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Society of American Archivists Annual Conference, 2011Session 503Increasingly, archival repositories are collaborating to provide access to records across institutional and geographic boundaries. This session highlights three collaborative, consortial/regional programs that reach out to and partner with a range of institutions--public and private, large and small--to expose hidden collections. Panelists reflect on challenges, solutions and lessons learned within the context of collaboration, including cross-institutional processing projects, shared digital repositories and statewide digitization programs. Audra Eagle Yun, CA, Chair, Wake Forest UniversitySherri Berger, California Digital LibraryNicholas Graham, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Holly J. Mengel, Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries
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Then join Hand in Hand brave [Archivists] all,
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall --John Dickinson
Holly MengelPhiladelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries
Hidden Collections in the Philadelphia Area: A Consortial Processing and Cataloging Initiative
Society of American Archivists
Chicago, IllinoisAugust 27, 2011
Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries:
Collaborators since 1985• Established in 1985• Recently: projects that can only be
achieved by working together– PACSCL Survey Grant– PACSCL “Hidden Collections”
Grant• Now: not just projects, but
collaborative approaches in day-to-day work flows
PACSCL/CLIR Hidden Collections Grant
The Goals• Process 114 archival
collections (consisting of nearly 4000 linear feet) at 23 repositories
• Upgrade 82 legacy finding aids to EAD
• Establish a shared EAD repository
Methodology and Tools• Consortial collaboration• MPLP (2 Hours)• The Archivists’ Toolkit• Student Processors • University of
Pennsylvania technology (human and machine)
Today: 123 collections, 3897 linear feet, 83 legacy finding aids updated, and a shared EAD repository
Project Collaboration
• Standards• Methodology• Training• Student processors• Sharing lessons learned
with the archival community
Challenges
• Technology• Space• Unequal
resources• Different
standards and goals at 23 repositories
Shared EAD site (findingaids.pacscl.org)
Good for repositories Good for users
Unexpected successes: Team processing
Unexpected Successes: Centralized Training and
Project Team
How you can make collaborative projects work for you
(with or without a grant, with or without a consortium)
Know your region
• Colleagues• Resources• Shared
challenges• Shared skills• Non-shared skills
Assign:A Collaboration ENFORCER
Develop a system of standards and training
Make your work an experiment
Things will probably not always go as you plan …
Celebrate Milestones and Successes
Learn from others’ successes and failures
PACSCL/CLIR “Hidden Collections” Projectclir.pacscl.org
PACSCL Finding Aids sitefindingaids.pacscl.org
Contact [email protected]
