Lessons From the Archives: Cataloging Special Collections Using More Product, Less Process

Registrants will receive viewing information before the conference.

In 2019, the Hekman Library of Calvin University was presented with the gift of a lifetime, the donation of a special collection of over 5,500 rare children’s books, toys, puzzles, and related ephemera. But it came with the challenge that an inventory of half the collection was required in less than two months. Using the idea of iterative cataloging, the Hekman Library Collection Management Department, one faithful volunteer, and the Library’s Technology Team was able to inventory, process, and create cataloging records for over 5,000 volumes in six months. Merging ideas from processing archival backlogs and batch cataloging, we set up a process that enabled us to meet the challenge and provide transparency to interested scholars and donors. Using a variety of free online tools from Google spreadsheets, and project management software, we were able to make the books in this amazing collection accessible within the space of six months. This presentation will look at the ways archival processing and cataloging workflows can enhance each other and provide a way to deal with large special collection backlogs.