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The governance and development history of the Yellow River is an important part of Chinese history. Many historical documents and archives have been produced around the governance and development of the Yellow River as well as modern information resources such as databases and pictures, which together constitute a special collection of cultural heritage resources of the Yellow River Governance Landscape. In this paper, a literature search was conducted and unique resources collected for the construction of the Yellow River Governance Landscape, including the main literature, archives, pictures, databases, and other resources. Experts identified the concept and relevant resources of the Yellow River Governance Landscape, and librarians constructed the special collection. The future direction of digitization and database construction for the Yellow River Governance Landscape resources are also discussed. The special resources of the Yellow River Governance Landscape will help to increase the discipline collections and special collections of university libraries, provide resources for multidisciplinary teaching and research, and help to digitize and build databases of Yellow River Governance Landscape resources in the future as well as provide the content basis for open access and sharing of digital resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland. The history of the library beginning with its inception in 1689 is traced. The famous collections that it owns includes the papers of author Sir Walter Scott. The John Murray Archive contains works by authors such as Baron George Gordon Byron and authors from the U.S., such as the novelist Herman Melville and the correspondence of actress Fanny Kemble.

The Chinese book project Siku Quanshu (The Complete Library of Four Treasures) was Conducted at the Emperor Qianlong's command starting in 1772. Thirteen thousand two hundred fifty-four books were collected nationwide and thousands of scholars were involved; 3,462 books were selected to make up the Siku Quanshu proper. Over 4 million pages were transcribed by thousands of copyists. Out of the seven copies made, only three copies survived the dramatic historical changes of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries almost intact. This article traces the odyssey of the Wenshu Ge copy, particularly in the rapidly changing sociopolitical and economic contexts of the twentieth century. The emphasis of the article is placed on the description and analysis of its relocation in the early 1920s soon after China was transformed into a republic; in the 1960s at the height of the Gold War when China split from and confronted the USSR; and in particular, in the new era of reform and opening up for economic development since the late 1970s. After the turn of the century, the two-decade competition between Liaoning Province and Gansu Province for physically keeping the copy has become increasingly intense at the national, provincial, and local levels, and the competition has created significant impacts on library building and cultural development in the two provinces and beyond. The article examines important factors of culture, tradition, preservation, and modernization associated with the fate of the copy in hopes that the perplexing realities of Chinese history and society will be better understood as China has entered a new era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a LibQUAL+ survey which was conducted to determine user satisfaction and expectations concerning library service quality. A study used three methodologies to analyze the results of the survey. The first method, internal benchmarking compares the graduate students of University of Idaho (UI), Moscow, Idaho to UI faculty, staff and undergraduates. The second method, external benchmarking evaluates UI graduate student results against their peers from other non-ARL libraries using score norms. The LibQUAL+ survey, conducted for the first time at the UI library in 2004 provided a tool for a study focused on the graduate student. The surveys also evaluates needs and expectation of the UI students concerning the materials and services offered by the library. take. Two studies indicated that the average graduate student is aware of slightly less than half of the library services and that his or her awareness varies regarding type of service . Electronic journals and their index counterparts are one example of value-added library resources of which graduate students are not fully aware.

This article examines organizational implications that have emerged at selected academic libraries in support of digital initiatives in special collections, with an emphasis on collaboration between special collections and digital library departments. Many academic libraries now are approaching a "point of no return" in which digitization is quickly becoming a primary and permanent function of special collections. Successful navigation of the point of no return requires a carefully thought-out approach that codifies collaboration between special collections and digital library units.

