Sponsored by Sotheby’s

In a recent higher education article, a professor provocatively stated, “The reason we don’t have more faculty of color among college faculty is that we don’t want them.” She explains her thinking point-by-point, showing how implicit and explicit biases manifests this outcome.

Sponsored by Henry Sotheran Limited

The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA) is presenting a Booksellers’ Showcase that will feature 40 ABAA member exhibitors. We encourage you to visit the showcase and enjoy meeting booksellers, catching up with colleagues, and browsing books.

These awards are given annually in recognition of excellence in the publication of catalogues and brochures that accompany exhibitions of library and archival materials, as well as for electronic exhibitions... Read More

The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA) is presenting a Booksellers’ Showcase on Tuesday evening and all day Wednesday. The showcase will feature approximately 40 ABAA member exhibitors. We encourage... Read More

This informal introduction to the showcase will allow attendees to meet with various dealers, examine items, and consider how materials on the market can be utilized for instruction and research... Read More

As a special collections community, we are moving from show and tell towards active learning as our focus in the classroom. We have worked to create learning outcomes for classes,... Read More

Sponsored by Iowa State University Library

Panelists will discuss their experiences as department heads covering topics such as personnel management, management styles that work, and considerations for recruitment and retention of staff.

Sponsored by Iowa State University Library

Paper 1: Coming to the Plains: Latino/A Stories in Central Nebraska
Laurinda Weisse, University Archivist, University of Nebraska-Kearney

Paper 2: Modeling Change through LGBTQ+ Collecting
Dr. Francesca Marini, Associate Dean for Special Collections and Director, Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M University Libraries, and Professor Rebecca Hankins, Curator, Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M University Libraries

Paper 3: How Archivists can Support the Study of African American History: From Two Different Perspectives
Jessica Perkins Smith, Assistant Professor/Manuscript Archivist, Mississippi State University, and Jasmaine Talley, Archivist, Amistad Research Center, New Orleans, LA

Grab a quick bite, meet other first-time conference attendees, and chat about what you’ve seen so far, and where you’re going next! The New Members’ Lunch is open to all... Read More

In 2013, a group of material culture professionals – librarians, archivists, and curators from seven different research collections at the University of Missouri – came together for a common purpose:... Read More

Sponsored by Iowa State University Library

This panel addresses the intersection between ethnic studies theory and community archives practice through primary source instruction. A three-year, IMLS-funded research project, “Transforming Knowledge, Transforming Libraries,” asks “what are the outcomes of undergraduate students applying what they learn in ethnic studies combined with their lived experience in contributing to community archives?”

Sponsored by California Rare Book School

Special collections librarians have long grappled with ethical questions unique to the types of materials in our collections and the particular modes of acquisition through which they enter. The 2003 ACRL Code of Ethics for Special Collections Librarians skillfully addresses many of these, including the need for professional boundaries (between personal and institutional collecting or librarians and the rare books market, for example) and professional judgment (such as situations in which preservation needs conflict with a commitment to free access).

Sponsored by Martayan Lan

For generations, writers, book collectors, scholars, and philanthropists have assembled personal libraries, each with a unique focus and a variety of materials, and sought "suitable institutions" to house those treasures in perpetuity. Donated with certain immortality in mind, what becomes of those carefully gathered collections does not always include perpetual care. With personal anecdotes and institutional examples, this session aims to examine the afterlife of records, and the longevity of acquisitions, and the responsibilities of special collections in a Post-custodial Era.

Sponsored by Henry Sotheran Limited

The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA) is presenting a Booksellers’ Showcase that will feature 40 ABAA member exhibitors. We encourage you to visit the showcase and enjoy meeting booksellers, catching up with colleagues, and browsing books.

