Last year, due to the global pandemic, the Archives and Special Collections (ASC) had to adapt to the new normal of relying on technology to continue to serve our users. Before the pandemic, we provided in-person reference assistance and class instructional sessions in the Caroline E. Stras Research Room. These served as great opportunities to inform our users about our archival holdings, research tips and new acquisitions. As we pivoted to working remotely, we decided to launch The Open Stacks blog last March. Initially, we had in mind that The Open Stacks would serve as an outreach tool and an alternate method to connect to our users – it has proven effective in both areas. The ASC staff is excited to celebrate the one-year milestone of the blog’s launch and we are proud to share with our followers that the platform is thriving.
Caroline E. Stras Research Room, 2019.
In the first Open Stacks post, the question was posed why initiate a blog during the COVID-19 global pandemic? In hindsight, I would personally say that the launch of The Open Stacks during the pandemic was successful and it continues to be well-received and utilized by researchers. Here is feedback from one of our readers, “I think that the blog has been an excellent idea and has been carried out very well by all the participants. In particular, I enjoyed the posts during Black History Month. I learned a good deal and enjoyed the process.” –Former ASC Department Head and guest writer, Larry Creider
To those who have been following The Open Stacks from the beginning, we indicated in our first post that the digital platform was going to be a method which would allow us to connect with the public to highlight the unique and diverse collections found in our repository, along with highlighting the work we perform here. We have been overwhelmed with the support and compliments we have received from our colleagues and from the community.
As a librarian, I could not resist the urge to do some research and analyze statistical information to demonstrate the effectiveness of the digital platform. From the initial launch of the platform on March 30, 2020, to the present, there has been a positive trend in online traffic from some surprising corners of the world. As of this month, The Open Stacks has had 2,610 visitors, including from countries such as Mexico, Spain, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom to name a few. I believe it is safe to say that the blog is reaching individuals and is increasing engagement. Creating a blog has benefited the ASC in the following ways:
- Opportunity to reach users remotely
- Promote new and existing archival collections
- Allow the ASC department to remain connected with our existing patrons and introduce ourselves to new users
- Promote the archival profession
Within the past month, a collaborative effort was initiated with the Las Cruces Sun-News in which The Open Stacks content will be published by the newspaper in print and online, which we hope will connect our posts to more local users.
Creating and launching the blog was a team effort and below are reflections from the ASC staff who played an instrumental role in implementing The Open Stacks:
Archives and Special Collections staff (left to right) – Elizabeth Villa, Jennifer Olguin, Dylan McDonald, Teddie Moreno, and Dennis Daily.
“Archives and Special Collections often are referred to as the “hidden gems” of libraries. Too many people who visit our archives remark they had no idea that these unique, historical materials are held here in the NMSU Library. Popular opinion tends to consider archives as somehow “secret,” as in the Secret Archives of the Vatican. Most archivists today actively work to dispel these ideas and we do everything we can to let people know that archives exist precisely so they can be discovered and used by everyone. This is why we started this blog a year ago and why we very consciously chose to call it The Open Stacks.
Looking back over the past year, I’m struck by the great variety of posts that have been crafted by each member of our great ASC team. We all are passionate about the collections we hold and the work we do here in Branson Library, but in particular about ensuring these historical treasures get into the hands of the people who need them for their research, projects, exhibitions or just for enjoyment and inspiration. This blog has allowed each of us to tell some of the “hidden” stories about the people, places and events of our past and make an effort to open our stacks to a wider audience.” – Dennis Daily, ASC Department Head
“With this digital platform, we also hope to connect more meaningfully with our users, highlight the varied work we perform, and share important research tips. In short, we hope to open up the stacks of ASC to our readers.” – Dylan McDonald, Political Papers Archivist/Special Collections Librarian
“Launching the platform was a great idea and I am excited to share with the public the rare and unique material we have in our repository. Each post that we highlight, it is an opportunity to connect with the public and share information, and it is a gratifying feeling. Being a native New Mexican, I feel that it is important to share the diverse content that shapes New Mexico and its rich historical background. I have enjoyed reading my colleagues’ posts and I look forward to another successful year.” – Jennifer Olguin, Rio Grande Historical Collections Archivist
“As I researched and wrote about our collections, I became aware that writing blog posts as a team was opening our collections to a broader audience and a new generation of users. Most of our users are internet savvy and prefer to obtain their information quickly. The links to additional resources we provided in the Open Stacks helped our researchers discover other sources of information. It was a great feeling to know that our blog posts and social media shares were helping people learn and research without having access to our physical collections. COVID-19 forced us to discover new ways to help our researchers. “– Teddie Moreno, ASC Library Specialist
“My early role with setting up the blog involved working with our web developer to troubleshoot any design issues and creating the banner graphic seen on the home page. Most of the posts I’ve written have been about our photograph collections. Some can take weeks to research and write, while others almost write themselves. I’ve learned much about our collections while doing my own research and while reading my colleagues’ posts. I also write most of our social media posts highlighting our weekly blog posts. Some of our posts that receive the most engagement on social media are related to the settlement of the area and early photographs of Las Cruces. While physical access to our collections is limited during this Covid-19 pandemic, it’s been great to get the word out about what we have and see what interests our patrons.” – Elizabeth Villa, ASC Archives Specialist
Map depicting location where The Open Stacks has reached an audience. The shades of blue indicate countries where people have viewed the platform. Courtesy of Google Analytics.
We have been successful in spreading the word about our archival collections because several readers have contacted us in response to reading specific posts. Most recently, Tiffany Acosta, the NMSU Public Information Officer, contacted both Dennis and Dylan about doing a story on the Wendell Chino papers after coming across the blog post. The article is planned to be featured in the Panorama, NMSU’s alumni magazine, in May. A few weeks after posting about a recently donated scrapbook created by a student who had attended the college from 1916-1919, we were contacted by the student’s great-granddaughter who found the post in a Google search while tracking down family history information. The family had no idea the scrapbook existed and was thrilled to have found it. Earlier in the year, we were contacted by a project director in Nebraska and he was interested in obtaining images from Blackdom, NM after reading the blog post. Lastly, an individual from the British Astronomical Society was pleased to learn about the Latimer Wilson post written by Teddie Moreno. The reader indicated the following, “I appreciate your article very much and for the choice of illustrations. I had never seen copies of his originals, only published versions. The 1928 map of Mars is typical of his work and shows that he continued to uphold the visibility of the so called canals. I did not realize many originals were in colour. I know that Haas and Vaughn and Tombaugh held him in high regard, for in the amateur community in the USA he may have been the best-known planetary observer.”
Overall, we at the ASC enjoy sharing our archival hidden gems and connecting with our readers. We hope to see our users soon in a conventional and traditional manner.