presented by kristen j. nyitray head, special collections & university archives university...

Presented by Kristen J. NyitrayHead, Special Collections & University Archives

University Archivist

Special Collections & University ArchivesStony Brook University Libraries

About Our Collections

Coe Hall, 1958

ACCESS

BOOKSCOLLECTIONS

ARCHIVES DIGITAL

RESEARCH

The CollectionsMore than 35,000 titlesrare, scarce, limited editions350 Collections750 Maps and AtlasesUniversity ArchivesDigitized Collections

Coe Hall at Planting Fields, ca. 1958

Special Collections and University Archives support and collaborate with the University’s…

Faculty, Staff, and Students Academic and Administrative Departments

We offer comprehensive research assistance to regional, national, and international entities…Scholars and students (in-person and via e-mail, telephone, fax, letter)

Academic and Public Libraries - Historical Societies – Museums – GalleriesCommunity Organizations - Publishers – Authors

Brookhaven National Laboratory - Government Agencies

Access & ServicesAnnually: more than 500 transactionsReference and research services: e-mail, fax, telephone , ask a librarianFact-checking for university departments and media outlets Scanning and media reformatting

Processing of CollectionsPrior to 1999: Two collections processed (Javits and Yeats)

2000-2015: 200 collections processedTotal holdings: conservative estimate - over 20 million items

Acquisition to access: very time intensive process

Letter authored by George Washington, 1779

Digitized Collections and Initiatives

Website: over 500 pages

Programs: more than 150

Tours and class visitsInstructionExhibitions

Collaboration with local museums, historical

societiesPublications

Press releasesFlyers

University media campaigns

Marketing and Outreach

Facilities Management and Preservation Initiatives

All collections inventoried; register of collections; shelves labeled (8,000 sq. ft)Consolidation of materials by size and formatMigration and reformatting of print, audio/visual, and digital collectionsSystematic cleaning of stacks and public spaces by department Monitoring of environmental conditions (data-loggers)Installation of oversized shelving and protective top capsSecurity initiativesReplacement of damaged flooring and furniture with private funding

Sound Recordings

• music

• spoken word

• poetry

• plays

• speeches

Visual Materials• images, instead of or in

conjunction with words and/or sounds, are used to convey meaning

Examples

• original art, paintings, drawings, sculpture, architectural drawings and plans

• prints, which are works produced in multiple but limited numbers such as woodcuts, engravings, and etchings

• posters

• film and video

Artifacts

• convey important information about the lives and histories of peoples

• can be either man-made or naturally occurring

• documentary value, intrinsic worth, artistic merit, historical significance or scientific value

Examples

• war memorabilia

• jewelry

• textiles

• wool and silk

Maps and Atlases

• created in particular cultural contexts

• mapmakers may have hidden agendas or be influenced by political or social factors

• may reveal misperceptions or deliberate misrepresentations

Manuscript and Archival Material

• unique resources that can be found in only one library or institution

• distinct from other library materials in the ways they are described, accessed, handled and evaluated

• unpublished

Examples

• correspondence, diaries and journals, legal, photographs, maps, architectural drawings, objects, oral histories, computer tape, video and audio cassettes

Printed or Published Texts

Books and Pamphlets

• secondary source

• authors use primary source materials such as letters and diaries to write books

• can also be a rich source of primary source material

Examples

• published memoirs and autobiographies

Library, SBU, 1963