In library science, special collections (Spec. Coll. or S.C.) are libraries or library units that house materials requiring specialized security and user services. Special collections can be found in many different organisations including research libraries, universities, colleges, schools, national libraries, public libraries, museums, art galleries, archives, historic houses, cathedrals, subscription libraries, learned societies, hospitals, companies and monasteries.[1]

Materials housed in special collections can be in any format (including rare books, manuscripts, photographs, archives, ephemera, and digital records), and are generally characterized by their artifactual or monetary value, physical format, uniqueness or rarity, and/or an institutional commitment to long-term preservation and access.[2] They can also include association with important figures or institutions in history, culture, politics, sciences, or the arts. [3] Some special collections are recognised as being of global importance; the UNESCO Memory of the World Register includes documentary heritage material.[4]

Individual libraries or archival institutions determine for themselves what constitute their own special collections,[5] resulting in a somewhat mutable definition that is often a legacy of the institution's organisational structure.[1][6] For example, archives may be part of a special collections department [7][8] or managed separately, and whilst rare books and manuscripts are often kept within special collections some institutions may use the term exclusively for modern material.[1] Larger, historically distinct collections may also be managed as part of a Special Collections department: for example, the British Cartoon Archive at the University of Kent is part of the Templeman Library's Special Collections & Archives.[9]

For research libraries, a special collections area or division can be a fundamental part of their mission.[10] Some special collections are standalone institutions that are privately funded, such as the Newberry Library or the American Antiquarian Society while others are part of a larger institution, such as the Beinecke Library at Yale University or Special Collections at University College London. Many American university special collections grew out of the merging of rare book rooms and manuscripts departments in a university's library system.

In contrast to general (or circulating) libraries, the uniqueness of special collections means that they are not easily replaced (if at all) and therefore require a higher level of security and handling.[11]

Function

The primary function of a special collections division is to foster research by providing researchers and interested groups or individuals access to items while ensuring their longevity. Many staff members involved with special collections have either advanced degrees or specialized training related to the collections for which they are responsible.[12]

Storage

Items in a special collection are usually stored in closed stacks (not directly accessible to the institution's patrons) which contain noncirculating items, meaning that items cannot be loaned or otherwise removed from the premises. Access to materials is usually under supervision. Depending on the policies of an institution holding special collections, researchers may be asked to present identification cards, letters of reference, or other credentials to gain access.[10]

Most special collections are stored in areas in which the temperature, humidity, illumination, and other environmental conditions are carefully monitored to ensure the integrity of materials, and adequate security is provided to protect the materials from unauthorized access, theft, and vandalism.

Offsite storage facilities have become increasingly popular among institutions holding special collections. Most libraries consider it their mandate to maintain acquisition of new collections, although the limitations of their physical plants may not be able to handle all that is acquired. Storing materials offsite allows flexibility in how libraries design and apportion their space and provides security for materials. The 2010 "Taking Our Pulse" report cites a survey in which 67% of responding institutions use offsite facilities, with another 5% in planning stages.[2]

Reading room characteristics

Special reading rooms are often provided to minimize the risk to holdings while being consulted by patrons, which are sometimes monitored by library personnel who also provide reference assistance and relay requests for materials. Rules often apply to use of materials in order to protect against inadvertent damage; Writing implements which use ink are very commonly prohibited, as well as flash photography, use of mobile phones (except for photography), and the presence of food and beverages. Protective gloves are sometimes required when consulting particularly delicate materials, photographs, and metal objects, and many libraries may require that books be read only while resting in special cradles. Research libraries are increasingly investigating offering virtual reading rooms and virtual teaching environments to support remote access to special collections - work which has been accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cullingford, Alison (2022). The Special Collections Handbook (3rd ed.). London: Facet Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78330-539-1. OCLC 1301482212.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  2. 1 2 Dooley, Jackie M.; Luce, Katherine (2010). "Taking Our Pulse: The OCLC Research Survey of Special Collections and Archives" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  3. ↑ admin (2008-07-08). "Guidelines: Competencies for Special Collections Professionals". Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). Archived from the original on 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  4. ↑ United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, UNESCO (2017-03-29). "Memory of the World Register". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2023-03-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Cave, Roderick (1982). Rare book librarianship (2nd ed.). London: Clive Bingley. ISBN 0-85157-328-2. OCLC 8748769.
  6. ↑ Panitch, Judith M. (2001). "Special Collections in ARL Libraries" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  7. ↑ "Special Collections and Archives homepage". Special Collections and Archives - University of Kent. Archived from the original on 2023-10-25. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  8. ↑ "Special Collections : Library : University of Sussex". www.sussex.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  9. ↑ "British Cartoon Archive". Special Collections and Archives - University of Kent. Archived from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  10. 1 2 Task Force on Special Collections, American Research Libraries (2003). "Research Libraries and the Commitment to Special Collections" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "Definition: Special Collections". Research Using Primary Sources. University of Maryland Libraries. Archived from the original on 18 February 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  12. ↑ Working Group on Special Collections, Association of Research Libraries (March 2009). "Special Collections in ARL Libraries: A Discussion Report from the ARL Working Group on Special Collections" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Kamposiori, Christina (2022). "Virtual Reading Rooms and Virtual Teaching Spaces in collection holding institutions: An RLUK report on current and future developments" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.

Bibliography

CILIP Rare Books and Special Collections Group - CILIP Special Interest Group for UK professionals working with Special Collections.

Historic Libraries Forum - Group for (primarily UK-based) professionals working in historic libraries.

Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of American College and Research Libraries - a division of the American Library Association that supports (primarily US-based) professionals working with rare material.

Special Collections Handbook - accompanying website to Alison Cullingford's Special Collections Handbook

Teaching with Primary Sources Collective - resources for educators who work with, or wish to work with, primary sources in their lessons

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