Collection-Level Description and Collection Management
Tool for the trade or information trade-off?

Discussion Group 2

Initial theme and linked questions

There is a clear need to undertake or complete some form of mapping exercise to identify the size, scope, nature, strengths and weaknesses of collections - is CLD a useful tool for this type of exercise?

• Is CLD a useful tool tool to help map what is available across a range of institutions?
• Can CLDs help to decide on collections policies?
• Mapping collections may help in supporting funding bids?
• CLDs as tool to facilitate deep resource sharing in a collaborative cross-institutional context?

The discussion first focused on the positive aspects that have emerged from the projects

• Linking projects
• Building communities
• Sharing expertise and offering mutual support
• Linking experts across the domains e.g. a local studies library might have more in common with a museum than the local public library, therefore may benefit from input from a Museum Collection Officer
• Devolving Collection Management to the regions is encouraging collaborative working and collaborative collection management.

Other issues

• Physical collections may be used in different ways according to the domain e.g. a collection of theatre programmes in a library may be bound together, whereas in a museum they will be kept as individual items for display.
• Therefore the implications of "rationalising" collections need to be considered carefully
• Preservation - CLDs can help to identify collection/items that require special attention in terms of preservation. May also help in leveraging funding
• Double counting of collections/items, which get included in more than one collection e.g. virtual collections, temporary collections, collections within collections.

Action Points

1. Need for co-ordinated strategic national and regional approach
2. Important distinction between CLD for collection management and CLD for resource discovery
3. Encourage collaboration - maybe add list of project websites and brief information about their implementation of CLD to CD Focus website
4. Advocacy - encourage projects to share their experiences

Information

• Discussion Group 1
• Discussion Group 2
• Discussion Group 3