Purpose & Goals

The purpose of this study was to understand the position of a Special Collections Curator at the BYU Library. Because of some complicated political issues, there have been questions about the role of the curator, what they think of themselves, how they act with each other, and how the interact with others in the library. This study was designed to answer the following questions: 1) How do special collections Curators define their position and associated duties? 2) How do they work with each other and others in the library? 3) What are the qualifications needed for their positions?

Design & Methodology

This study followed a qualitative case study design, using interviews of all curators to obtain the data. The primary author completed all interviews and they were transcribed, anonymized, and coded. Thematic network analysis was used to develop the themes. This study followed a methodology previously used by the primary author.

Findings

Curators defined their position as an individual having stewardship over a collection. They looked at this stewardship as performing the duties of developing and maintaining a collection development policy, working with donors, identifying and appraising potential collections to acquire, providing basic processing, identifying items for conservation, and providing outreach. They thought that providing primary source research opportunities to students was critical. Some curators felt like they were alienated because their duties were different from others or they were excluded from certain important meetings. Some felt that they didn’t have time to complete their required tasks. They also felt like they should work closer with subject librarians to provide outreach. They thought that the BYU curator position was unique and that other institutions primarily had archivists who were focused on maintaining rather than developing a collection. Curators considered an MLS as critical for their positions in addition to some related subject knowledge in the area that they were assigned. Archivist certifications were not as important, though people skills were considered critical.

Action & Impact

This study helped uncover and describe some of the concerns that curators had with their positions. It also helped highlight the fact that curators wanted to work more with others in the library but didn’t want to step on the toes of subject librarians who had primary responsibility for outreach with faculty and students. It helped the administration understand the issues related to overworked curators so that they could be discussed and resolved. Uncovering these issues allowed the library to discuss and address them.

Practical Implications & Value

This study can serve as a template for qualitative studies at other institutions. It not only allows institutions to understand the needs of certain groups but helps uncover and allow these needs to be addressed. This study also helps define a special collections curator since there are very few descriptions available in the literature. It can provide a point of comparison for other institutions to see where there are similarities and differences between them and the BYU curators.