Special Collections

The purpose of this group is to provide opportunities for librarians and archivists to share ideas and information about using special collections materials in classroom instruction; to promote discussion about innovative strategies for integrating primary source materials into college and university curricula; and to begin the process of developing guidelines and best practices for special collections instruction.

To review, update, and revise the 2004 revised Guidelines for the Interlibrary Loan of Rare and Unique Material; and to review, update, and revise the 2005 revised Guidelines for Borrowing and Lending Special Collections Material for Exhibition, combining these two documents into a single set of guidelines for borrowing and lending rare and unique materials and special collections material.

Through this forum, we hope to explore what is happening in the library world in regards to oral history.  This includes, but is not limited to recording stories, preparing exhibits, preserving materials, and creating access. We encourage you to share information about your library’s oral history efforts!

A professional networking and collaboration community for METRO member librarians aimed at catalyzing connections and building relationships between, around, and within a diverse community of institutions.

ALCTS Council of Regional Groups works with ALCTS-affiliated groups to encourage regional activity and assist regional groups with information and advice relavant to their region and the profession. This online community is designed for everyone involved in regional technical services events and education to share information and support one another.

Provides a forum within ALA for the discussion of issues concerning the availability and quality of cartographic materials produced by the federal agencies and increases cooperation and communication between librarians and these agencies.

Provides a forum for discussion of and action on issues concerning spatial data acquisition and in particular to work on cooperative acquisitions and cooperative collection development.

Provides an open forum for presentation and discussion of any topic or issue which involves rare book or special collections cataloging, especially topics or issues which also involve automation.

Serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas on promoting the visibility and use of original research materials. Discussion will focus on a range of public service issues including but not limited to reference services and reading room operations, public outreach through instruction, exhibitions and other programs, the integration of special collections programs and agenda into wider library or institutional goals, and the use of electronic technologies for reaching constituencies.

Serves as an open forum for discussion about topics relating to the curatorial management of manuscripts, archival records, and other primary research materials, usually in nonprinted formats, including but not limited to photographic material, artwork, electronic records, and ephemera.