Association of Research Libraries (ARL®)

ARL defines "special collections” broadly to include distinctive material in all media and attendant library services.

Highlights

• Special Collections and Archives in the Digital Age: ARL Releases Final Version of RLI 279 (Aug. 7, '12)

• The Sustainability of Digital Special Collections, Nov. 2010

• ARL Promotes Member Use of Large-Scale Digitization Principles, August 2010

• Special Collections Working Group Adopts New Charge, March 2010

• Processing Decisions for Manuscripts & Archives, SPEC Kit 314, Published by ARL, Nov. 2009

• An Age of Discovery: Distinctive Collections in the Digital Age, Proceedings of the ARL-CNI Fall Forum, Oct. 2009

• Special Collections in ARL Libraries: A Discussion Report from the ARL Working Group, March 2009 [PDF]

• Celebrating Research: Rare and Special Collections from the Membership of the Association of Research Libraries

• ARL Special Collections Librarians
  A directory created and maintained by the Rare Books School at the University of Virginia

Overview

Special collections are a priority for ARL attention. In particular, ARL seeks to:

1. Identify opportunities and recommend actions for ARL and other organizations that will encourage concerted action and coordinated planning for collecting and exposing 19th- and 20th-century materials in all formats (rare books, archives and manuscripts, audio, and video, and digital, etc).

2. Identify criteria and strategies for collecting digital and other new media material that currently lack a recognized and responsible structure for stewardship.

These two issues are closely linked. An enormous amount of valuable material in all formats remains uncollected and risks being permanently lost. Coordinated strategies are needed for identifying, collecting, preserving, and exposing more of these materials to increase their use in teaching and research.