University College London, September 24, 1996

This symposium was the first joint Research Libraries Group- Consortium of University Research Libraries forum on primary sources. It was designed to bring together participants from RLG-CURL member institutions with an interest in primary sources, for both educational and collegial purposes. For purposes of discussion, the term"primary sources" was used in its most catholic sense, referring to archives, special collections, manuscripts, rare books, museum objects, artworks, and other rare or unique cultural material. And the "primary sources community" attending the symposium included 65 participants representing a wide array of interests.

Introduction: "The Defining Characteristic — Primary Materials and Global Scholarship"
—James Michalko, President, Research Libraries Group

Keynote Address: "Columba, Katanga, and DNA, or, When Is Enough Sufficient?"
—Henry Heaney, University Librarian, Chair, Consortium of University Research Libraries (CURL)

International Primary Sources — Strategies and Initiatives Panel
—Chaired by Margaret Hedstrom, Associate Professor, University of Michigan School of Information

• "Approaching the Millennium: Choices and Challenges"
  —Linda Matthews, Head of Special Collections, Emory University
• "Insular Institutions: Problems and Possibilities"
  —Julia Walworth, Head of Special Collections, University of London Library
• "With A Little Help from My Friends: Cooperative Action to Enhance Local Programs"
  —Michael Fox, Head of Processing, Minnesota Historical Society
• "Cooperative Approaches: Challenges and Opportunities"
  —Mary Clapinson, Keeper of Western Manuscripts, Bodleian Library, University of Oxford

Action Agenda for Global Access by 2000: Reports from Small-Group Discussions

Next Steps
—Anne Van Camp, Member Services Officer, Research Libraries Group