These awards are given annually in recognition of excellence in the publication of catalogues and brochures that accompany exhibitions of library and archival materials, as well as for electronic exhibitions... Read More

Sponsored by Lux Mentis, Booksellers

Many scholars have written about Storyville, but no thorough contemporary study of the blue books has been available until now. These directories of the neighborhood's prostitutes featured advertisements for liquor, brothels, and other goods and services available in the District.

In a world where technology is ever-changing, social media platforms appear and evolve rapidly, often in ways we can’t predict. Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and many others have come and gone,... Read More

Sponsored by QED Appraisal Group, LLC

Questions of labor are becoming more prevalent in archival literature, conferences, and social media, both as a means of elevating perceptions of the profession and supporting the tangible benefits to its laborers. Such questions include: How do we surface invisible labor? How do we effectively and equitably partner with faculty (and other partners) to undertake digital scholarship projects...

Finding a position in the field of archives and special collections can be difficult, and once found, the challenges do not always end. Whether it is a question of understanding... Read More

Sponsored by Arthur Fournier Fine & Rare, LLC

Many in our profession are aware of the trend to bring special and area studies collections together in large, research libraries, sometimes under the umbrella of “distinctive collections,” because of their administrative affinities.

Sign up at the registration desk onsite for this RBMS tradition. Small groups of conference participants can get to know one another while visiting some of the best restaurants in... Read More

Sponsored by Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers

Part of the richness of special collections and archives is the sheer variety of the formats they hold, and we are at our best when our priorities, collection development foci, and dedicated financial resources are distributed justly among our many types of materials to ensure their use and permanence. The same can be said for collections we are pursuing. Underrepresented collections reveal the complexities and depth of unheard voices and provide a more accurate record of history. Through their own personal passion for their work, our plenary speakers will reinforce the importance of the convergence of our collecting practices that support an established canon with actions that disrupt and reveal the power of current and past stories that are not equally represented in our collective holdings today.

Sponsored by Atlas Systems

Rock Out with Your Checkout: Preserving Local Music Archives with the Help of Local Libraries Frank Bridges, Rutgers University

Through an Extended Lens: Louisiana, Internment and the Geography of Chance Sarah Simms, Louisiana State University, Hayley Johnson, Louisiana State University

From Shandong to Noyelle: Finding Traces of the WWI Chinese Labour Corps in Official Documentation Jason Nisenson, University of Calgary

Convergence as “Cluster”: Art and History Meet in the Reading Room Susan Falciani Maldonado, Muhlenberg College

The Past, Present, and Future of Special Collections Library Literature Melanie Griffin, University of South Florida


The Expert Upstairs: Developing Collaborative Workflows between Special Collections and Preservation Units

Katrina Windon, University of Arkansas, Mary Leverance, University of Arkansas

Sponsored by Bromer Booksellers, Inc.

As special collections departments move to integrate students into their programming, and to develop deeper learning through work with primary sources, student-curated exhibits have become more common.

Sponsored by Iowa State University Library

This panel presents critical questions raised by the work of Umbra Search, AADHum, and the Amistad Research Center including:
How archival/special collections practices around ownership and post-custodial model affect community collections;
How digitization and community outreach and programming attempt to address absences in our collections;
How large scale initiatives such as AADHum approach integrating Black cultural heritage materials across the digital curriculum;
How collaborative efforts are key to sustaining effective practices around collecting, discovery, and access of under-represented materials, histories, and, voices.

Sponsored by Arthur Fournier Fine & Rare, LLC

The Western “canon” is a meeting place, a place of convergence. The “great books” of European and North American history impart to students a common knowledge that allows, in theory, for a shared sense of heritage. Yet this approach limits acquisitions policies, who is represented, and who feels welcome within special collections. This approach creates silences in the historical record. The purpose of this “Lightning” panel is to discuss how best to resist these tendencies — to use the meeting place of the canon as a rallying point of resistance.

Sponsored by Conservation Center for Art & Historical Artifacts

As archives and special collections grow increasingly central to libraries’ operational, development, and strategic goals, an increased demand for acquiring rare and unique materials has gained a visibility and urgency not previously witnessed. Special collections, historically marginal to an institution's identity, are now front and center.

