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Presented to the Temple University Barnes Club to make students of public history aware of newly available archival collections in their fields of study.
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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/