Historic

University Collections Online: The Student Perspective

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Abstract

Many university costume and textile collections face challenges regarding accessibility and are now trying to make collections more accessible and visible by providing access online. The purpose of this research is to better understand the attitudes of students who use these collections online and the features that make them successful. A total of six focus groups were held at two universities that possess historic costume and textile collections. The responses were open-coded which resulted in several themes including reasons to visit the online site, using the collection as a resource, desired website features and technology, and comparing in-person versus online perceptions of collections. University collections focus on education; therefore, students expect online collections to be information driven. In addition, it is important to understand the role of technology in enhancing students' experience when developing a university collection online.

How to Cite:

Shephard, A. & Pookulangara, S., (2016) “University Collections Online: The Student Perspective”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 73(1).