Sponsored by Bartleby’s Books

RBMS and the Society of American Archivists (SAA) are considered, within the special collections profession, to be "affinity groups" - those united by common purpose. What elements tie us together (or keep us apart)? What challenges do we face? How can we forge collaborations? Join leaders from RBMS and SAA for an open dialogue, driven by audience questions.

Join us for the third annual RBMS InstaMeet! An RBMS InstaMeet is fun, and it is also educational community building, with an emphasis on collections outreach via Instagram. We’ll focus... Read More

Sponsored by Iowa State University Library

A group of early- to mid-career Special Collections librarians and archivists will lead small group discussions about the challenges and experiences of being the expert in the room even while still developing one's expertise. The session will involve four fifteen-minute rounds of group discussions around a set of questions exploring what defines an "expert," establishing credibility, and growing professionally. Hosts will facilitate conversations and visually record ideas that emerge. At the conclusion of each round, participants will form new groups to continue the conversation with the next question.

Sponsored by Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books & Manuscripts

Over the last 15 years, libraries have increasingly entered into consortial agreements to undertake collaborative collection development and management. Library administrators look to shared print collections housed in offsite high-density storage facilities to allow patrons access to greater amounts of material while also eliminating “duplicates” within the shared collection.

Sponsored by Liber Antiquus, Early Printed Books & Manuscripts

People live in the papers of their lives, but they also need to be documented through the artifacts and contextual materials that frame their experiences. Libraries, archives, and museums have been pulled into closer conversation and collaboration in academic research libraries as institutions seek to document a wider variety of life experiences. Hybrid collections are challenging for most institutions to select, preserve and steward

Sponsored by Northeast Document Conservation Center

Paper 1: Engaging the Offbeat: A Case Study in Creating a Local Music Archive as a Cultural Space Paper 2: Trans-Atlantic Exchange: The Ecole Nationale De Chartes and The Historic New Orleans Collection

Paper 1: Hybrid is Here: Providing Access to Hybrid Archival Collections Julie Judkins, Assistant Head, Special Collections, University of North Texas Archives and Special Collections are increasingly receiving “hybrid” collections... Read More

Sponsored by Atlas Systems

Dismantling Colonial Library Practices of Accessibility through Bilingual Metadata Margarita Vargas-Betancourt, University of Florida, Angie Soto, University of Florida

Converging Cultures: Prioritizing Multi-Script Cataloging in Special Collections Alia Levar Wegner, Miami University

Forest for the Trees: Making Hidden Collections Visible Beyond the OPAC Chloe Ottenhoff, University of Illinois

The New Schoenberg Database of Manuscripts Emma Cawlfield, University of Pennsylvania for Lynn Ransom, University of Pennsylvania

Transcultural Convergence: Cataloging Needs in the Age of Information and Globalization Alejandra Barbon, University of Miami

Cataloging Almanacs Anna Loewenthal, Folger Shakespeare Library

Counting in a Common Language Martha O’Hara Conway, University of Michigan, for Elizabeth Haven Hawley, University of Florida

In anticipation of next year’s RBMS conference in Baltimore – centering on the theme of special collections amidst climate change – we will engage attendees of this year’s RBMS in... Read More

STEM technologies are dramatically changing the ways that special collections professionals study, preserve, and create access to our collections. These technologies come from disciplines with which special collections have not... Read More

Sponsored by Iowa State University Library

What's happening, how did we get here, and where are we going? Join representatives of RBMS Executive Committee, current, and future Section Chairs for a casual conversation about leadership in RBMS. Each panelist will share her/his RBMS story, leaving plenty of time for your questions about the Section, the profession, and the future of special collections.

Sponsored by Maggs Bros. Ltd.

