courtesy State Library of New South Wales

Collaboration Working with Head of Tech Services to…• Catalog the rare book

collection• Share knowledge on

A/V materials, ETD, and IR

• Make a better Archives and Special Collections website Sharing in class, 1972

Collaboration Working with reference librarians to…• Encourage teaching

with Archives and Special Collections

• Market myself as the “expert” on locating primary sources

• Co-teach instruction sessions

Classroom, 1956

Alumnae enjoy Reunion Weekend display, 2012

Outreach and Promotion

University Archives May Day blog post, 2012

Working with individual

faculty members as a

librarian improves in

turn the visibility of the

Archives.Faculty and administrators relax before

graduation, 1961

Stressed with our various responsibilities…

…or confident in our dual roles and relishing the variety of our work?

Student in front of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, 1944

Awaiting the Song Contest results, 1959

Liza Cruzat celebrates her graduation from Chatham College, 1985

Many thanks to my awesome co-presenters and my wonderful co-workers at Chatham

University

Burke, Nicholas C. and J. Frank Cook. “A Profile of College and University Archives in the United States.” American Archivist 45, no. 4 (1982): 410-428, http://archivists.metapress.com/content/a77534258450710x/.

Chute, Tamar G. “Perspectives on Outreach at College and University Archives.” In College and University Archives: Readings in Theory and Practice, edited by Christopher J. Prom and Ellen D. Swain, 137-154. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2008.

Chute, Tamar G. “Selling the College and University Archives: Current Outreach Perspectives.” Archival Issues 25, no. 1-2 (2000): 33-48, http://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/45934.

Litwin, Rory. “The Library Paraprofessional Movement and the Deprofessionalization of Librarianship.” January 27, 2010. http://www.libraryjuicepress.com/docs/deprofessionalization.pdf.

Malkmus, Doris. “‘Old Stuff’ for New Stuff Teaching Methods: Outreach to History Faculty Teaching with Primary Sources.” portal: Libraries and the Academy 10, no. 4 (October 2010): 413-435.

Bibliography

Manning, Mary and Judy Silva. “Dual Archivist/Librarians: Balancing the Benefits and Challenges of Diverse Responsibilities.” College & Research Libraries 73, no. 3 (March 2012): 164-181, http://crl.acrl.org/content/73/2/164.abstract.

Martin, Frank Edgerton. “Learning Landscapes: The Getty Foundation’s Campus Heritage Initiative Opens New Terrain for Landscape Architects.” Landscape Architecture 97, no. 7 (July 2007): 82, 84, 86-91.

McFarland, Colleen. “Rethinking the Business of Small Archives.” Archival Issues 31, no. 2 (2007): 137-149.

Zorich, Diane M. et al. “Beyond the Silos of the LAMS: Collaboration Among Libraries, Archives, and Museums.” Report produced by OCLC Research (September 2008), http://www.oclc.org/research/publications/library/2008/2008-05.pdf.

All images courtesy Chatham University Archives unless otherwise noted.

Bibliography Continued