From custodians to facilitators : a participatory framework for co-curating ephemeral heritage in academic libraries

Abstract

Purpose: This paper investigates the role of integrated librarianship in transforming academic libraries from static repositories ("custodians") to active sites of cultural embedding ("facilitators"). It aims to address the structural disconnect between rigid institutional archives and grassroots community collections by proposing a scalable framework for co-curation. Design/methodology/approach: The research employs a longitudinal, mixed-methods single-case study of the Kollezzjoni Programmi tal-Festa (KPF) at the University of Malta. Data collection combines qualitative semi-structured interviews with key community informants alongside a quantitative analysis of access metrics from the OAR@UM institutional repository to measure the impact of community-driven metadata in a digital environment. Findings: The study reveals that "Cultural Warrant" significantly outperforms standardized cataloging; items enriched with Local Subject Headings (LSH) drove a 329% spike in engagement during local events. Furthermore, the application of Social Exchange Theory (SET) validates that community participation is driven by a "reciprocal calculation," where institutional transparency (e.g., the Rendikont) acts as an essential social reward. Originality/value: This paper bridges the "gap in praxis" between theoretical post-custodialism and operational reality. It uniquely quantifies the value of integrating community expertise into digital workflows, providing an empirically grounded model for institutionalizing trust-based archival partnerships.