Managing large collections-based projects at Maynooth University: A collections perspective

Maynooth University (MU) is located 22 km from Dublin city and traces its roots to 1795 when St Patrick’s College was founded as a seminary in the town. The Universities Act 1997 established National University of Ireland (NUI) Maynooth, now known as Maynooth University (MU), as a standalone secular institution and a constituent university of the National University of Ireland (NUI), a system of colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act 1908, and amended under the 1997 Irish Universities Act. MU currently has over 11,000 students. The library was founded in 1795 and is now housed in the John Paul II library and the Russell library (pre-1850 collections). It provides an integrated service to both MU ( https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/) and St Patrick’s College Maynooth ( http://maynoothcollege.ie/ ). Froebel College of Education was established in 1943 and was located in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Its focus was early childhood education. The college was named after the nineteenth-century German educator and creator of the concept of Kindergarten, Friedrich Froebel (1782–1852). He advocated reverence for the child, learning through activity, exploration of the environment, enjoyment of beauty in all its manifestations and acceptance of the gifts of each individual. At the time of its closure, there were c. 280 enrolled undergraduate and postgraduate students, and c. 35 academic and other staff. This article explores the transfer and integration of 3,000 items from the Froebel Library into the MU library, following the incorporation of Froebel College of Education into Maynooth University. The key processes, challenges and benefits are outlined