[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

archive reading room



I ask your advice.  We are considering redesigning our reading room space.
Allow me to place my question in context.

Our Special Collections includes photographs, film, archives, the art and
memorabilia collections.  We have a staff of three and, thank god, nine
volunteers who help with everything from photocopying to arranging
collections.  Our photo and film collection is widely used by publishers,
film producers etc. and functions very much like a stock agency.  Meanwhile,
the use of our archives, personal papers, manuscript collections and
archival photographic collections is increasing.  Right now, we have one
large table shared by researchers of all kind and occasionally by
volunteers.  The table is in the midst of the ready reference photographic
files and on the path to the library's stacks.

In effect, we have two operations running in the same space, the stock
agency and the archives.  These two operations have distinctly different
personalites which I usually summarize as one being noisy (stock
agency--lots of questions, lots of reference assistance, price negotiations,
etc.) and the other being quiet (the archival researcher--the preliminary
interview followed by concentrated research).  Along with the distractions
to the archival researchers, this situation creates a serious security
problem, although up to this point we know of no incidents.  One problem
that did arise is that the shared table resulted in an archival file being
found in our vertical files.

Obviously, we need to divide out our space but we don't have the staff to
spare a body to supervise a reading room full time.  I have done archival
research in other insititutions where researchers are escorted with pad and
pencil (and/or laptop) to a glass enclosed room.  The solution we are
seriously considering is to replace two walls of a small unused office with
glass. We would be able to accommodate up to three researchers in that
space.  One wall would be next to one of the clerks who would, when sitting
at his desk, (which happens about half his work time) be able to oversee the
area.  The other glass wall would face out on the stock agency/volunteer area.

Has anyone else dealt with a similar problem in a different way?  Any
thoughts, comments or suggestions, would be appreciated.

Thanks,






Barbara Mathe
Senior Special Collections Librarian
Department of Library Services
American Museum of Natural History
79 Street and Central Park West
New York, NY 10024

PH. 212 769-5419
FAX 212 769-5009

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>