Academic and learned societies are a critical part of the scholarly communications landscape, offering important knowledge, innovative research and advocacy for the disciplines they specialize in. Researchers all over the world rely on the published outputs of these societies as trusted leaders in their fields, and are often able to access these journals through their library’s subscription.
However, the published research of a society represents only a fraction of the story behind it. Within the society’s walls lies the raw materials accumulated over hundreds of years--including personal papers, manuscripts, photographs, maps, correspondence, meeting minutes, ephemera and more—that reflect the evolution and growth of the field itself. These largely unpublished archives are distinct from other types of primary source collections, in that they are deliberate and purpose-built, meant to preserve and serve as an ongoing repository for leaders, fellows and members in their fields.
The digitization of society archives is not only critical to providing wider access and discoverability of this original source material, but also to introducing new perspectives into the scholarly conversation as researchers re-interpret the findings of their predecessors.
In this session, Wiley will facilitate an interactive discussion that explores: • The role of academic societies in the scholarly communications landscape, how their archives are formed and why they’re distinct from other archive collections • Why and how academic societies are entering partnerships to digitize their archive collections • The opportunities that access to society archives will present for research, teaching and learning • The interdisciplinary nature of society archives and how they fit into the library’s collection development strategy • Case studies from society leaders and researchers that offer real-life application This session will include a diverse range of perspectives from across the globe, including well-known academic society leaders and researchers. The goal of the session is to provide a deeper understanding of academic societies and the value of their archive collections, how current digitization projects are enabling greater access and discovery of unpublished primary source materials, and opportunities for libraries to support researchers in their quest for more innovative lines of inquiry.
