The Jerome Robbins Dance Division photograph vertical files are among the most utilized of our collections. As dance is an ephemeral art form, these photographs are often some of the only visual documentation of choreographic works. Maintaining artificial collections at institutions as vast as the New York Public Library provides its own challenges and we questioned if our vertical files were truly available for "ready reference" in our reading room. In the fall of 2024, we began to actively remediate stub catalog records for our photograph files to improve their searchability and create more access points. This presentation demonstrates our ongoing process to update all stub records from preexisting formats to RDA standard, as well as increase authorized authority files and local subject headings listed. This work allows patrons to gain a stronger, more comprehensive understanding of what they will receive in our reading room. In addition, these controlled access points increase the visibility of underrepresented dance artists and companies. This project could also serve as a future model for remediation of other vertical files in our collections and for similar institutions that prioritize accessibility and service.
Fischer et al. (2026) studied this question.