Library, Archive and Museum Convergence

Following up on library, archive and museum workshops at five RLG Partner institutions, as well as the publication of the findings in the report " Beyond the Silos of the LAMs: Collaboration Among Libraries, Archives and Museums," (.pdf: 334K/59 pp.) three panels at the American Association of Museums (AAM), the American Library Association (ALA) and the Society of American Archivists (SAA) will highlight the leadership role RLG Partners are taking in integrating their LAMs. While the title and description for all three panels is identical, we have invited a different speakers to each conference. Each set of speakers contains individuals rooted respectively in a library, archival and museum perspective. All of the speakers have broad experience working across these communities.

The sessions are sponsored by the Joint Committee on Archives, Libraries, and Museums (CALM), and organized and moderated by OCLC Research staff.

Our users ask for access to information unhampered by arbitrary boundaries between libraries, archives and museums. Yale, Princeton, the Smithsonian, the University of Edinburgh and the Victoria and Albert Museum have been taking stock of their progress in breaking down the walls between their collections for the immediate benefit of their local users, as well as the (networked) world at large. Each of these campus (or campus-like) institutions with responsibility for numerous libraries, archives and museums strives to provide their audience with a holistic view of all collections regardless of where they are housed or how they are managed. In workshops facilitated by RLG Programs, each organization assessed their current state and incubated compelling ideas as well as concrete steps towards progress. Representatives from these institutions will report on their approaches to deeper collaboration, identifying catalysts for change that may be applicable in other settings.

American Association of Museums (AAM)

Philadelphia PA, April 30–May 4 2009
Session: Saturday, May 02, 3:45 PM–5:00 PM

AAM Presentations

• A Digital Smithsonian (.pdf: 3.6MB/21pp.) – Pam Smith, Special Assistant for Strategic Planning, Smithsonian Institution (speaking on behalf of Ann Speyer, Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution)
• Handsome LAMS?: Collaborations Around Collections at Yale University (.pdf: 840K/14pp.) and speaker notes (.pdf: 115K/5pp.) – Bill Landis, Head of Arrangement, Description, & Metadata Coordinator, Yale University Library)
• Virtual and Actual: Library, Archive and Museum Collaoration at the V&A (.pdf: 4.9MB/36pp.) – Douglas Dodds, Head of Central Services, Word & Image Department, Victoria & Albert Museum
• Libraries, Archives and Museums: Converging for Real (.pdf: 339K/11pp.) – Günter Waibel (Moderator), Program Officer, OCLC Research

American Library Association (ALA)

Chicago IL, July 9–15 2009
Libraries, Archives and Museums—Converging for Real
Session: Saturday, July 11, 1:30 PM–3:00 PM
Meg Bellinger, Associate University Librarian, Yale University Library
John Scally, Director of University Collections, University of Edinburgh
Cathryn Goodwin, Manager, Collection Information and Access, Princeton University Art Museum
Moderator: Jennifer Schaffner, OCLC Research

Society of American Archivists (SAA)

Austin TX, August 11–16 2009
Session: Saturday, August 15, 1:30 pm–3:00 pm (tentative)
Nancy Gwinn, Director, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Dan Linke, University Archivist and Curator of Public Policy Papers, Mudd Library, Princeton University
Emmanuelle Delmas-Glass, Collections Catalogue Specialist, Center for British Art, Yale University
Moderator: Ricky Erway, OCLC Research