A Contract Archivist For A Brief Project In A Health Sciences Library: Case Study And Management Implications

Abstract

In advance of loss of archival space, a health sciences library developed a plan to weed and organize its archives. Working with the health sciences center foundation and campus academic affairs officials, the library hired a local archivist on a contract basis, for the last quarter of 2017, to execute this plan. This case study describes the organizational context, details and administrative implications of the project. This description is a unique contribution to the literature about the use of contract labor in health sciences library collections.

Keywords:

• health sciences library
• medical library
• contractor
• archives
• special collections
• self-employed

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author is grateful to Dolores (Dee) Jones, retired, for her expert work on this project. Thanks also to Marianne Comegys, Director of Community Affairs, and Kevin Flood, president of the LSU Health Sciences Foundation in Shreveport. Dr. David DeSha, Dr. Jane Eggerstedt, and Dr. Dennis Wissing provided support from faculty and academic affairs.