PACSCL's "Hidden Collections" Processing Project

PACSCL“HiddenCollec0ons”ProcessingProjectTempleUniversityBarnesClub

November18,2010

HollyMengel,ProjectManagerCourtneySmerz,ProjectArchivist

WhatisPACSCL?

PhiladelphiaAreaConsor0umofSpecialCollec0onsLibraries

–  CooperaEvegroupofspecialcollecEonslibrarieswithsharedgoalsfortheircollecEons

–  Foundedin1985with16memberlibraries

–  Today,PACSCLiscomposedof35memberlibraries•  4,000,000rarebooks•  260,000linearfeetofmanuscriptsandarchivalmaterials•  9,000,000photographs,maps,architecturaldrawings,andworksofartonpaper•  BUT,PACSCLitself,doesnotowncollecEons

–  LonghistoryofconsorEalwork

www.pacscl.org

HiddenCollec0onsProject

•  PACSCLdevelopedandadministered

•  FundedbyCouncilonLibraryandInformaEonResources’(CLIR)CatalogingHiddenSpecialCollecEonsandArchivesiniEaEve

www.clir.org/hiddencollec0ons/

•  Processandmakeaccessibleforresearchapproximately200hiddencollec*onsofmanuscriptsandarchives

•  23parEcipaEngPACSCLrepositories

•  27month‐longproject

Whatarehiddencollec0ons?

•  Hiddencollec0ons:

–  Unprocessedorunder‐processedcollecEons

–  NOTresearchready

–  NOTadverEsedtotheresearchingpublic

–  1000sofhiddencollecEonsinPhiladelphia

WhyaretheyNOTresearchready?

•  Notphysicallyorintellectuallyaccessible

•  HavebeenontheshelfforalongEme

– Repositorystaffdoesknowwhat’sinthem

Theproblemwithhiddencollec0ons

• ManagingarchivalcollecEonsisEmeconsuming

•  BACKLOGofworktobedone

•  BUT‐Ifnooneknowsitsthere,andnooneusesit,whykeepit?

HowPACSCLisdealingwithHiddenCollec*ons

•  Follow‐uptoPACSCLsurveyproject,2006‐2008

•  Processing/makingaccessible200hiddencollec*ons

•  Processing:•  Theactofarranginganarchival

collecEon,•  Providingarchivalqualityhousing,

and•  DescribingthecollecEon,orwriEnga

findingaid

•  Findingaid:acatalogofthecollecEon,whichcommunicatestoarchivistsandresearcherswhatisinthecollecEonandhowtoaccessthematerialsquicklyandeasily

Experimenta0on,archivallyspeaking

•  Using“MPLP”– Processingatalessintensiverate– CollecEonsrangefromthe17thtothe21stcenturies

•  Usestudentlabor

•  UsetheArchivists’Toolkitdatabase

•  CreateamodeltoeliminateprocessingBACKLOGs

…Makingcollec0onsresearchready…

Beforearchivalprocessing AXerarchivalprocessing

…Andeasiertofind

•  Createdacentralonlinefindingaidsite–  DevelopedbytheUniversityofPennsylvaniaLibraries–  Findingaidsfromall23repositoriesinoneplace– WeareaddingnewfindingaidsalltheEme– WeareNOTdigiEzingcollecEons

findingaids.pacscl.org

•  RelatedcollecEonsalloverPhiladelphia

–  i.e.theWisterfamily,women’shistory,horEculturalcollecEons,etc.

•  CollecEonsandinformaEoninunexpectedplaces–  WordWarIIphotosattheAcademyofNaturalSciences

Searchingcapabili0es

•  Searchacrossrepositories

•  Searchinasingularrepository

•  Keywordsearching

•  Facetedsearching– Selectasmanyorasfewfacetcategoriesasyoulike

Oneyearin…

74unhiddencollecEonsin13repositories:

AcademyofNaturalSciencesBrynMawrCollegeChesterCountyHistoricalSocietyCollegeofPhysiciansofPhiladelphiaDrexelUniversityArchives&Special CollecEonsDrexelUniversityCollegeofMedicineFreeLibraryofPhiladelphiaHaverfordCollegeIndependenceSeaportMuseumLibraryCompanyofPhiladelphiaLutheranSeminaryatPhiladelphiaTempleUniversity,UrbanArchivesWagnerFreeInsEtuteofScience

Upcomingprocessingwork

•  Another70collecEonstogo

TempleUniversity,SpecialCollecEons

HistoricalSocietyofPennsylvania

PresbyterianHistoricalSocietyPhiladelphiaMuseumofArt

UniversityofDelaware

NaEonalArchivesRosenbachMuseumandLibrary

Thisisjustthe0poftheiceberg

Whatareweprocessing?

Justaboutanything!AllwithaHIGHresearchvalue

clir.pacscl.org

•  TheAmericanRevoluEon•  TheArts:FineArts,Music,Performing

Arts,andWriEng•  BusinessandCommerce•  ColonialHistory•  EducaEon•  FamilyHistoriesandGenealogy•  HistoryofPhiladelphiaCultural

InsEtuEons•  Law,PoliEcsandGovernment•  MariEmeHistory•  Medicine•  MilitaryHistory•  RaceandEthnicHistory•  Religion•  Science•  TravelandTourism•  Women’sHistory•  WriEng,PublishingandBookselling

Favoritefinds

•  AmericanWomen’sHospitalsphotographs,DrexelUniversityCollegeofMedicine

•  LubinManufacturingCompanyrecords,FreeLibraryofPhiladelphia

•  SamuelGeorgeMortonpapers,LibraryCompanyofPhiladelphia

•  SamuelXRadbillpapers,CollegeofPhysiciansofPhiladelphia

•  Vauxfamilypapers,HaverfordCollege

•  Upcoming…WilliamPennfamilypapers,CoxTransportaEoncollecEon,PennsylvaniaBalletrecords,Presbyterianmissionarypapers…

Howtofindus……andthecollec0ons

clir.pacscl.org

findingaids.pacscl.org‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

www.pacsclsurvey.org/

www.pacscl.org

www.clir.org/hiddencollec0ons/