Rare books and special collections / Sidney E. Berger.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Berger, Sidney E.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Libraries--Special collections--Rare books.

Libraries.

Libraries--Special collections--Administration.

Libraries--Special collections--Nonbook materials.

Libraries--Special collections.

Nonbook materials--Collectors and collecting.

Nonbook materials.

Administration.

Physical Description:

xxii, 537 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm

Place of Publication:

Chicago : Neal-Schuman, An imprint of the American Library Association, 2014.

Summary:

From cuneiform, coins, and codices to prints, drawings, photographs, and maps, departments of rare books and special collections are the premier repositories of significant printed and manuscript works and artifacts. Entrusted with the responsibility of preserving the records of history and culture, these institutions enable access to millions of source materials. Berger, a veteran of rare book and special collections, offers a landmark examination of this field, aimed at practitioners in the library field, instructors teaching courses on the subject, booksellers, private collectors, historians, bibliophiles, and others involved in rare and unique materials. Showing readers everything they need to know about rare books and special collections, this wide-ranging book offers coverage of such key topics as: the profession s history and its relevance in the face of an increasingly digital world; archives relationship to the special collections department and their role in the wider institution; collection development, cataloging, processing, physical layout, and other operational functions, with coverage of acquisition sources and methods; what everyone needs to know about the physical materials in their care, including preservation, conservation, and restoration, storage, handling, and security; reference and outreach services, including a look at exhibitions and tours; fundraising and financial management; legal and ethical issues; forgeries, fakes, and facsimiles; bibliography and its impact on the rare book world, including a look at booksellers, donors, and auctions; the present state of books in our digital environment; the vocabulary of the trade. Rare Books and Special Collections presents a meticulous and systematic understanding of this growing field.

Contents:

Foreword / by Joel Silver

Introduction

Some practical realities

Running a rare book department

Archives

The physical materials of the collection

Physical layout and operations

Fund-raising

Security

Legal issues

Bibliography

Book collecting and handling

Outreach

Preservation, conservation, restoration, and disaster planning

Special collections departments today

Other issues

Afterword.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781555709648

1555709648

OCLC:

873828975