The Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of ACRL/ALA is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in its membership, in rare books and special collections librarianship, and among users of rare books, manuscripts, and special collections. RBMS encourages participation in the section by people of any race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and physical ability; it supports its members in serving the broadest possible population; and it seeks to represent the concerns and interests of rare books and special collections librarians at a variety of institutions, including academic libraries, public libraries, research libraries, special libraries, and historical societies.

Some of the specific ways by which RBMS encourages equity, diversity, and inclusion include: offering a scholarship program for first-time attendees at its annual conference; pairing new members with more experienced members of the section at conferences; and conducting surveys of its members and non-members, the results of which inform the section’s membership initiatives and program planning. RBMS fully supports equity, diversity, and inclusion, which is are identified as Core Organization Values in the ACRL Plan for Excellence 2017, and the ALA Strategic Plan 2017. For more information about the RBMS commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, please visit the RBMS Website (http://rbms.info).