AUTHENTICITY-- THE VERIFIABLE CLAIM that an object is what it purports to be--is crucial for the value of an artifact as evidence, cultural object, research source, and object worthy of collecting, curating, and preserving. This essay explores another aspect of authenticity in artifacts, one rooted in subjective experience and less amenable to verification but often equally important for meaningful use of retrospective resources--the ability of an artifact, through its physical presence, to create an experiential and affective response in the researcher. The essay further explores the implications for collectors and special collections librarians of the fact that digital objects can be likened to physical artifacts because they also claim experiential and affective authenticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ARTIFACTS ARE NOW BEING INCLUDED in digital imaging projects at an increasing rate. Digital imaging staff are rarely experienced in the handling or disposition of artifacts and often regard the artifact as being "preserved" simply through the act of digitization The guidelines refer to some of the problems likely robe encountered in the intersection of conservation and digitization and make some recommendations on procedures designed to address them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THIS ARTICLE CONSIDERS the treatment of special collections in libraries in North America and the world. It looks first at issues of providing access for an increasingly broad and diverse readership but with limited resources. Questions of the ownership of unique materials are then considered, with special reference to claims of national heritage and the difficulties confronted by libraries that hold iconic material from other cultures. Finally, tile article looks at some implications of the electronic revolution. While digitization can provide worldwide access to unique materials, it also leads to increased demands for access to the originals. The article concludes with this paradox, setting a context for dilemmas that will increasingly face special collections librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IN NOVEMBER 2001, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) announced the formation of a Task Force on Special Collections charged with developing an action plan to address a set of issues deemed significant by the ARL Board and membership. The establishment of the task force followed several years of ARL interest and activity in the area of special collections. This paper will review the stages through which ARL's engagement with special collections evolved, describe the motivation and rationale for initiating this engagement, discuss the perspectives that ARL brings to special collections, and provide a status report on the work of the task force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SHOULD RARE BOOKS TAKEN during times of war as "trophies" by the enemy be restored to their original owners? This is a controversial but increasingly important issue for special collections libraries worldwide. Attempted restitution brings about a new set of losses and problems. Any rules or policies for such restitution will, at least for the time being, include complex legal and political considerations. It is important to consider that while the value of an individual book might not be so high, the same book as part of a collection might be very valuable. The German book trade and libraries, and their relation to the Soviet Union after World War II, is a major case study in the problems surrounding restitution of cultural property--in particular, the lack of bibliographical citations for much of the material. Librarians should consider the creation of a bibliographically sound, all-European register of rare books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS MATERIALS are not Only to be found in academic libraries; they can be found in museum, public and national and independent research libraries as well. The focus of this paper is on independent research libraries, especially those who are members of the Independent Research Library Association (IRLA). IRLA members are eighteen private, nonprofit research and education institutions, Their focused collections are developed to ,support research rather than an academic curriculum. They serve scholars and researchers internationally with their eminent collections, They provide access on, site and increasingly online. They will be challenged in the future by the need for increased)financial support, changes in scholarship and scholarly communications, and the need for increased Visibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THIS ESSAY INTRODUCES the overall subject of the present issue of Library Trends and puts into a contemporary and historical context all the pieces which follow. The authors look at the current world of special collections, showing how it has evolved and how, in many ways, issues of the past are still with us. Libraries change, in all of their capacities and departments. Special collections and archives have always presented specific challenges to those in charge of them. Those concerns have changed in many ways, but they have not disappeared. And new challenges and initiatives, new technologies, and new ways of configuring the infrastructure of the institutions which house the collections bring special collections librarians and archivists the need to stay current with the world of information management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THIS ESSAY EXAMINES THE CURRENT international economic disruption and its effect upon the scholarly and academic community, an effect that is exacerbated by what appears to be a fundamental shift in donor philosophy. Taken together, these factors are forcing academic and cultural institutions to reevaluate traditional areas of support in light of broader societal pressures. The implications for research libraries, including their special collections department, are profound, and much of this essay is devoted to strategies for coping with an unfamiliar and competitive fund, raising environment: The ;approach is to stress the need for librarians, including those in Special collections, t0 develop a long-term vision and strategy based upon a flexible working knowledge of the evolving goals and mission of the parent library and institution. Additionally, the essay emphasizes the necessity for understanding the broader philanthropic environment and the tools required to exploit philanthropic opportunity, from planned giving and investment vehicles to donor-advised giving instruments, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DUE TO THE IRREPLACEABILITY OF MATERIALS as well as the innumerable variations in physical condition and storage needs, special collections present many challenges to preservation and conservation professionals. In reaction to these challenges, there have been many advances and changes within the fields of preservation and conservation. The goal of this short paper is to highlight some of the skills and technological advances that have changed the way special collections are preserved in reference to two approaches: item-level conservation and collections conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RARE BOOK, MANUSCRIPT, AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS libraries remain both more difficult and more forbidding to use than any other parts of most libraries. A shift from an ethos that emphasized acquisition, cataloging, and preservation has brought into new prominence issues generally grouped together under the rubric of "promotion." This essay considers some of the ways in which this addition to the ethos of special collections has the potential to change for the better the ways such libraries are perceived and used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

USING THE PLANNING, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION of the Elmer L, Andersen Library as a case study, this article explores the variety of planning and design issues that must be addressed in the building process. The Andersen Library is unique for its site selection and for the successful joining of eight archives and special collection units in a single building, his exploration looks at how the internal library planning meshes with the architectural design process; how chance events can present innovative design opportunities; and how the political process can affect funding priorities and Other realities, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents views on trends in special collections libraries, as of 2003. Philosophy of resource-sharing in agreements for special collections programs; Role of special collections as an institutional responsibility; Revival of interest in the history of the book.

Focuses on how the rural circuit medical librarians provided medical library services to underserved practitioners in rural areas. How the librarians use literal maps and develop complex mapping techniques and information systems; Survey on the collection of oral history.