12 · SPEC Kit 296
fifteen additional hours for public service, another
provides five additional hours, and one provides
40 hours of public service while being open 20
hours per week. For the two respondents open by
appointment only, one provides 37.5 hours of pub-
lic service and the other provides 42.5 hours. Two
libraries reported that they are open to the public
longer hours than the number of hours that they
offer reference services. One provides 72 hours of
public services while being open 74 hours per week
and the other provides 39 hours of public service
while being open 44 hours per week.
The majority of the respondents (98%) have
closed, on-site stacks for holdings storage, but a
significant number (65%) have off-site stacks. Staff
must provide almost all of the physical access to
Special Collections materials by retrieving materi-
als for patrons upon request. The comments indi-
cate that this labor-intensive activity is alleviated
somewhat by providing digital surrogates online
and by the use of open shelves for reference or
heavy-use materials, but not alleviated sufficiently
enough to reduce the need for staff to handle phys-
ical access.
A majority of the processed materials in Special
Collections are cataloged and most catalog records
are available in both local and union catalogs. In
addition to catalog records, the responses indicate
that finding aids are used widely to provide access
to materials. There is a significant gap, however,
between the availability of print and online finding
aids for archival materials in Special Collections.
Only eleven institutions reported a higher percent-
age of processed collections findable through on-
line rather than print finding aids. Traditional card
catalogs, electronic databases, and other print tools
such as shelf lists continue to be used, but these de-
scriptive tools represent less than half of the pro-
cessed materials in Special Collections.
Patron Registration
Only three out of 79 respondents indicated that
they do not require registration of any type for on-
site patrons. Seventy-six require registration prior
to use of materials and 30 of those also require
registration prior to receiving reference service.
Of the 30 libraries that require registration prior to
providing reference service, 25 have a single regis-
tration form that covers both reference and use of
materials.
For off-site patrons, most respondents do not
require any type of registration. Only 26 (40%) re-
quire registration prior to use of materials and only
two require registration prior to receiving reference
service. Despite this, the responses reveal that reg-
istration data for off-site patrons is collected rou-
tinely at numerous libraries, albeit in a less formal
manner. One respondent wrote, “We do not require
registration of off-site patrons. However, in an-
swering questions we will gather contact info such
as name, phone, and/or e-mail.”
The comments indicate that many respondents
equate registration primarily or solely with secu-
rity, as opposed, for example, to using registration
as a means to compile information on who is using
materials and for what purposes. Many respon-
dents addressed this directly, stating that off-site
patrons do not have to register because they are not
physically using the materials. Many comments,
however, reveal that some libraries do track these
transactions using other methods. It is interesting
to note that some libraries require additional reg-
istration forms when using archival or manuscript
materials, probably due to concerns related to secu-
rity, privacy, or copyright.
A majority of the responding libraries collect
typical patron registration information such as
name, status and/or institutional affiliation, mail-
ing address, telephone number, and e-mail ad-
dress. Slightly more than half of the respondents
record an identification number, such as a driver’s
license or student ID number. Several libraries also
ask the patron to indicate the purpose of their visit
to Special Collections. Only 17 of 74 libraries col-
lect a photograph or reproduction of a photograph
of the patron, which is interesting considering that
numerous respondents so closely relate the regis-
tration process to collection security.
fifteen additional hours for public service, another
provides five additional hours, and one provides
40 hours of public service while being open 20
hours per week. For the two respondents open by
appointment only, one provides 37.5 hours of pub-
lic service and the other provides 42.5 hours. Two
libraries reported that they are open to the public
longer hours than the number of hours that they
offer reference services. One provides 72 hours of
public services while being open 74 hours per week
and the other provides 39 hours of public service
while being open 44 hours per week.
The majority of the respondents (98%) have
closed, on-site stacks for holdings storage, but a
significant number (65%) have off-site stacks. Staff
must provide almost all of the physical access to
Special Collections materials by retrieving materi-
als for patrons upon request. The comments indi-
cate that this labor-intensive activity is alleviated
somewhat by providing digital surrogates online
and by the use of open shelves for reference or
heavy-use materials, but not alleviated sufficiently
enough to reduce the need for staff to handle phys-
ical access.
A majority of the processed materials in Special
Collections are cataloged and most catalog records
are available in both local and union catalogs. In
addition to catalog records, the responses indicate
that finding aids are used widely to provide access
to materials. There is a significant gap, however,
between the availability of print and online finding
aids for archival materials in Special Collections.
Only eleven institutions reported a higher percent-
age of processed collections findable through on-
line rather than print finding aids. Traditional card
catalogs, electronic databases, and other print tools
such as shelf lists continue to be used, but these de-
scriptive tools represent less than half of the pro-
cessed materials in Special Collections.
Patron Registration
Only three out of 79 respondents indicated that
they do not require registration of any type for on-
site patrons. Seventy-six require registration prior
to use of materials and 30 of those also require
registration prior to receiving reference service.
Of the 30 libraries that require registration prior to
providing reference service, 25 have a single regis-
tration form that covers both reference and use of
materials.
For off-site patrons, most respondents do not
require any type of registration. Only 26 (40%) re-
quire registration prior to use of materials and only
two require registration prior to receiving reference
service. Despite this, the responses reveal that reg-
istration data for off-site patrons is collected rou-
tinely at numerous libraries, albeit in a less formal
manner. One respondent wrote, “We do not require
registration of off-site patrons. However, in an-
swering questions we will gather contact info such
as name, phone, and/or e-mail.”
The comments indicate that many respondents
equate registration primarily or solely with secu-
rity, as opposed, for example, to using registration
as a means to compile information on who is using
materials and for what purposes. Many respon-
dents addressed this directly, stating that off-site
patrons do not have to register because they are not
physically using the materials. Many comments,
however, reveal that some libraries do track these
transactions using other methods. It is interesting
to note that some libraries require additional reg-
istration forms when using archival or manuscript
materials, probably due to concerns related to secu-
rity, privacy, or copyright.
A majority of the responding libraries collect
typical patron registration information such as
name, status and/or institutional affiliation, mail-
ing address, telephone number, and e-mail ad-
dress. Slightly more than half of the respondents
record an identification number, such as a driver’s
license or student ID number. Several libraries also
ask the patron to indicate the purpose of their visit
to Special Collections. Only 17 of 74 libraries col-
lect a photograph or reproduction of a photograph
of the patron, which is interesting considering that
numerous respondents so closely relate the regis-
tration process to collection security.
