In addition to actually printing the book, Dageforde provided copyright registration, obtained an ISBN number, and provided some marketing assistance. Many decisions need to be made when producing a book including the format and size of the book, the cover, the binding, and the appropriate colors to use. A good publisher will assist with those decisions. Administrative Support Special Collections in general and the Arthur Paul Afghanistan Collection in particular add significantly to libraries but they also consume valuable resources. The use of special collections is very small compared to the use of general collections so tradeoffs must be made if an institution has a commitment to a special collection.
Funding is always an issue.
Funds are needed to purchase and process materials and to pay staff to build and maintain the collection. Special Collections occupy valuable space that is a scarce commodity in most libraries. In order for a Special Collection to operate effectively, an administrative commitment to provide the support needed is necessary. The Arthur Paul Afghanistan Collection fills a research need at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In order to be successful it must be carefully tended and resources provided to purchase materials and house them properly.