This comprehensive and no-nonsense guide to working with special collections and rare books is an essential day-to-day companion. Working with special collections can vary dramatically from preserving a single rare book to managing and digitizing vast mixed-media archives, yet the role of the information professional is always critical in tapping into the potential of these collections, protecting their legacy and bringing them to the attention of the wider public. This book offers up-to-date guidance which pulls together insights from best practice across the heritage sector to build innovative, co-operative and questioning mind-sets that will help them to cope in turbulent times. The Handbook covers all aspects of special collections work: preservation, developing collections, understanding objects, emergency planning, security, legal and ethical concerns, cataloguing, digitization, marketing, outreach, teaching, impact, advocacy and fundraising. New to this edition: coverage of new standards and concepts including unique and distinctive collections (UDCs), The Leeds Typology, Archive Accreditation, PD 5454:2012 and PAS 197 discussion of the major changes to laws affecting special collections including UK copyright law relating to library/archive exception and orphan works and forthcoming changes to data protection in the EU exploration of new trends in research including the rise of digital humanities, open access, the impact agenda and the REF updates to the sections on marketing, audience development and fundraising to include social media, customer journey mapping and crowdsourcing and more consideration of impact and indicators, digitization and new skills frameworks from CILIP and RBMS. This is the essential practical guide for anyone working with special collections or rare books in libraries, archives, museums, galleries and other heritage organizations. It is also a useful introduction to special collections work for academics and students taking library and information courses.

A report of an OCLC Research survey of library special collections holdings and practices at selected institutions in the United States and Canada. Numerous charts and tables summarizing responses are included. Recommendations for best practices are also provided.

This collection of essays interrogates library practices relating to archives and special collections.

"ARL has published a book and Web site profiling selected rare and special collections in major research libraries of North America, Celebrating Research: Rare and Special Collections from the Membership of the Association of Research Libraries. The compendium is a sampling of the abundance and variety of collections available for use. Special collections have been broadly construed to encompass distinctive, rare and unique, emerging media, born-digital, digitized, uncommon, non-standard, primary, and heritage materials. Celebrating Research includes 118 collection profiles, each from a different ARL member library. Each profile is illustrated with color photographs and tells a story of a single collection, recounting how the resources were acquired and developed. The compilation is rich with examples of how research libraries are engaging different communities to deliver library services and encourage the use of such distinctive collections. Also included is an introductory essay by British rare book expert Nicolas Barker and an appendix that provides a broad description of each library's special collection holdings and pertinent contact information. The book contains a detailed index; the Web site provides a search engine. The volume is the result of a collaborative effort among ARL member libraries on the occasion of the Association's 75th anniversary. It was edited by Philip N. Cronenwett, Special Collections Librarian Emeritus, Dartmouth College Library; Kevin Osborn, Research & Design Ltd.; and Samuel A. Streit, Director for Special Collections, Brown University Library."--Publisher's website.

Intended to provide the basic foundation for modern archival practice and theory.