# /programs/ourwork/collectivecoll/archives/hiddencollections.htm

originally: http://www.oclc.org/programs/ourwork/collectivecoll/archives/hiddencollections.htm

# Characterize the State of "Hidden Collections" for Archives Project Problem statement: "Hidden collections" are those that are undescribed or underdescribed, and therefore undiscoverable. Discussion of the overwhelming backlogs of such materials has been prominent within the research library community for more than a decade. We have no meaningful profile of these collections, however, which inhibits development of a system-wide strategy. Researchers increasingly consult large-scale information hubs in searching for materials; online descriptions not represented in such hubs can therefore be effectively hidden. Impact: Characterizing the total U.S. inventory of "hidden collections" will allow systemwide planning for disclosure. This project will: Revisit and update the ARL survey of special collections (published in 2001), expanding the survey population and incorporating issues that have evolved since the ARL data was collected in 1998. Analyze the resulting data to establish a new baseline for the extent and significance of hidden collections. Develop a methodology for making offline collection descriptions available system-wide without requiring new descriptive effort to upgrade existing data (such as by converting paper finding aids to PDF), then seek funding to implement a nationwide project. |
For more information Jackie Dooley Consulting Archivist jackie_dooley@oclc.org