The Nabb Research Center at Salisbury University: A Case Study in Programming & Designing a Special Collections Facility

Abstract

The larger trend in academic libraries toward democratizing access to information and responding to new forms of pedagogy has brought many institutions to reconsider and broaden the mission of their special collections libraries. While the immense value of the items within a special collections library has certainly not diminished and still warrant attentive care and protection, the librarians and institutions that guard these collections recognize that the true value of having an outstanding collection lies in providing access. This leaves many special collections librarians grappling with how to strike the right balance between providing access and protecting those assets from harm or misuse.

Utilizing the recent programming and design of the Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture at Salisbury University as a case study, this paper explores the issues and opportunities inherent in designing a special collections library. Discussion will include a brief overview of some of the recent trends in new facilities, as well as an overview of the design process in general.