November 3, 2021

Special Collections Reopening Update

A popular new virtual reading room, why appointments are better for users, new exhibits and more.

UW Libraries Special Collections is one of the busiest places in the UW Libraries system. With people seeking access to materials from on campus and off, the Special Collections team has adapted services to meet the demand for virtual and remote services and maximize health and safety for all staff and visitors.  We caught up with Allee Monheim, Public Services Librarian in Special Collections to learn more.

 What is the virtual reading room and how does it work? 

The virtual reading room,  launched in September, enables users to look at Special Collections materials from anywhere using Zoom and a document camera. Staff handle books, archival collections, and photographs for users while they examine the material on camera. We can also zoom in and zoom out on different parts of a document or book so that users can get a closer look at things like signatures or illustrations. Appointments are 55 minutes long, and  they can view one archival box or up to 5 books per appointment. Users are limited to one appointment at a time to give everyone a chance to use the service.

How is the virtual reading room helpful?/ Who is it for? 

The virtual reading room is for anyone who wants to view our material but can’t come to campus for whatever reason. UW Special Collections is nationally and internationally known as a repository for incredible unique and rare material, and while some people do travel from all over the world to use our collections, not everyone can! This makes the collection more available to more people at no cost (for travel, etc).  

For example, we recently had viewing of a rare book that required a special set-up with book supports and the user was able to get a really good view of the pages because of how we could angle the camera – possibly even better than they would have been able to do in person! 

How many people are using it, and what has been the response so far?

We offer 11 sessions per week and we’ve been booked at 90%-100% capacity every week. We’re hoping to be able to start offering more in the future! This was originally intended to be a pilot project, but the response has been so overwhelmingly positive, we expect that it will become a more permanent service moving forward. Everyone is so happy to be able to access materials this way.

How common is this technology in libraries? 

There are a few other places doing variations of this service, but it’s not widely used as far as I know.  I was inspired by a presentation from colleagues at the Huntington Library on their use of document cameras to provide access to users during COVID. I think remote/virtual services will only continue to gain popularity and be more necessary in the future. 

 What types of requests are better served in person?

People can look at one box per 55 minute appointment, so if you’re someone who needs to go through a lot of boxes really quickly, it may be best to come in person. But you could also use the Virtual Reading Room to get an idea of what’s in a collection so you can decide if you want to visit! 

It’s structured this way because it’s technically still a pilot program – so  we only have the equipment for one Virtual Reading Room set up and only 3 people working on it (me and two graduate students). We’re hoping that once we hire and train more student workers we can start offering more appointments! 

Why do I have to make an appointment to visit special collections now? How far in advance do I need to schedule? 

Special Collections is operating by appointment for two reasons:

First, COVID safety protocols and staffing. Most of our users are actually “general public” – meaning they’re not UW students, faculty, or staff. This means that they’re not held to the same vaccination requirements as those of us who are members of the UW community. In order to keep everyone safe, we’re limiting the number of people in the reading room at any one time. This allows us to better observe social distancing. We also have a buffer at the end of each appointment to give us time to disinfect workspaces and any shared equipment (such as the scanner in the reading room) 

Second, as noted in recent communication, the Libraries are all facing unprecedented staffing shortages. In Special Collections, we’ve had several retirements and graduations since closing for COVID in 2020, adding to the shortage.  We don’t have enough people to support retrieving material on demand, so the appointment system gives us the chance to prepare for research visits ahead of time.

Appointments should be scheduled at a minimum of 3 business days in advance so we have enough time to retrieve material and arrange delivery from our offsite storage facility if it’s not on campus. 

When will special collections open back up to drop-in in person visits?  Will the virtual visits continue when that happens?

It isn’t possible to accurately predict when staffing will return to a level that would facilitate any major change in hours or operations. That said, the appointment system is working so well, it is definitely something we are considering keeping because it has proven to be more efficient and productive for our users. For example, in a drop-in scenario, if someone requested an item that was offsite or had to be screened before it could be used, we were pretty limited in what we could do. They may have to wait for a long time, or we may not have been able to get them the material at all resulting in a wasted trip (we always try to find alternatives, but that isn’t ideal). Having people plan their visits and requests in advance lets us handle these logistics ahead of time so people can focus on what they came here to do: research!

Once we have the staff to expand our hours and it’s safe to allow more people in the room, we’ll revisit things like our requesting process, appointment limits (currently users can only have two at a time), and how long the appointments last. We’ll keep adapting the process to expand access as soon as it is feasible to do so.

As for if virtual visits will continue – yes! As we hire and train more staff we’ll revisit how we provide this service, possibly even expanding it. It’s clear that this is filling a need for our users, so we don’t want to stop doing something that’s been so obviously helpful to people. 

What else should people know about Special Collections right now? 

Exhibits are back! For the first time in almost two years, our exhibit and showcase spaces are full, which is really great to see. While the And Then She Said: Voices of Feminists Past and Present exhibit in the reading room requires an appointment, others are open to anyone during business hours:

And Then She Said: Voices of Feminists Past and Present was sown from The Dead Feminists series, a collaboration between local artists Chandler O’Leary and Jessica Spring in the form of a collection of 31 broadsides elevating voices of women throughout history. The exhibiting is on display through March 11, 2022.Viewing is currently by appointment only. Use our Contact Us form to schedule a visit!

Unsheltered Seattle, Then and Now:  In conjunction with National Homeless Awareness Month, this showcase highlights primary sources documenting the history of Seattle’s unhoused–from Hooverville to the original Skid Road, these images, books and pamphlets illustrate the increasing and unmet needs our city continues to grapple with. Allen Library first floor display case. Listening to Seattle’s Skid Row: Testimony from the Edge on 11/18 is an online program weaving together voices from all sides of the homeless epidemic, from unhoused individuals to caregivers. 

The Pacific Northwest in the ‘70s – Power to the People: October 25, 2021-Jan 28, 2022. Groove through the ‘70s in this exhibit of photos, ephemera, and publications from the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections. Each quarter will feature different aspects of the pivotal decade that brought the end of the postwar economic boom, an increase in social progressive values, greater political awareness and expanding liberties for women. Special Collections Lobby, Allen Library South Basement (no appointment needed). Learn More.