"In library science, special collections (Spec. Coll. or S.C.) are libraries or library units that house materials requiring specialized security and user services."
Involves the management and use of rare books, archives, and other unique materials in libraries and other cultural institutions.
Archival Processing and Management: The organization, description, and preservation of materials in archival collections, including acquisition, arrangement, description, and storage.
Cataloging and Metadata: The creation and maintenance of bibliographic records, metadata, and other descriptive tools to aid in the discovery and access of special collections materials.
Collection Development: The process of selecting and acquiring materials to build and maintain a special collections collection, including donor relations, appraisal, and deaccessioning.
Conservation and Preservation: The techniques and strategies used to preserve and maintain special collections materials, including materials handling, housing, storage, disaster planning, and conservation treatments.
Digital Libraries and Collections: The creation, management, and maintenance of digital collections, including digitization of physical materials, metadata creation, and access and preservation strategies.
Exhibit Curation: The design and planning of exhibits that showcase special collections materials, including exhibit development, interpretation, and promotion.
Reference and Access Services: The provision of services to assist users in accessing and using special collections materials, including reference assistance, instruction, and circulation policies.
Outreach and Promotion: The development and implementation of marketing and outreach strategies to promote the use of special collections materials, including social media, exhibits, and programming.
Ethics and Professionalism: The ethical and professional considerations involved in working with special collections materials, including issues of access, ownership, and cultural sensitivity.
"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)."
"[Materials in special collections] 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 recognized 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."
"For example, archives may be part of a special collections department or managed separately..."
"...whilst rare books and manuscripts are often kept within special collections, some institutions may use the term exclusively for modern material."
"Larger, historically distinct collections may also be managed as part of a Special Collections department..."
"...such as the Newberry Library or the American Antiquarian Society..."
"Some special collections are standalone institutions that are privately funded..."
"Special Collections at University College London..."
"In contrast to general (or circulating) libraries, the uniqueness of special collections means that they are not easily replaced..."
"...and therefore require a higher level of security and handling."
"The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's rare books and archives were silently breached from the inside by the manager of the Oliver Room, Greg Priore."