Kertakokoelman

Kertakokoelman is a term in library and information science that designates a collection assembled to document a single event, period, or phenomenon. It is characterized by its time-bounded scope and its focus on compactness rather than comprehensiveness. The word is formed from Finnish elements: kerta meaning “one time” or “occasion” and kokoelma meaning “collection”; the compound kertakokoelman denotes “the one-time collection” (genitive form kertakokoelman).

Usage contexts include festival archives, project end products, or social media captures around a specific occurrence. Kertakokoelman projects are often created quickly to capture immediate artifacts, then closed or decommissioned after the event’s relevance fades. They serve researchers and the public by providing a compact, contextual snapshot rather than a broad, enduring archive.

Curatorial practice emphasizes clear scope definition, provenance, and rights management. Selected items may include documents, photographs, videos, audio, posters, and other digital records. Metadata focuses on event date, place, creators, licensing, and relationships to related collections. Taxonomies and controlled vocabularies aid retrieval within and across kertakokoelman instances.

Preservation strategies mix stabilization and accessibility: deciding which items survive long-term, how to store formats, and how to document the ephemeral nature of the collection. While intended as a temporary artifact, kertakokoelman can contribute to long-term research if properly archived. Debates concern completeness versus curatorial discretion, representativeness, and ethical considerations around privacy and consent.