Libraries Launches New Digital Collections

Syracuse University Libraries recently launched its new Digital Collections site at https://digitalcollections.syr.edu. This new online resource, available through the Libraries’ website under the “Collections” menu tab, is produced and curated by the Libraries’ Digital Stewardship team and primarily features distinctive content  from the Special Collections Research Center. The new Digital Collections site is housed on the Quartex software platform, which the Libraries selected in 2021 because of its flexibility and responsiveness as a digital asset management platform with extensive front-end capabilities that enable it to showcase, share and celebrate locally held materials with a global community of users.

Libraries’ users, including students, faculty, staff and global researchers, can find collections by choosing the subject topic, name, geographic location, original format or source collection from alphabetical drop-down menus. There are also various featured collections, including The Plastics Collection, Syracuse University Glass Plate Negative Collection,  Gerrit Smith Collection or Syracuse Insurance Atlases Collection. The platform also allows for hosting various bespoke collections, like the Ted Koppel Collection.

In addition to hosting digital collections, the site serves as a portal to the Libraries’ digital exhibitions, including:

• Our Doors Opened Wide: Syracuse University and the GI Bill, 1945-1950
• Shut It Down: The 1970 Student Strike at Syracuse University
• A Courageous Stand: The Story of the Syracuse 8
• ‘Let the Reader Emerge!’ Milestones of the Syracuse University Libraries
• A Legacy of Leadership: The Chancellors and Presidents of Syracuse University
• 150 Years of Tradition at Syracuse University: a digital exhibition
• We Remember Them: The Legacy of Pan Am Flight 103

“As we wrap up this phase of migrating content from the previous platform, our team is really excited to add new digital materials to the site and experiment with different approaches to spotlighting and creating increased access to our unique content,” says Déirdre Joyce, head of digital stewardship and the Digital Library. “There are enormous opportunities to leverage the capabilities of this platform to support creative digital scholarship that we are just beginning to explore.”

“An increasingly key role for research libraries is building virtual libraries out of rare local collections so we can better preserve the originals and efficiently share them with the world whenever possible,” says Scott Warren, senior associate dean for research excellence. “By investing in state-of-the-art systems like Quartex, we amplify our ability to bring these critical cultural heritage items into Syracuse classrooms for use by Syracuse students and faculty and make them available to global researchers,” he says. “I’m thrilled our new Digital Collections platform is live! It’s just one of the many ways the Libraries helps drive student success.”