For immediate release:
October 9, 2007
For more information, contact:
Lee Anne George
Association of Research Libraries
202-296-2296
leeanne@arl.org
ARL has published a book and Web site profiling selected rare and special collections in major research libraries of North America, Celebrating Research: Rare and Special Collections from the Membership of the Association of Research Libraries.
The compendium is a sampling of the abundance and variety of collections available for use. Special collections have been broadly construed to encompass distinctive, rare and unique, emerging media, born-digital, digitized, uncommon, non-standard, primary, and heritage materials.
Celebrating Research includes 118 collection profiles, each from a different ARL member library. Each profile is illustrated with color photographs and tells a story of a single collection, recounting how the resources were acquired and developed. The compilation is rich with examples of how research libraries are engaging different communities to deliver library services and encourage the use of such distinctive collections.
Also included is an introductory essay by British rare book expert Nicolas Barker and an appendix that provides a broad description of each library's special collection holdings and pertinent contact information. The book contains a detailed index; the Web site provides a search engine.
The volume is the result of a collaborative effort among ARL member libraries on the occasion of the Association’s 75th anniversary. It was edited by Philip N. Cronenwett, Special Collections Librarian Emeritus, Dartmouth College Library; Kevin Osborn, Research & Design Ltd.; and Samuel A. Streit, Director for Special Collections, Brown University Library.
The content of Celebrating Research, including image previews, is freely available on the Web at /.
Ordering Information for the Book
Celebrating Research: Rare and Special Collections from the Membership of the Association of Research Libraries
Philip N. Cronenwett, Kevin Osborn, Samuel A. Streit, eds.
Washington DC: Association of Research Libraries, 2007
ISBN 978-1-59407-769-2
Softbound: 10.5"x 11", 312 pages, 402 illustrations, index
$135 ($115 for ARL member libraries), plus shipping and handling
Order from ARL Publications.
About ARL
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 123 research libraries in North America. Its mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is located on the Web at http://www.arl.org/.