Incorporating sustained and frequent outreach to the community beyond the university as part of the Library’s core mission.
Collecting special collections and reaching out to the community: recent initiatives at Concordia University Library
Guylaine Beaudry, University Librarian, Concordia University
Different organizations in the community produce valuable and important archives making possible the writing and understanding of our history. Following an agreement in 2013 on the transfer of research collections (private fonds) from the Concordia University Records Management and Archives service to the Library, Special Collections has expanded its mandate. Beyond the preservation and processing of archival materials, we promote archives through activities with undergraduate students and the community.
Beyond the four walls – special collections and community engagement
Jonathan Bengtson, University Librarian, University of Victoria
Community engagement through partnership with local “GLAM” (Galleries, Archives, Libraries, Museums) institutions is a key strategy for the University of Victoria Libraries’ Special Collections. Collaborations can extend the library’s reach into the community. The library-led 2013 “Shakespeare Onstage / Offstage” events (https://www.uvic.ca/library/featured/events/events-images/shakespeare-on-off.pdf) laid the foundation for ongoing cultural engagement across the region. Similarly the Libraries’ special collections publication series is creating accessible avenues for raising awareness of the rich research collections held by UVic.
"Engaging the World;" Special Collections and Rare Books at Simon Fraser University Library
Gwen Bird, University Librarian and Dean of Libraries, Simon Fraser University
Special Collections and Rare Books at Simon Fraser University Library has been working to embody SFU's motto, "Engaging the World." This talk will profile three initiatives we are using to do so. The Library created and administers a Scholarly Digitization Fund that provides small grants to faculty members to support digitization of scholarly resources, with an emphasis on material from Special Collections. The Library's participation in the Komagata Maru project attracted valuable new collections, established deeper ties to local South Asian communities, and showcased the Library's strengths in digitization. Our collaboration with the Wordsworth Trust in the Lake District in the UK resulted in a co-curated exhibition featuring a digital humanities research project, and a particular strength of Special Collections. The theme that unites all these projects is their deep engagement with community, either campus, local or international.
