Special Collections Resource Sharing Working Group

This group, which began work in late 2003, was charged to identify new and best practices for sharing special materials not normally lent—such as manuscripts, rare books, and archival holdings. A 2002 RLG forum called [ link to "/en/page.php?Page_ID=261" = a PAST EVENT] "Sharing the Wealth" helped to focus this objective.

The group explored the feasibility of sharing via interlibrary loan, digitization, and other means; identified barriers to sharing; and proposed solutions. Group members first reviewed existing guidelines and protocols for special collections, and they collaborated with the committee charged by ACRL's Rare Books and Manuscripts Section on bringing their documentation up to date. They then polled RLG colleagues. This revealed that, while many institutions already supply digital surrogates of some special collections materials in the course of regular interlibrary loan, collection stewards are currently unwilling to expand their sharing protocols.

For awareness and wider adoption, group members composed written policy statements for their own institutions' sharing such materials and also gathered exemplars of written procedures, forms, and documentation from SHARES participants. A final report of this work will be issued.

This group was formed by invitation and comprises a number of teams from the same member institution. It comprises experts from from interlibrary lending, special collections, and digital library operations. Work is being carried out largely through e-mail, conference calls, and document sharing.

Participants

Julie Copenhagen
Cornell University
Elaine Engst
Cornell University
Eleanor Brown
Cornell University
Sally Brazil
The Frick Art Reference Library
Lydia Dufour
The Frick Art Reference Library
David Faulds
Emory University
Margaret Ellingson
Emory University
Judy Gardner
Rutgers University
Tom Frusciano
Rutgers University
Scott Duvall
Brigham Young University
Mark Smith
Brigham Young University

RLG staff liaisons:

Dennis Massie
Program Officer
dennis_massie@oclc.org

Merrilee Proffitt
Program Officer
proffittm@oclc.org