Graduate students view DC History Center collections inside the Kiplinger Research Library.
One of the biggest hurdles for small libraries is figuring out how to serve as many people as they can with the resources they have. Broad access is an important librarian value—in fact, it is the first item in the American Library Association’s Code of Ethics: “We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.”1
The Kiplinger Research Library, like most other special collections libraries, does not easily lend itself to walk-in browsing. Paper archives and historical artifacts are best stored within acid-free boxes in climate-controlled rooms. The majority of our collections are stored outside of the library reading room, so the only way patrons can “browse” the collection is by searching our online catalog. For most Americans who are used to the extreme browsability of the public library, doing research this way can have a steep learning curve. To mitigate this and make the experience more comfortable, our library staff provides friendly research help and education via email to those who reach out to us.
Another common accessibility concern raised about special collections libraries is their limited hours. These libraries typically operate on small budgets, which means they have minimal staff. As a result, their open hours for researchers are restricted. A small team is responsible not only for providing reference services and answering questions, but also for retrieving materials, handling administrative tasks, and managing other day-to-day responsibilities. Often, special collections are only open during standard business hours—unfortunately excluding those who cannot visit during the day.
At the DC History Center, we are committed to supporting citizen researchers and community historians. This commitment has led us to reconsider the barrier created by offering access only during daytime hours. We found that traditional hours often exclude teachers, high school students, and anyone with a standard work schedule. Many potential researchers would need to take time off from work just to visit our collections.
When I began my role as librarian over two years ago, the first change I made was to offer greater flexibility for those unable to visit during our regular hours. I started by informing interested researchers of our standard schedule and letting them know that I could arrange special appointments outside those hours if needed. This approach worked fairly well—but only when someone had already reached out to us.
This summer, we’ve taken another step in our effort to expand access: we shifted our Tuesday hours to the late afternoon and evening (3-7 pm) to better accommodate members of the public who want to view our collections. This change has only been in place for a few weeks, but we hope this change has a meaningful impact on the researchers we are striving to include.
Expanding access isn’t always simple for small libraries, but it’s a vital part of living up to our professional values. By making even small adjustments—like extending hours—we move closer to our goal of making history accessible to all who seek it.
Alex Aspiazu is the librarian at the Kiplinger Research Library. You may reach her with your questions or thoughts at library@dchistory.org.