Trends In Rare Book Documents Special Collections Management 2011 Edition

This report is a new version of our 2008 report with the same title. The study profiles nine special rare book and documents collections from the following institutions: the University of Texas at Austin, New York University, the Wisconsin Historical Society, the American Museum of Natural History, the University of Toronto, Texas A&M, Yale University Law Library, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and the Rosenbach Museum and Library. Special collections directors discuss their efforts in digitization, procurment, fundraising,marketing and publicity, events and exhibitions, meeting attendance, security, preservation, collection development, cataloging, and many other areas. The report is designed to foster an awareness of best practices in rare book and manuscript special collection management.

This special report examines the management practices and business decisions of special collections libraries with a focus on rare books, manuscripts, maps, and other historical documents. The report profiles the John J. Burns Library of Rare Books and Special Collections at Boston College, the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, the L. Tom Perry Special Collections at Brigham Young University-Provo, the Huntington Library, the Newberry Library, the San Antonio Public Library, the Watkinson Library at Trinity College, the Special Collections Research Center at the University of Southern Illinois-Carbondale, and the Bancroft Library at the University of California-Berkeley. Interviews were conducted in November and December of 2007. Additional information through an online form was provided by San Jose State University Kent State University Map Library AGS Libraries, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and California State University-Chico.

"This report presents 7 journalistic-style profile interviews with the directors of rare book collections ... [who] discuss digitization, personnel, fundraising, exhibits, acquisitions, endowments, special events, security, university relations, and other issues of interest to rare book and document and special collection management in museums, libraries and colleges worldwide" -- Publisher's website.

The study presents detailed interviews with the directors of rare books and document collections at Duke University, the University of Saskatchewan, Cardiff University, Bryn Mawr College, Hamilton College, the University of Glasgow, and Amherst College. The directors discuss in detail issues such as collection security, acquisitions, donor management strategy, digitization, marketing and outreach to students, faculty and outside users, exhibits, budgets, and much more.Dr. Naomi Nelson, Director of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University, discusses the impact of the largest gift received by the Duke Libraries, a $13.6 million donation earmarked for the rare books collection. Dr. Nelson also discusses in detail the history of the collections growth and the impact of donors. Julie Gardham, Senior Librarian and Manager of Special Collections at the University of Glasgow discusses, among many other issues, Special Collections' digitization efforts and its participation in the Rare Books in Scotland (RBiS) forum facilitated by the National Library of Scotland for members of staff in Scottish libraries and other organizations that have responsibility for collections of rare books. At Bryn Mawr College, Eric Pumroy, Associate Chief Information Officer and Seymour Adelman Head of Special Collections, discuss the impact on special collections of the College's move to a Drupal driven content management system, as well as, among other issues, the role Bryn Mawr College plays in the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries (PACSCL). Tim Hutchinson, Head of University Archives & Special Collections at the University of Saskatchewan, explains how the College's Archives and Special Collections divisions cooperate and how the two departments handled a literal doubling of their floor space in recent years. Christian Goodwillie, Director and Curator of Special Collections & Archives at Hamilton College, takes readers on a tour of the Hamilton collection and one of its jewels, the Communal Societies Collection, which gathers approximately 2,500 items on communal societies, with a particular emphasis on the Shakers. He also discusses how to find treasures "in the stacks," as he puts it. Peter Keelan, Head of Cardiff University's Special Collections and Archives (SCOLAR), talks about how SCOLAR is active in seeking out funding and regularly brings in funds for "cataloging, conservation, and digitization" and discusses in detail how Special Collections has prioritized digitization projects by surveying all of the academic schools across campus, culling responses from a dozen academics with preferences on what they'd like to see digitized. Mike Kelly, Head of Archives & Special Collections at Amherst College, explains the development of a three-way campus partnership between Frost Library, Information Technology Services, and the Digital Programs Department that resulted in the establishment of Amherst College Digital Collections (ACDC).

A critical examination of Web 2.0 tools used in special collections, archives, and museums, with an emphasis on using interactive technology to create and preserve content. Based on surveys and firsthand research across the archivist's profession, Special Collections 2.0: New Technologies for Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archival Collections offers essential advice and practical ideas for creating, collecting, and preserving born-digital materials for optimal long-term access—using the best of what the new Web has to offer. Special Collections 2.0 surveys the web's new options for interconnectivity and interactivity tool by tool, exploring the benefits and shortcomings of applying each to the special collection and archives profession. It combines expert analysis of the pros and cons of Web 2.0 with numerous reports of how wikis, blogs, photosharing, social networks, and more are already being put to work in this essential field. Creators, researchers, and caretakers of the historic record—even those anxious about using the Internet—will understand the best ways to put Web 2.0 to work in the service of our cultural heritage.

Entrusted with the responsibility of preserving the records of history and culture, these institutions enable access to millions of source materials. Berger offers a landmark examination of this field, aimed at practitioners, instructors, booksellers, private collectors, historians, bibliophiles, and others involved in rare and unique materials.

Successfully managing rare book collections requires very specific knowledge and skills. This handbook provides that essential information in a single volume. Rare Book Librarianship for the 21st Century is the first new rare books handbook of practice in 25 years. Authored by two special collections experts with extensive field experience, this book is also the first to discuss the role of digital technologies in managing a rare book collection. After a fascinating discussion of the history and current state of rare book libraries, this handbook provides a comprehensive account of the core skills and knowledge needed to be a successful rare book librarian. Topics include best practices for handling, housing, and conserving rare materials; collection development techniques; and user education and outreach. This book will serve as a handbook for practitioners in academic settings, large public libraries, and special libraries, and as a textbook for students in MLIS courses on rare book librarianship and curatorship.