1984 Chapters (Layout Features)

Recent Work in Automation and Rare Books

Davis, Stephen P.

Provides an overview of early work on bringing rare and special collections content into new online systems. It emphasizes the key role played by the recommendations of an ad hoc committee of the Independent Research Libraries Association in 1979 and the subsequent and continuing work of the Standards Committee of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the American Library Association in collaboration with the Library of Congress. The paper describes metadata initiatives as well as various software systems for cataloging and user access to special collections material.