In 2016, the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill partnered with InHerit, a cultural heritage research and action organization rooted in the Research Labs of Archaeology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to launch an international collaborative project titled Maya from the Margins to connect youth from indigenous families in North Carolina and Yucatán, Mexico in exploring their identity and heritage over time, focusing on topics such as language, history, and migration.

Sponsored by The Bibliographical Society of America

The Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (DCRM) suite of manuals has a successor: the RBMS Policy Statements, a consolidated set of guidelines for cataloging rare materials according to Resource Description and Access (RDA), will be published in 2019.

Cosponsored by Anonymous Donor and GALE, A Cengage Company

Join your colleagues for drinks and appetizers at Xavier University of Louisiana Library Resource Center. A premier university for educating African-American students in the sciences, Xavier is consistently a national leader...

Sponsored by bookandpaperfairs.com

Continuing the conversation from the RBMS 2016 seminar, “Special Collections Security for the 21st Century: Trends, Tools, And Techniques”, and the RBMS 2017 session, “Let’s Be Honest: Speaking Openly about the Reality of Special Collections Security”, this session gives attendees the opportunity to speak frankly about institutional practices, and creates an environment where participants learn from colleagues' varied experiences.

Sponsored by Iowa State University Library

The use of the word inclusion has exploded within libraries, archives, and museums, but how does this translate into our work, or rather, how can we create inclusive environments from where we stand within an organization?

Sponsored by Franklin Gilliam :: Rare Books

University of New Orleans Special Collections Librarian Connie Phelps moderates a panel discussion by local archivists of important as well as unusual collections found in university, municipal, and private repositories in New Orleans.

Sponsored by Athena Jackson, Penn State University/RBMS Section Chair

Have you ever wanted to be a moderator at a conference session, but thought it was too scary or did not know what the “rules” or expectations were? This participant-driven session will demystify the role of conference moderator and open up the discussion to experienced, new, and potential moderators about the challenges, rewards, and best practices of this role.

This seminar will introduce attendees to evolving data on the vulnerabilities faced by special collections due to climate change.

Sponsored by Atlas Systems

Advancing in Retreat: Librarians and Faculty Converge to Develop Student Assignments Su Kim Chung, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Priscilla Finley, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Making Book History Accessible in Digital Collections Barbara Laufersweiler, The University of Oklahoma

Tweeting Tennessee’s Collections: Where Bots and Special Collections Meet Meredith Hale, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Engagement, Enthusiasm, and Empowerment: Participatory Learning in Special Collections Instruction Lindsey Loeper, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Susan Graham, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

A Digital Collection for Studying Early Printed Books Sarah Werner

Strategic Collision: Innovations in the Special Collections Classroom Allison McCormack, University of Utah; Sha Towers, Baylor University,

Collection Access through Data Visualization Thomas Cleary, LaGuardia Community College, The City University of New York

Sponsored by Bonhams

The alarming number of recent, deadly natural disasters, including flooding and monsoons in South Asia, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires in North America, and landslides and drought in Africa is a constant reminder of the responsibilities that we have as cultural heritage institutions to protect our facilities and collections from an increasingly volatile environment. These environmental disasters prove dangerous to the collections we house and to those of the most vulnerable that may never make it to the archives. Our plenary speakers will explore the impact of violent convergences of weather on our environment and communities, historical evidence of their potential to erase cultural legacies, and our readiness as a field to respond to such disasters.

Join other RBMS members in giving back to New Orleans by assisting New Orleans City Park – one of the nation’s oldest urban parks (http://neworleanscitypark.com/) – with an afternoon of... Read More

Join us for a tour focusing on African American history within New Orleans’ French Quarter. Provided by Hidden History Tours, this tour acquaints visitors with the French and Spanish colonial period,... Read More

A two-hour Literary Tour of New Orleans’ French Quarter.  Celebrating 300 years of literary creation, the tour examines places associated with great writers of New Orleans and places them in... Read More