Everything you want to know about special collections (but didn't know who to ask)

Thursday 17 October 2024, 12.30pm - 1.30pm

Delivered via Zoom

This session is aimed at anyone who may have some rare book material in their collections and wants to find out how CILIP’s Rare Books and Special Collections Group can support them.   We will introduce you to the exciting world of rare books and give you an opportunity to ask us anything about working with special collections. You can expect information about digital collections, advice for new professionals, and to learn more about working with rare books in university and public library settings.

This session will:

>> Provide an overview of the benefits of joining RBSCG and how the group can support members
>> Provide a greater understanding of rare book librarianship
>> Support increased knowledge of digital collections and working with special collections in different types of libraries 
   

Presented by:
    

    
Get to know the incredible CILIP Communities - our volunteer networks who meet regularly to programme events, trainings and conferences and publish journals, blogs and newsletters. Any CILIP member can join our community groups, attend events and/or get involved with the committee and help shape the future of their work...

The Rare Books and Special Collections Group unites librarians responsible for collections of rare books, manuscripts and special materials, with other interested individuals. The group promotes the study and exploitation of rare books, encourages awareness of preservation, conservation and digitisation issues, and fosters training opportunities related to the maintenance, display and use of collections.
Three or four times a year, a talk and accompanying exhibition or library visit are held in different parts of the country to cater for a geographically diverse membership. These meetings attract an international audience, particularly to the residential study conference held annually in the second week of September. The group also publishes an online newsletter three times a year, including articles, news and reviews, and the texts of papers delivered at the Group's meetings and conferences.

The Group liaises with others in related areas and organisations such as the Antiquarian Booksellers Association with whom it produced advice on the Theft of Books and Manuscripts from Libraries and Bookshops (see Publications section).

The Group gathers and disseminates information about rare book holdings and current acquisition policies, exemplified by a major co- operative effort to map the holdings of rare books and special collections throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. This project culminated in 1997 with the publication of the second edition of The Directory of Rare Book and Special Collections (ed. Bloomfield, LA Publishing, 1997).

The Group is involved in the revision of the MARC fields for rare books and has published Guidelines for the Cataloguing of Rare Books (ed. Hillyard & Pearson, RBG, 1997). The  UK Bibliographic Standards Committee has a remit to take this work forward and improve standards across the UK.

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CILIP Members' Fest session delivered via Zoom
FREE for all (members and non-members alike)

Members' Fest events are open-access! We're keen to introduce you to the work that we do and the support we can offer. Find out more about CILIP membership and how we can support you to super-charge your career here.