Due date: Week 4: Feb. 21
Assignment:
Write a five page (5p.) paper analyzing the online face of any one of the following collections:
- Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov - Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/ - Special Collections and University Archives, UMass Amherst
http://www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/ - Harry Ransom Research Center, University of Texas
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/ - State Historical Society of Iowa
http://www.culturalaffairs.org/shsi/ - Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon
http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/
Address the following questions:
- How well does the archive help novice users learn about the archive, how it works, and what materials it houses?
- What audience does the archive serve and how well does it provide services for that audience? What about other audiences?
- How well does the archive publicize its collections and does it present these in a way that will spark the interest of its core audience?
- How successful is the archive in reaching out to its users?
- What stands out in the archive’s approach to meeting the needs of its users?
In class, you will be asked to give a five minute presentation, not one second more, on your conclusions.
