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

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

# Effectively Disclose Archives and Special Collections Program Current projects: 8 Problem statement: Special collections materials are of increasing interest and importance. As materials from the general stacks become more ubiquitous (through "mass" digitization projects and as institutions move towards joint ownership of books and journals), special collections may become what defines a library collection. With the shift in importance, it's a good time for an examination of the end-to-end process that results in archival and special collections materials being delivered to interested users. The overarching goal is to achieve economies and efficiencies that permit these materials to be effectively described, properly disclosed, successfully discovered and appropriately delivered. Impact: Achieving control over these collections in an economic fashion will mean that current resources can have a broader impact or be invested elsewhere in other activities. The near-term effort is to take a system-wide view that will identify gaps in current operations—missing evidence, needed changes in practice, cumbersome processes, deficiencies in technology platforms that support description and disclosure, and required supporting services. ## Projects Sharing Special Collections Introduce Balance in Rights Management Streamlining Photography and Scanning Develop a Holistic Approach to Archival Collections Assessment Barriers to Using EAD Analyze Archival Descriptive Practice Characterize the State of "Hidden Collections" for Archives Analyze Specialized Archival Discovery Environments to Find Data Elements that Optimize Discovery of Archival Materials Increase the Scale of Special Collections Digitization (Complete) Evaluate Current Delivery Practices for Archives and Special Collections (Complete) ## Related work Sharing and Aggregating Social Metadata |
For more information Merrilee Proffitt Senior Program Officer merrilee_proffitt@oclc.org