OCLC has announced that the Marin County Free Library's Anne T. Kent California Room, earlier this year, switched from locally hosting CONTENTdm to CONTENTdm hosted by OCLC. The library also switched to CONTENTdm's new responsive end-user interface, which has improved the display of its oral history collections as well as the display of hundreds of images in the collections.
According to Carol Acquaviva, Librarian & Digital Archivist for the library, patrons interact with the library's CONTENTdm collections by submitting requests for digital reproductions of images and oral histories. Carol has been tracking these requests, and there has been a significant increase over the last few years. Because of the switch to CONTENTdm's new end-user interface, the library has a more streamlined path to add more collections and materials to CONTENTdm, which makes it easier for patrons to find the rare items.
The library has a unique way in which patrons and visitors connect with their digital and special collections. Many are drawn to the library's physical space because of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Marin County Civic Center, where the library is housed. The California Room showcases a history of the building, and when visitors want to know more, they can use a kiosk computer to view the Frank Lloyd Wright and the Marin County Civic Center digital collection and other collections illustrating Marin County's history in CONTENTdm. Although the library has a limited amount of display space for special collections, digital collections allow visitors to view hundreds of items. Patrons also continue their research after they leave by visiting the CONTENTdm collections from any device.
One of the library's most popular CONTENTdm collections is its Oral Histories collection. This special collection contains several hundred audio files and transcripts of interviews conducted from 1974 to the present. One hundred eighteen of these interviews are online, and the library continues to add more files. According to Carol, this is a unique collection because patrons get to hear someone's personal experience. With this collection, researchers can see a picture of the interviewee, view the transcript as a PDF, listen to the full audio file, or listen to an excerpt. The library is focused on catering to a diverse audience. In-person and online visitors include local history enthusiasts, school children, genealogists, and authors writing books and scholarly publications.
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