The Teresa Deevy Archive and the Development of Collections and Curation in Maynooth University Library: Critical Perspectives on Teresa Deevy

‘The Teresa Deevy Archive and the Development of Collections and Curation in Maynooth University Library’ outlines the traditional library role and approach to archival collection of Maynooth University Library (MUL) in the context of Maynooth University (MU) and Saint Patrick’s College Maynooth (SPCM). It argues that, in recent decades, MUL has developed curatorial holdings and special collections to better reflect a long-standing commitment to scholarship and activism in areas of social justice, focussing particularly on the theme of the outsider. The chapter reflects on the evolution of this collections development strategy and positions the Teresa Deevy Archive as a case study of sorts, exemplifying current collection policy orientation and practice. Focusing on collection management since the beginning of the twenty-first century and identifying the advantages of a planned strategic approach to collection management, the chapter considers how MUL’s special collections evolved and the identification of the multidisciplinary theme of ‘The Outsider’—a categorisation left deliberately loose to encompass individuals whose work or social and/or political contribution was either marginalised, or considered marginal, within their lifetime or after their death. Teresa Deevy’s life and work and the value of her archive is considered in this light, and the story of how her archive came to be held and conserved by MUL and some of the curatorial decisions made are in relation to it are detailed. The challenges and impacts of curatorial decisions and practice are illustrated through this narrative as are the complexities of where and how scholars access the Teresa Deevy Archive, in particular, and archives, generally. The chapter concludes asserting the importance of stakeholder involvement in matters of special collection acquisition, curation, and access and the ironic success in identifying the theme of ‘The Outsider’ in relation to improving engagement with the archives of figures such as Teresa Deevy.