Call for Papers — Open Sessions

Rare Books and Special Collections joint with Statistics and Evaluation

• 21 February 2020, 11:21

Theme: "Heritage as Value: the Different Values of Special Collections"

The IFLA Rare Books and Special Collections Section and the Statistics and Evaluation Section are seeking proposals for papers to be presented at their Joint Open Session at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2020 in Dublin, Ireland.

The session will be followed by a Knowledge Café where they will be presenting a joint project to run a wider survey on developing metrics/assessment tools/values for Rare Books and Special Collections. Audience participation will be essential to this process, as we need to hear your input about the work.

Theme: “Heritage as Value: the Different Values of Special Collections”

Special Collections come in a wide range of formats and sizes, from lavishly illuminated manuscripts to rare first editions of printed books, archives, maps, prints, photographs and more recently born-digital objects. Together they are characterised by their cultural significance, uniqueness, provenance, rarity, financial value, and by the security and storage arrangements that are required to ensure their long-term preservation and accessibility.

Defining the value of special collections is a complex issue that is often underpinned by users’ needs and expectations, and by the meaning that different users assign to these materials. While there is an inherent trend to equate users to bona fide researchers who require access for academic and scholarly research in a special and secure environment, in recent times the term user has become broader and nowadays it encompasses a more diverse range of people and organisations with different requirements for access to Special Collections.

We would like to invite papers particularly, but not exclusively, on the following sub-themes:

• Non-tangible value of special collections (e.g. significance, uniqueness, completeness distinctiveness)
• Financial value (e.g. measuring the economic value of collections and how they relate to national GDP)
• Value to the community to promote well-being, sustainability and equal access to heritage (UN Sustainable Development Goals)
• Value as a tool for advocacy (e.g. audience development, branding and promotion, fundraising)

Each presentation will be 15 minutes and in English. Time for Q&A will be scheduled after the paper presentations.

Proposals must be submitted in an electronic format and must include the following information:

• Title of proposed presentation
• Style of presentation (paper or panel)
• Abstract of the proposed paper (no more than 500 words)
• Name(s) of presenters and positions and or titles
• Employer or affiliated institution
• Contact information including email address and telephone number
• Short biographical statement of no more than 100 words
• Note a willingness to comply with IFLA’s Authors’ Permission
• Papers / PPTs will be published in IFLA’s online Library following conference
• Confirmation that you are able to attend the IFLA congress and present in person if selected

Send proposal abstracts (500 words or less) by 3 May 2020 to:

Dr Maria Castrillo
Email: maria.castrillo@london.ac.uk

and

Dr Bella Gerlich
Email: Bella.K.Gerlich@ttu.edu

Important dates:

3 May 2020 (Sunday): Deadline for submission of abstract

22 May 2020 (Friday): Notification of acceptance

24 July (Friday): Deadline for submission of presenter information and final paper

7 August 2020 (Monday): Deadline for submission of slides