Researchers, We Need Your Expertise: Help Shape the Future of Archival Access

This initiative is part of a research project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, dedicated to enhancing digital engagement with archival collections. Our project partners are the National Library of Ireland and the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University Belfast. The split holdings of this collection, with material held by all partners, makes this an ideal candidate for exploring and designing a virtual space for research that facilitates access.

What is a Virtual Reading Room (VRR)?

A virtual reading room (VRR) is a mechanism to provide access to digital archival materials that are protected by copyright and that cannot be displayed on an open, public website. The goal is to reproduce the experience of a physical reading room with one basic difference: removing the geographical limitations. Emory's virtual reading room for mediated remote access to collections is intended to protect creators’ intellectual property and respect their desires while democratising access and more seamlessly enabling use of archives, particularly those separated from their communities of origin.

This pilot phase of the project aims to develop virtual reading room access for Irish poetry collections, focusing on the Seamus Heaney papers.

Focus Group Details:

• Date: Thursday, 3 October 2024
• Time: 4pm
• Location: The National Library of Ireland, 4 Kildare Street, Dublin 2

Duration: 1.5 hours

Objective: Our goal is to gather insights from experienced researchers like yourself to better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with virtual reading rooms and the accessibility of online archival materials. Your feedback will be instrumental in shaping future developments in this field and improving digital resources for the research community.

Why Your Input Matters:

• Share your experiences and perspectives on virtual reading rooms.
• Influence the design and functionality of digital archival tools.
• Contribute to a major Mellon-funded project aimed at advancing archival research.

What to Expect: The focus group will involve a discussion on your experiences with archival research, any challenges you've encountered, and suggestions for improvement. We value your honest feedback and hope to foster a productive dialogue that will benefit the whole archival research community.

If you are interested in participating, please RSVP by emailing sara.natalie.fuchs@emory.edu. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or require further information.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to contribute to important research in our field. We look forward to the possibility of your involvement.