University collections between independence and centralization

Results of a survey

Abstract

Objective — The Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) houses approximately 30 special collections, which are decentralized and mirror the academic diversity of a full-scale university. “Collections” are defined as accumulations of objects that are systematically ordered in a certain way. For several years there has been an effort to make the collections more visible and sustainable – the goal is the creation of a university-wide collections strategy. In its 2011 recommendations, the German Council of Science and Humanities suggests that the process should begin with a complete inventory, which was the main goal of the thesis upon which this contribution is based.
Methods — Besides the evaluation of research literature, the analysis is based on the responses to two different questionnaires that were sent to a) examples of good practice in the German-speaking area and b) the persons in charge of the collections at JGU. Instead of giving detailed descriptions of the results, this article will focus on evaluation tables and key figures.
Results — The inventory analysis shows that the state of the JGU collections does not deviate substantially from other university collections: they display a great heterogeneity and a decentralized management. Fortunately, they all are well integrated into research and teaching. There are deficits especially in terms of financial and human resources.
Conclusions — The results of the survey facilitate a focus on further coordinating processes – both university-wide and across Germany. With a view of the collection coordination established since 2014 under the umbrella of the University Library, it becomes clear that the tightrope walk between the decentralized maintenance of collections and a coordinated approach is possible and how it can be achieved.

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