Abstract
This paper is based on the outcome of a recent Research Libraries UK (RLUK) project that aimed to explore and understand the approaches employed by RLUK members for capturing and measuring the impact of activities based on special collections and archives. In today’s constantly evolving information and scholarly environment, educational and cultural institutions, such as research libraries, are faced with a pressing demand to assess the value of their services and evidence their impact. As part of our goal to develop a better understanding of how research libraries respond to this demand, we collected and analysed case-study and survey data from across the RLUK membership that show the practices and methods of research libraries for increasing and assessing the impact of their collections and related services. As our results showed, research libraries increasingly employ audience-focused strategies and take advantage of the new possibilities offered by the digital age to enhance access to collections, reach a range of audience groups and achieve greater impact. However, a number of issues, such as the lack of structured methodologies to capture and evaluate the full reach of digital collections and resources or the long-term impact of collections, can make the process of measuring and evidencing value a challenging task for institutions. In this paper, we will present some of the key findings showing the pathways to impact followed by special collection and archive professionals in the UK and Ireland and reflect on the opportunities and challenges that the digital era presents for increasing and measuring this impact.
Highlights
Special collections and archives held by research libraries have long been recognised as cultural assets to their institutions with strong research and educational potential
According to Streatfield and Markless (2012, pp. 7–12), factors such as change caused by recent developments in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and challenges imposed by the current economic climate have resulted in a cultural shift that involves a greater ‘focus on performance management and accountability in public institutions’, the development of a ‘value for money ethos’ that is linked to the distribution of funding based on results, and a shift towards more evidence-based work as a response to the need of navigating and managing change
This paper is based on a Research Libraries UK (RLUK) project looking at the approaches libraries from across the RLUK membership employ for achieving and capturing the impact of collection-based services and activities in both the physical and digital environment
Summary
Special collections and archives held by research libraries have long been recognised as cultural assets to their institutions with strong research and educational potential. 7–12), factors such as change caused by recent developments in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and challenges imposed by the current economic climate have resulted in a cultural shift that involves a greater ‘focus on performance management and accountability in public institutions’, the development of a ‘value for money ethos’ that is linked to the distribution of funding based on results, and a shift towards more evidence-based work as a response to the need of navigating and managing change These factors along with the introduction of assessment systems, such as the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in the UK Higher Education agenda, have had a significant effect on research libraries which has led to the employment of more user-centred approaches for developing their services as well as to the introduction of practices and methods for collecting and demonstrating their impact. According to Daigle (2012), one of the biggest advantages of making special collections available digitally is the opportunity to present material in dynamic and innovative ways that enhance its uniqueness while enabling effective care and management
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
