ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 440 / C&RL News ■ July/A ugust 2003 A r c h iv e s an d sp e cia l co lle ctio n s: 24/7 H a r d to im a g in e th e re a d in g ro o m o f a n a r­ c h iv a l a n d sp e c ia l c o lle c tio n s r e p o s i to r y s ta n d in g a t th e n exus o f o u r m o d e rn in f o r ­ m a tio n age? A t th e B a n c ro ft L ib ra ry o n th e U n iv e rs ity o f C a lifo rn ia -B e rk e le y C a m p u s , th e s e w o rld s tr u ly c o llid e . P o is e d n e x t to research ers view in g leaves o f T e b tu n is p a ­ p y ri, m a n u s c rip ts o f M a rk T w a in , a n d l e t­ te rs o f G o ld R u sh p io n e e rs are th e la te s t v e rsio n s o f la p to p c o m p u te rs a n d th e ra m ­ p a n t b u t s ile n t s c u rry o f m ic e — th e c o m ­ p u te r k in d across m o u se p a d s. W h ile a n o c ­ c a s io n a l r e s e a r c h e r a p p r o a c h e s p r i n t e d c a ta lo g cards, far m o re en jo y th e p o w e rfu l search engines o f o n line catalogs a n d databases to discover a n d view centuries old treasures. A rch iv es a n d special c o lle c tio n s re p o si­ to rie s have n o w e m b ra c e d th e d is tin c t a d ­ v a n ta g es p ro v id e d b y in fo rm a tio n te c h n o lo ­ gies, o p e n in g n ew d o o rs fo r researchers to o u r v o lu m in o u s c o lle c tio n s o f letters, d ia ­ r ie s , m a n u s c r i p t s , a n d p h o t o g r a p h s . A fo u rth -g ra d e class in F re sn o a n d a g ra d u a te se m in a r a t N o r t h C a ro lin a m ay n o w b o th e n jo y a n e w -fo u n d access to th e im ages a n d w o r d s o f J a p a n e s e - A m e r ic a n i n t e r n m e n t v ic tim s d u rin g W o rld W ar II, to s tu d e n t p r o ­ te ste rs o f th e F ree S p eech M o v e m e n t in th e 1960s, o r p io n e e rs in b io sc ie n c e a n d b io ­ te c h n o lo g y d u rin g th e 1970s. Access to d ig i­ ta l in fo rm a tio n o n rare a n d u n iq u e m a te ri­ als c e rta in ly seem s to b re e d in c re a s e d sc h o l­ a rly in q u iry . T h e o n c e p o p u la r te le p h o n e n u m b e r fo r th e B a n c ro ft R efere n ce D e sk is n o w o u td o n e b y o u r e -m a il re fe re n c e a d ­ dress: b a n cre f@ lib ra ry .b e rk eley .e d u T h e R eference D e s k re m a in s a p o rta l fo r in q u iry , as sc h o lars a n d s tu d e n ts focus, re­ fine, a n d re c o n fig u re th e ir re sea rc h p ro je c ts th ro u g h c o n v e rsa tio n s w ith B a n c ro ft staff. Fear o f lo c a tin g n o re le v an t in fo rm a tio n in o u r h o ld in g s so m e tim e s gives w ay t o d ism ay a t f in d in g lo n g lists o f p u b lic a tio n s , m a n u ­ sc rip t c o lle ctio n s, o ra l h isto rie s, a n d p ic to ­ rial m ate ria ls. F o r u n d e rg ra d u a te s , su c h as th e h u n d r e d s w h o v isit B a n c ro ft in a g iven se m este r th ro u g h th e ir in tr o d u c to r y H is to ry 7B c o u rse, th e jo u rn e y is as im p o r ta n t as th e re su lt. Inc re a sin g ly , fa c u lty m e m b e rs w ish to h a v e u n d e r g ra d u a te s e x p e rie n c e th e fu ll s p e c tru m o f a ca d em ic research, a n d B a n c ro ft s ta f f w o rk s w ith T e a c h in g L ib r a r y s t a f f to c o o rd in a te th is effort. T h e E d w a rd H . H e lle r R e a d in g R o o m is a place w h e re tim e m ay s ta n d still, b u t sc h o l­ arly in q u iry n ever sto p s. As o u r ty p ic a l day c o n tin u e s a fte r th e 9 :0 0 a .m . o p e n in g , som e 4 0 to 6 0 researchers, in c lu d in g u n d e rg ra d u ­ a te a n d g ra d u a te s tu d e n ts , fa c u lty o f all ranks, v isitin g sc h o lars fro m a r o u n d th e glo b e, a n d a v a r ie ty o f lo c a l a n d r e g io n a l v is ito rs , m a y a p p e a r. A ll th is a c tiv ity keeps th e p u b lic ser­ vices s ta ff q u ite busy, in c lu d in g s ta f f m e m ­ bers w h o h e lp re g iste r p a tro n s . S ta ff services in c lu d e : re tr ie v in g a n d sh e lv in g th e m a n y b o o k s, c a rto n s , a n d m a te ria ls re q u e s te d by researchers; re fe re n ce d esk h e lp fo r re sea rc h ­ ers n a v ig a tin g o u r o n lin e catalogs a n d p r in te d resources; p h o to c o p y in g d o c u m e n ts a n d re ­ p ro d u c in g p h o to g ra p h s a n d im ages; a n d m a in ­ ta in in g se c u rity a n d c o m fo rt fo r th o se w ho w o rk a n d s tu d y in th e R e a d in g R o o m . T ea ch in g a n d i n s tr u c tio n is a large p a r t o f B ancroft o p e ra tio n s these days. In o n e o f m an y e x a m p le s , B a n c r o f t D i r e c t o r C h a r l e s B. F a u lh a b e r re g u la rly offers S p a n ish 2 4 6 (S p a n ­ ish P aleography) in o n e o f o u r se m in a r room s, m a k in g extensive use o f p r in te d a n d m a n u ­ s c rip t c o lle ctio n s. T h e e d u c a tio n a l v alue o f all th a t th e B a n c ro ft L ib ra ry c ollects, preserves, a n d p ro v id es access to e ith e r in m a n u s c rip t, p r in t, o r d ig ita l fo rm a t su p e rse d es all o th ers. A lth o u g h B a n c ro ft re m a in s c losed a n d secure th r o u g h o u t th e n ig h t, d ig ita l c o lle c tio n s a n d o n lin e resources re m a in o p e n a n d ready fo r b u sin e ss. S ta tistics fo r a ty p ic a l w eek in d ic a te t h a t th e B a n c ro ft W eb site received 1 0,111 hits, a n d th a t 5 ,9 1 5 o f th o se W eb v isito rs p r o ­ c ee d ed to e x p lo re o n lin e in f o r m a tio n fo r an e x te n d e d tim e p e rio d . B a n c ro ft is n o w a 2 4 /7 o n l in e i n f o r m a t io n r e s o u r c e , b e c a u s e th e scholarly research process literally n ever ceases! O n e c a n o n ly w o n d e r w h a t c h an g e s th e n e x t d ecade, th e n e x t year, o r even th e n e x t w e ek w ill b rin g . — William Brown, coordinator o f research a n d in­ stru c tio n , U n iv e rsity o f C a lifo rn ia -B erkeley, B a ncroft Library, wbrowrı@library. berkeley.edtt mailto:bancref@library.berkeley.edu