Special Libraries

In this article, Schleicher explains how the Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library created a framework for selection criteria and collection management for the library’s medical texts. These texts differed from the general collection in that many were historical texts or first editions, eliciting the need to create a new organization system. This was, some could be shared and not just kept in a storage closet.

By evaluating the books in the special collection, the library could potentially fill gaps left in the general collection, share resources with their consortium, and free up physical space in a building where that can be a precious resource. A unique factor in rare and special book collections that was considered in the creation of the criteria was, if the book was already available in the region/consortium, sale of the book to a collector or another organization. This is interesting to compare this to public and school library collections, where profit is rarely a consideration in selection criteria. The article gives a great insight into the considerations that need to be made for collection management of a special or academic library.

The purpose of this virtual library is to collaborate on providing music video databases categorized in eras of music from archives of various special libraries.  YouTube is the number one Web 2.0 site used by billions of people across the world to view music videos published by artists and record companies, but YouTube is not a library and more of a streaming platform of various videos. 

You, as a special librarian in music, we ask you collaborate on this website of implementing sources either from YouTube or other online streaming services of eras of music (renaissance, baroque, classical, jazz, 21st century). This way a patron can search for specific instrumentalists or singers, genre, and imagery.

https://sites.google.com/view/virtual-lib-ryland-muoz-and-ab/home

This virtual library website is designated for music librarians. Music librarians who particularly work for professional, college, or adjunct music ensembles. A list of ensembles can be orchestras, wind bands, jazz bands, chamber groups, choral groups, operas, and many more. 

The purpose of this website is intended for collaborative purposes. A place where music librarians can participate in creating, keeping current, doing, and contributing.

This website was created in October of 2020. The year 2020 has been notable of being the year where the world renowned COVID-19 pandemic was amongst us. Music ensembles and music librarians have been away from their music making and work due to the necessities of stay at home orders. However, over the course of the year, guidelines have been accessible for ensembles to reconvene but with the requirement of social distancing and maintaining sanitary conditions. Music copyright laws are still in order if ensembles are broadcasting their performances on the internet. Therefore this website is to help fellow music librarians and for them to help each other with music copyright logistics. 

https://sites.google.com/view/virtuallibraryguide-individual/home

This guide is geared toward archival collections and connecting with the local community to collect relevant documents and personal histories as related to current events. The guide discusses how to leverage social media and collaborations with local organizations to engage users to contribute to collection initiatives and other means of participation. Also discussed is what to collect digitally, resources for recording remote oral histories, and resources for collecting during times of crisis.  

https://sites.google.com/view/currenteventcollections-michio 

Historians and librarians have used archives for many years to conduct research or to seek information for a specific community. Over the years the term archive had changed. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary archive means “a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or a group of people.” It can also mean a place or institution in which documents are kept for future use. Over the years, many researchers had to physically go to the archives to conduct their research. This changed with the growth of technology where many archives began to digitize their collections into online databases to be available to the public. These digital archives have two functions; the first is to make it easier to share collections, and the second is to preserve more material with more space since physical space is very difficult to maintain. Even though these digital archives have made it easier to obtain information, there have been many challenges and hurdles to digital preservation as a method of archives. This paper is going to look at some case studies to show what these challenges are and how they were resolved by these such institutions. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vKGSgN2WJWPA_i036jOhjKEArun307ur/view?usp=sharing

A list of resources created by information professionals dedicated to ensuring that Black history is preserved using anti-oppressive archival descriptions and procedures. 

https://archivesforblacklives.wordpress.com/resources/

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Citation:

An extensive list of resources curated by the American Indian Library Association that pertains to indigenous communities and would be valuable in expanding Native special collections.

https://ailanet.org/resources/

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Citation:  Resources. (n.d.). American Indian Library Association: Resources. https://ailanet.org/resources/