Special Libraries News

Special Collections and University Archives Merge

On October 14, University Librarian Sarah Pritchard announced a reorganization within Northwestern's Special Libraries Division, one that had already been suggested informally through discussions in the space planning process. University Archives and Special Collections will be merged into a single new department, to be called "Special Collections and Archives." The purpose of this reorganization, following the example of the University of Chicago, Duke, UIC, Washington University and other ARL members, is to pull together staff with expertise in the processing, organization, and promotion of primary materials into a single larger unit, facilitating the sharing of curatorial skills and the integration of research. This also creates a single department of a size comparable to the larger departments of the division, e.g. Music and Digital Collections, and of a size more like the special collections departments of our peer institutions.

As the integration of Special Collections with Archives proceeds administratively, a national search for the head of this new combined department will be undertaken, based on a revised job description. This search will probably get underway in early 2009. The new department head will of course work closely with users and with the actual special collections, archives, or both; but will be heavily and primarily engaged in external affairs, donor relations, consortial projects, publications, grants, long-range planning and policy formulation.

Within this new framework, Scott Krafft will be promoted to Curator, Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections and Assistant Director of Special Collections and Archives. Kevin Leonard becomes University Archivist and Assistant Director of Special Collections and Archives. The two assistant directors will be more focused on user services, content development, digital project planning and execution, and the supervision of reading room operations. These new titles and redefined responsibilities will become effective as of November 1.

Several other enhancements are planned for this new department. A new professional position as manuscripts librarian will be created, to work on processing and related services in both special collections and archives. The current special collections assistant position will become permanent--it has been a one-year renewable term position. There will be a new part-time exhibits and publications assistant, supported through endowed funds, which will report directly to the AUL for Special Libraries and will help all the departments in the division. Finally, a one-year renewable term LA2 position has been approved for University Archives.

For the time being there will not be any physical relocations. Tentative space planning for eventual renovations to Deering Library has already shown us several options for collocating the services, staff and collections of these units.

This reorganization is intended to help both Library and Archives work more effectively and mobilize a larger pool of expertise as we confront new challenges involving primary, analog, and digital resource management. This new larger department will also, it is hoped, give these collections a more visible presence at Northwestern as well as regionally and nationally.

University Archives Publishes First of New Monthly Newsletters

University Archives has begun publication of a brief, monthly newsletter, available here.

The newsletter, sent electronically to patrons, donors, and friends, highlights recent acquisitions, newly-opened holdings, and departmental news. Its purpose is to draw attention to the Archives' collections and services. One recently-developed product mentioned in the first issue of the newsletter is "On This Day in NU History," a daily blog entry featuring a pertinent event from the annals of Northwestern. On This Day can also be found on the Archives' Web site or acquired through RSS feed subscription.

Please take a look and see what's new from the past.