Who can contribute to this project?
We are looking for contributors who have worked at a college library that has closed, or have worked closely with a library in the process of closing. If you have any questions about your ability to contribute, please reach out.
What topics should proposed chapters cover?
We welcome any topic relevant to closing a college library. Here are a few topics we were able to come up with, but we're open to your suggestions.
Administration
Examples: Working with groups outside campus (alumni, donors, town, other academic institutions); working with other campus departments (development, alumni office, IT, maintenance); communication with your team
Building
Examples: Inventorying building contents (art collections, furniture, other assets); keeping up daily operations; leaving the building in the best possible condition for the future.
Collections
Examples: Collection Development policy impact on what happens to collections; projects to preserve materials; transfer of materials to other institutions; working with vendors.
Special Collections & Archives
Examples: Rewriting finding aids for different audiences; rehousing materials for long-term storage; records retention policies; requesting final archival materials from departments on campus; handling sudden flood of requests for archives; finding new homes for local history collection/special collections.
Institutional Repositories and Digital Archival Materials
Examples: Removing content from externally hosted platforms; funding for IR after the closure; pulling together all digital archival material from across campus; finding partner institution to steward digital materials; last minute digitization projects.
Electronic Resources
Examples: Transferring perpetual licenses/purchased collections; what happens to alumni access benefits; communication about when access ends; working with vendors; managing consortial contracts.
Providing access services during the year
Examples: Change in amount of student interaction; change in student employment relationships; distraction amongst students, faculty, and staff; striving to give students “normal last semester;” interlibrary loan wrap-up (getting materials back, communication with lending/borrowing institutions); communication with guest borrowers.
Accepting materials/resources from a closing institutions
Examples: funding attached to incoming collections; intake of materials; how materials or collections fit into an institution’s collection development policy; working with staff at a closing institution; limitations or complications on what a receiving institution can do (legal, financial, more).
When are proposals for chapters due?
Proposals are due November 1st, 2021.
What is the expected publishing date?
The publishing date is not set, but a final manuscript will be submitted to ACRL by September 1, 2022.
How is the book being published? What are contributors' intellectual property rights?
This book is being published by ACRL Press. Contributors will have individual options as to how their writing will be published. There will be options for open-access publishing. More information on this will be made available to contributors once proposals are accepted.