Bridging Collections: Enhancing User Discovery of Archival Collections Through Alma Digital

Libraries and archives can often seem siloed, organizing information and approaching collections in different ways. Yet, they share a common objective in providing users with an intuitive and meaningful discovery experience. Our University has a rich history of involvement in visual arts, which is manifested in our Archives' robust collection of original art objects and primary source materials. Historically, discovering and accessing these collections required locating and navigating finding aids, and the materials were largely invisible to many library patrons. Our adoption of Alma Digital presented an opportunity to seamlessly integrate these unique collections into the patron search experience. However, there were also challenges in adopting a library systems solution for archival collections. This presentation will highlight key decisions made in the presentation of archival materials and art collections through Alma Digital, including metadata transformation and enhancement, file format migration, and ongoing assessment practices.