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.
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. They can also include association with important figures or institutions in history, culture, politics, sciences, or the arts. Some special collections are recognised as being of global importance; the UNESCO Memory of the World Register includes documentary heritage material.
Individual libraries or archival institutions determine for themselves what constitute their own special collections, resulting in a somewhat mutable definition that is often a legacy of the institution's organisational structure. For example, archives may be part of a special collections department 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.
For research libraries, a special collections area or division can be a fundamental part of their mission. 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.
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.
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.
See also
- Archive
- Manuscript
- Book collecting
- Cultural heritage
- Historic preservation
- Primary source
- Born-digital
- Bibliography
- Historical society
- List of closed stack libraries
References
Bibliography
- Hirshon, A., Jackson, R. H., & Hubbard, M. A. (Eds). (2016). Forging the Future of Special Collections. ALA Neal-Schuman.
External links
- 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