IFLA Rare Books and Manuscripts Section and the Regional Standing Committee for Asia and Oceania want to promote awareness of special collections, not only as heritage of the past, but also as a foundation for the future. They ask how “new” special collections come into being, what defines a special collection and how can we ensure that special and rare material is collected today to serve the cultural memory of tomorrow.
The objective of this year’s session is to identify and present materials and collections considered rare or special in Asian or Oceanian institutions, or collections of rare materials from Asia or Oceania held in institutions in other parts of the world. A special emphasis in this session will be on why these materials are considered to be rare or special, and the consequences on actions for preservation and marketing.
Proposals for papers can be sent for the one-day session to be held in the National Library of Singapore, during the 2013 IFLA World Library and Information Congress 17-23 August. Submission guidelines are here: http://conference.ifla.org/ifla79/calls-for-papers/rare-and-special-collections
