Goals and Objectives:
>To understand
how special collections content represents and defines a subject.
>To carry out research across collections
to understand how format and media
differently express aspects and perspectives
of a subject.
>To work with a wide variety of materials
(beyond books and serials),
to understand differences in organization,
access and retrieval.
>To understand and apply humanities research
methods & principles to produce a users guide.
>To select, evaluate, interpret and assign
meaning to representative subject material.
>To understand how technology is changing
the way we manage and use special collections.
>To view special collections from the dual
perspectives of user and librarian to gain insight into current issues.
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Grading
Attendance and participation - 15%
Because this is an intensive course, students
are required to attend all sessions.
Students are expected to arrive 10 minutes
before all group sessions scheduled with NYPL librarians, curators and staff.
Seminar sessions on issues and special collections
librarianship are important opportunities for students to participate
in discussion and to ask questions.
Project - 75% Carefully
read project description to make sure that you include all required elements.
Students will have ample opportunity to discuss
the project and ask questions during class meetings and will be able
also to consult the instructor individually
as needed throughout the course, on any aspect of their work.
Project Presentation at final session -
10%
Student Class List
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Project
Description
Beginning with a specific special collection,
each student will select a topic that he/she will research across collection
division such as:
General Reading Room Collections
Rare Books, Art and Architecture
Manuscripts and Archives
Milstein Division, US History
Prints and Photographs
Berg and or Pforzheimer
Collections
Maps
Area Studies: Jewish, Slavic,
Baltic and Oriental Division.
DEFINING A COLLECTION-BASED TOPIC
Begin by selecting a special collecion.
Here are some
MSS collections and Divisions with collections from which to choose, and
some topics related to major NYPL collelctions.
Your topic will be based on an NYPL special
collection.
Begin by selecting a specific collection for
research. Based on information
gathered from specific documents, expand research
to other collections -
defined as "cross-collection research".
During this time you will be
developing and then defining your topic.
Thus, topic definition comes
AFTER you have started research.
To develop ideas about collections, view the
NYPL Web pages for special
collections. For manuscripts and archives,
check the list of collection inventories,
some of which are fulltext online.
Search the online catalog for items relating
to topic ideas to gain insight
into how well that topic is covered in the
general collections which in fact
contains a treasure trove of rare material
such as first editions and
many 19th century elaborately illustrated volumes.
Project Concept - Create a subject/topic
guide to special collections at NYPL.
Collection based research means that
you base your topic on the material
you find in special collections and then move
cross-collections.
Rather than beginning with a research hypothesis
and searching for material to support it,
build your topic concept based on the material
itself. Interact with documents,
and let them create a picture of a subject.
The perspectives and views you construct will not
be comprehensive or general, but rather, specific
to the material selected.
Identifying Representative Material
From an array of special collections, select
representative material
for your topic:
Select about 24 items in all, divided
among the various collections searched -
with the majority of documents selected
from your "primary collection" -
the one you have selected as the basis of
your collection-based research.
For each item, include a FULL CITATION AND
ANNOTATION.
The annotation should describe the item in
detail. The citation should include physical description.
Think of the selection of material as if
you were creating an exhibition catalog showing
how the collection express your topic.
For example, a collection might contain extensive diaries of
several hundred pages. Browse the collection
to get an impression of the whole and
then select a few pages that you feel are representative
.
Keep a journal
of each day's experiences of research and library encounters.
Keep detailed notes each day of material found
so that you do not have to retrace
your steps at the end. For example, if
you find a book that you will be using for the
guide, note the full bibliographic information
and description of content.
At the end of each day, note your experiences.
You will use this information at the
end to write your 'Personal Perspectives,' which will be the last section of your guide.
In this section discuss issues in special collections research related
to your experiences.
Project Format
1. a. Cover (title,
author, illustration/image)
b. Title page
(Note, title should be
in 2 parts, main and sub-title, example:
Clara Barton: a Life of
Courage and Caring. A Guide to Selected Sources
at the New York Public
Library). Cover image should express the title.
