THE LIBRARIAN AS INSTITUTIONAL HISTORIAN

ABSTRACT: Librarians in research institutions long have been involved in documenting and storing their institutions ' corporate histories. This is an aspect of the librarian's bibliographc role and the captured materials fonn part of the "special " and "unique " character of a library's collections. Traditionally, the collection of historical materials has been limited to published materials, but more and more of the institution's unpublished records are being recognized as valuable resources. The librarian, as the resident information specialist, often must take a role in the gathering and preservation of these materials. In some institutions, the formal archive has been established (e.g., WHOI, Scripps); in others, the library has assumed the responsibility for the collection and retention of those unpublished records that document the institution's activities. A further extension of this traditional role comes when the librarian may be asked to conduct historical research about the institution. The paper presents two case studies focusing on the adventures of librarians preparing histories of research vessels, one at a government research station and the other at a private university. The authors provide some guidance for small libraries that have archival responsibilities