Collaboration Between Libraries, Museums, Archives: Development of Scientific Ideas

Abstract

The aim of this paper is summarization of scientific ideas on collaboration between libraries, museums and archives. Research methodology. Articles, monographs and PhD theses written by Ukrainian and foreign authors were analyzed. Internet resources’ monitoring and information search at the site of Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine took place, the most popular LIS journals were looked throught to determine the range of publications focused on collaboration between libraries, museums and archives. Results. The results of the conducted analysis reveal that the importance of collaboration between libraries, museums and archives was emphasized by the researchers back in 1920-1930. Scientific concepts of efforts consolidation of libraries, museums and archives were based on unification of the approaches of working with archival documents, library and museum funds and focused on usefulness of establishing special institutional body to coordinate collaboration between them. This approach has developed due to the formation of public and corporate multicultural content by libraries, museums and archives in most countries. At the end of the 20th century and at the beginning of 21st century there were three basic concepts of collaboration between libraries, museums and archives. The background of the first concept is independent work of libraries, museums and archives. The second concept is focused on common features of libraries, museums and archives rather than on their distinctive ones. The third concept is based on understanding common and distinctive features of libraries, museums and archives in the working process. The works of Ukrainian researchers V. Horovyi, V. Ilhanaieva, V. Rizun, and foreign researchers D. Zorikh, H. Vaibel, R. Ervei, Iu. Chornyi are of significant importance in understanding the processes of collaboration between libraries, museums and archives. At the beginning of 21st century the issues of information resource integration of cultural heritage preserved in libraries, museums and archives are the main issues in the publications of Ukrainian and foreign researches. Most researchers consider the model of partnerships to be of highest priority in this aspect. Convergent areas of these three social and cultural institutions’ development in the aspects of technology, research, design, education and territory are described in the research works recently published. Novelty. The first overall analysis of scientific views, basic concepts of collaboration between libraries, museums and archives and development of those concepts as the basis of future collaboration prospects is presented in the paper. The practical significance is in applying scientific concepts to practically enhance collaboration between Ukrainian libraries, museums and archives based on partnership model and convergence trends.

Keywords

• library, museum, archive, collaboration, scientific concepts, partnership, convergence.