Survey of Special Collections and Archives in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Author: Dooley, Jackie M.
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Tests/Questionnaires
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Special Libraries,Archives,Surveys,Research Libraries,Academic Libraries,Library Materials,Library Services,Cataloging,Financial Support,Electronic Libraries,Metadata,Library Personnel,Budgets,Library Facilities,Comparative Analysis,Library Administration,Institutional Mission,Organizational Culture,Outreach Programs

It has become widely recognised across the academic and research libraries sector that special collections and archives play a key role in differentiating each institution from its peers. In recognition of this, Research Libraries UK (RLUK) established the workstrand &quot;Unique and Distinctive Collections&quot; (UDC) in support of its strategic aims for 2011-2014. The UDC workstrand will identify ways in which special collections can &quot;make the most of their potential for research, teaching and community engagement.&quot; This survey forms part of the overall project by gathering data to enable better understanding of the sector. It was conducted as a collaboration between RLUK and Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Research. As this report reveals, numerous challenges are faced in order to maximise potential and bring special collections to the attention of those whose research or learning would benefit from their use. A few of the most salient issues that emerged from the data: (1) Alignment of special collections with institutional missions and priorities is an ongoing challenge; (2) The special collections sector is undergoing a major culture shift that mandates significant retraining and careful examination of priorities; (3) Philanthropic support is limited, as are librarians' fundraising skills; (4) Use of all types of material has increased across the board; (5) Users expect everything in libraries and archives to be digitised; national strategies for digitisation of rare and unique materials are therefore needed; (6) Many cataloging backlogs have decreased, while some continue to grow; (7) One-third of archival collections are not discoverable in online catalogues; and (8) Management of born-digital archival materials remains in its infancy; upper management must actively support this important work to ensure progress. Respondents were asked to name their three &quot;most challenging issues.&quot; The following were the most frequently cited: (1) Outreach (broadly defined); (2) Space and facilities (particularly for collections); (3) Born-digital materials; (4) Collection care; and (5) Cataloging and archival processing. One hundred twenty-two academic and research libraries with significant special collections received invitations to participate in the survey. The rate of response was 67% (82 responses), including 100% of RLUK members. This report presents a summary and analysis of the data for all respondents, for RLUK members, and for non-RLUK respondents, with a complete set of data figures and tables for each. Also included is a comparison of the RLUK data with that of the Association of Research Libraries (US) members who responded to an OCLC Research survey of the United States and Canada (Dooley and Luce, 2010). The following are appended: (1) Survey Instrument: Part 1. Survey Questions and Survey Instrument: Part 2. Survey Appendix; (2) Responding institutions: Respondents by nation, Respondents by Affiliation, and Respondents by Type of Institution; (3) Responses to Open-ended Questions; and (4) Methodology: Survey Design, Survey Dissemination, and Data Analysis.