The Power of Partnerships to Uncover Hidden Stories

Abstract

This panel will present four perspectives on the power of collaboration in special collections to uncover hidden stories. Innovative partnerships have the potential to expand accessibility and discoverability by overcoming barriers such as language, geography, politics and institutional hierarchy. Each presenter will discuss how partnerships can challenge these issues within special collections to the benefit of a broader range of patrons, especially by empowering both staff and users. #1: Behind the Cyrillic Curtain. A casual conversation with a graduate student led to a powerful long-term collaboration. Driven by the student's own interests in translating Russian language rare works, she is now an intern. Through her translations and historical expertise we are uncovering previously unknown stories reflecting the Russian cultural and political landscape from the late 19th century to the Soviet era. This previously shelf-sitting and inaccessible collection, holds great potential for research, outreach, and campus collaborations. #2: Leveraging a partnership to enhance discovery and preservation of manuscript collections. Based on a longstanding agreement, the University of Notre Dame functions as the secondary repository for manuscript images owned by the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. This partnership was recently reconceived to address challenges of the discovery, accessibility, and preservation of digital images. As both institutions hold medieval manuscript collections, this partnership forces each institution to consider the other and combat traditional notions of limiting access for specialized materials. #3: Metadata for a Book Arts Program. Students in the University of Utah’s Book Arts Program often found that technical aspects of the library’s artists’ books they wished to consult didn’t have authorized access points in the catalog records. To improve online searching, a cataloger, the Book Arts Program director, and a book arts student collaboratively recataloged ~3,500 artists’ books to expose these physical characteristics in the bibliographic records. This presentation will discuss training, workflows, and preliminary outcomes of this innovative project. #4: The “Save La Plaza” Movement. Adjacent to the famous Olvera Street, the United Methodist Museum of Social Justice highlights the history of Los Angeles and social change. A series of protests and negotiations saved the historic church from demolition in 2011, and as part of the deal the church created a museum to showcase the history of its social justice advocacy. This presentation focuses on how a partnership with CSUN’s Bradley Center established the museum's archives.