2. a. Table of Contents.
Include page numbers.
b. List of Illustrations (short caption form,
include page numbers.)
3. Topic Essay - topic perspectives
based on NYPL collection and sources that
you have consulted.
It is important to communicate to the reader of your
guide the topic's
importance in the context of the sources you have selected
and aspects of
particular interest and significance, etc. (minimum
2 pages, single spaced, 12 pt.)
Express your interpretation, thoughts, observations
etc. based on your
research and reading. Cite sources to support
your views or to document facts.
Make sure that you are in compliance with ‘Fair Use’
principles of the Copyright law.
4. Bibliographic Essay
- Discussion of NYPL sources in the context of your topic
and how they support and express your topic which includes:
types of material;
how extensive is coverage; what material is most valuable,
etc. (2 pages, single spaced, 12 pt).
Give the reader of the guide a good sense of what to
expect if he/she were researching your
topic at NYPL. You can organize your discussion
based on NYPL collection
divisions in which you have worked. Discuss user
access, (guides, inventories,
catalogs, etc.), and collection content, media and format.
Evaluate sources as
to their usefulness for your topic.
5. Representative Documents
by Collection:
Your primary collection
will provide the majority of documents selected.
For each collection/division in which you have worked:
One page per document selected. 3-5 documents
per division
Each document page should include:
a.. a copy of document (photocopy, photograph).
b. full bibliographic citation including physical description.
c. Annotation - what does this illustration say; tell
reader about the topic.
What is its significance? What specific
information does it contain?.
Include representative documents for
collections in which you researched..
a. Manuscripts
b. Rare books
c. Prints and Photographs
d. Maps
e. any other divisions used.
6. Bibliography- secondary
sources (5-10) The purpose of this short list of sources is to identify
the latest research on your topic - a few books and a few articles from scholarly
journals. These should be based on sources found in
General Research Division and Serials Division. Use indexes
& abstracts to search for articles. For example, Humanities Index.
7. Personal Perspectives
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READING LIST
Medieval and Renaissance
Book Production: Manuscript Books
Medieval and Renaissance
Book Production - Printed Books
BOOK INFORMATION
WEBSITE:
Book History (a journal)
Digital Libraries
by William Y. Arms (an online book)
Images
of History on the Web
ARL Proceedings
of the May 1999 Membership Meeting: Table of Contents
Special Collections in the Digital Age -
Association of Research Libraries, Proceedings of the 134th Annual Meeting
Book History Online
Rare Books and Manuscripts Section
of the American Library Association
See "Standard and Guidelines.
CLIR
Publications and Resources - Reports
A PROPOSED
ARL ACTION AGENDA FOR SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
ARL
Proceedings 134: Against the Grain, by Werner Gundersheimer
The Society of American
Archivists - SAA: Publications Catalog
& Online Resources
Daniel Traister's
Home Page--RARE BOOK LIBRARIES/FUTURE
History
of Books and Printing NYPL Research guide, bibliography
UBC Special Collections
- A Select Annotated Bibliography of Handling and Care Issues for Rare Books
and Special Materials
D-Lib Forum and D-Lib Magazine
Guidelines
for the Security of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Other Special Collections
BUBL LINK: 090 Manuscripts,
rare books, other rare printed materials
RBS Preliminary
Reading List: Adv Seminar in Sp Collns Administration
Rare Book School
Reading Lists
Daniel Traister's
Home Page--HISTORY OF BOOKS AND PRINTING
BOOK INFORMATION
WEBSITE: devoted to all aspects of books, bookarts, bookhistory, letterpress
printing, fine printing, bookschools, paper and papermaking, bookartists,
bookbinding and bookbinders, antiquarian books, booksearch services, bookauctions,
individual bookdealers, manuscripts, pop-up books, history of printing, catalogues
books-on-books.
Literary
Resources -- Bibliography and History of the Book (Lynch)
``If
it's not on the Web, it doesn't exist at all'': Electronic Information Resources
- Myth and Reality
|
Institute on
Special Collections at the 
