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 collection's 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 university‘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 sur