(NEW YORK, November 5, 2004) Librarians at Columbia University have devised a
new tool to inventory partially, or not-yet-processed, special collections
materials. It was built using a methodology developed by the Historical Society
of Pennsylvania (HSP) and Microsoft Access, and gives librarians quick access to
specific information about archival items, including details such as value,
quantity, and physical attributes. Other libraries will be able to use this
powerful new instrument to address their own backlogs of unprocessed special
collections, a problem that the Association of Research Libraries has recognized
as urgent and international in scope.
The new tool was created during a recent survey of unprocessed and
under-processed archival collections at Columbia University Libraries. In 2003,
Columbia received funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to carry out the
one-year survey in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML), Avery
Architectural and Fine Arts Library, and C. V. Starr East Asian Library. The
survey was conducted to expose hidden collections, and to create an inventory
system that is transparent and ongoing.
In the process, Columbia librarians used a survey tool developed by HSP,
making specific adaptations to give the tool broader applications. For example,
the instrument was adjusted to account for nonprint and nonpaper media, such as
photographs, still film, audio tape, and computer disks.
Archivists can use this tool to access items in special collections, generate
reports, and compare and combine information about the collections. Categories
for value, condition, and access are rated on a one-to-five scale. Archivists
can also query the database to produce ranked lists of collections, combining
any of the data points, for instance, all collections with top ratings for value
and poorest physical condition, or all collections containing photographs.
“We can now compare collections across the three repositories on any of these
bases while grouping or sorting them by subject, language, creator type, and
other criteria,” noted Janet Gertz, Director of Preservation at Columbia
University Libraries. “Also, the reports generated from the new database allow
for a quick and simple representation of a collection to those outside the
institution, and will be especially valuable in grant applications.”
Columbia tested the instrument and database by surveying 550 collections
amounting to 15,100 linear feet, and has now adopted it as the primary accession
database for new collections. The instrument is free, and available to any
interested institution. The survey package is available on CD and includes the
template and database, an instruction manual, and definitions of all the rating
terms. Requests for a copy of the CD should be sent to prd-orders@libraries.cul.columbia.edu.
Columbia University Libraries is one of the
top ten academic library systems in the nation, with 9.2 million volumes, over
65,650 serials, as well as extensive collections of electronic resources,
manuscripts, rare books, microforms, and other nonprint formats. The collections
and services are organized into 22 libraries, supporting specific academic or
professional disciplines. Columbia Libraries employs more than 400 professional
and support staff to assist faculty, students, and researchers in their academic
endeavors.
