Small institutions often find themselves faced with large collections. This session will explore many of the challenges large collections present and how institutions with limited resources and staffing respond to them. From donor negotiations and physical acquisition, through description and processing to access and use, presenters will share how they’ve handled large collections and provide practical advice for those faced with their own large collection challenges.
Laurinda Weisse from UNK will talk about two large collections of authors’ papers, focusing on donor negotiations and physical acquisition of the collections, as well as touching on ongoing processing and use of them. They will share challenges faced, particularly in navigating complex ownership issues and in physically acquiring international collections.
Benedict Chatelain from Drake will discuss four distinctive large archival collections, including the papers of Senator Tom Harkin which consist of over 800 linear feet and several terabytes. These collections each present unique challenges in restrictions, acquisition, description, and processing. He will share practical strategies for managing these challenges while promoting collection accessibility and use.
Tyson Koenig from Southeast Missouri State University will present on the history of inventory and processing work done on an extremely large collection of records from a local drainage district, with varying amounts and types of arrangement and description done in the 20 years since the collection’s acquisition. He’ll discuss his repository’s plans for transitioning to a new phase of work with the collection to move toward fuller processing.
Speakers Laurinda Weisse, University of Nebraska at Kearny (Session Chair) Benedict Chatelain, Drake University Tyson Koenig, Southeast Missouri State University
