From The Reference Desk To The Inbox: How We Streamlined The Workflow For Special Image Requests

From The Reference Desk To The Inbox: How We Streamlined The Workflow For Special Image Requests

Jackson, Athena

Ma, Hong

Capell, Laura

http://www.infotoday.com/ (Information Today Website)

Information Today, Inc.

2014-03

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Computers in Libraries, 34(2): 12-16

eng

Text

The University of Miami libraries has three distinct divisions that house special collections materials: Special Collections, University Archives, and the Cuban Heritage Collection. Like most special collections, each of these units provides reading room services that include: on-site-only access and use of analog materials that are found in closed stacks; do not allow physical browsing; and have special handling requirements for their users. Much has been published on workflows and best practices for digital collections, and the author's colleagues have measured their policies to model these guidelines so that they are in tandem with the preferred trends taking place throughout the country. Therefore, this article will explore the evolving roles of librarians across the library when serving individual e-reference transactions and how this affects more programmatic digital collections creation. Although facilitating on-site research remains a key focus, the more special collections have promoted their materials online, the more people want to review, use, or publish them by requesting digital scans to do so.

5 pages