“Thank you, once again, for assisting humble far flung independent researchers like me under all this duress. It is notable, and appreciated!”
| dc.contributor.author | Goss, Lauren | |
| dc.contributor.author | Munsell, Austin | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-05-25T16:05:05Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-05-25T16:05:05Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2022-05-02 | |
| dc.description.abstract | University of Oregon Libraries Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) provided over 61,000 free scanned images to researchers from around the world during the first phase of the pandemic (March 2020 - August 2021). During this time, a campus lockdown blocked all researchers from accessing any non-digitized SCUA materials. Recognizing the impact of a closed reading room on accessibility to primary sources, public services and collection management staff quickly pivoted from in person services to remote access via an ad hoc scanning service. The Public Services Librarian worked with researchers to refine their inquiries and identify portions of collections (up to 5 folders) integral to their research. The Collections Manager managed retrieval of identified materials from secured storage and remotely supported student workers in accessing SCUA during lockdown. Effectively, we offered free scans in lieu of an abridged research visit. To implement this service, undergraduate student workers (normally in public facing roles) were reassigned to perform digital capture on idle KIC Bookeye scanners transferred from the main library. Student workers were trained remotely on image capture and upload of PDF files to the department server. Microsoft Teams served as the platform for remote communication and assignment of scanning tasks. All PDF files (200dpi) were sent to researchers using WeTransfer. The service averaged an 11-day turnaround time even with a small staff of part-time student workers, staggered onsite work schedules, and quarantine protocols for all materials. Researchers were appreciative and grateful for access to materials vital to their research interests. Access to these primary sources meant they could proceed with writing articles, dissertations, and books regardless of geographical constraints. The end of the program coincided with the reopening of the library to the general public and the return of the scanners to use in public areas. Staffing and budgetary constraints prevent SCUA from continuing a similar scanning service in conjunction with the reopened reading room. However, it serves as a more equitable model of future access to primary source materials for all researchers regardless of ability to travel for an in-person research visit. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1794/27180 | |
| dc.publisher | University of Oregon | en_US |
| dc.rights | Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-US | en_US |
| dc.subject | digitization | en_US |
| dc.subject | pandemic | en_US |
| dc.title | “Thank you, once again, for assisting humble far flung independent researchers like me under all this duress. It is notable, and appreciated!” | en_US |
| dc.type | Presentation | en_US |