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SPEC Kit 317: Special Collections Engagement · 19
Survey Questions and Responses
The SPEC survey on Special Collections Engagement was designed by Adam Berenbak, Research Services
Associate Cate Putirskis, University Archives Specialist Genya O’Gara, Libraries’ Fellow Claire Ruswick,
Library Associate Danica Cullinan, Library Associate Judy Allen Dodson, Curatorial Assistant and Emily
Walters, Library Associate, of the North Carolina State University Libraries’ Special Collections Research
Center, and Kathy Brown, Director of Planning and Research for North Carolina State University Libraries.
These results are based on data submitted by 79 of the 124 ARL member libraries (64%) by the deadline of
March 18, 2010. The survey’s introductory text and questions are reproduced below, followed by the response
data and selected comments from the respondents.
Special collections and archives have been actively seeking out and building relevant primary-source collections for years, and they
have devoted significant staff time to the processing (arrangement and description) of these items, helping to make these resources
coherent and accessible. The implementation of encoded archival description has allowed collection guides/finding aids to be
displayed on the Web, and this step has brought special collections holdings to a wider exposure than ever before – both at the local
institution and beyond. Nonetheless, students, faculty, and other scholars/researchers affiliated with your institution may be unaware
of available special collections resources and their potential to support research and education at all levels of the curriculum. The next
logical step in the outreach process for special collections is targeted engagement and increasingly it is becoming a core component
of special collections activities. Engagement, in the context of this survey, is defined as activities provided by special collections and
archives that foster use of materials and resources to enhance both research and education.
This survey examines exhibits, events, instruction, and other activities that are targeted to engage students, faculty, and other
scholars/researchers with special collections for research and education. It investigates who coordinates these activities, where they
are held, how they are promoted, and how they are evaluated. It also asks for examples of events and policies. Through the results
of this survey, we hope to determine the variety of engagement models currently being used in special collections at ARL member
libraries and to identify the successful models.
Note: For the purposes of this survey, “special collections” is used as an umbrella term for the facility that houses rare books and
serials, manuscripts, archival materials, and/or other unique collections.

SPEC Kit 317: Special Collections Engagement · 17
further outreach effectively, or to communicate the
results of those outreach activities to the larger special
collections community.
However, despite these roadblocks, the responses
to this survey indicate widespread enthusiasm for
outreach activities among special collections. Many
respondents emphasized a need and desire to build
on their current efforts and to do more in the future. A
challenge for the future, therefore, will be to articulate
goals and objectives for special collections outreach
and to bring staffing resources in line with those goals
and objectives—especially regarding curricular en-
gagement. All of these desires reflect a climate of ma-
turing special collections initiatives and programs,
and the emphasis on exposing hidden collections
and integrating special collections with the broader
library community. As special collections continue to
develop, expand, and better structure their outreach
programs, exposure to the unique and important ma-
terials in their holdings will reach a broader audience,
benefitting everyone involved.