Conferences
Since 1959, RBMS has held an annual preconference in conjunction with the ALA annual conference:
- 2012 RBMS Preconference - Website available soon!
- 2012 ALA Midwinter Schedule
- Past RBMS Preconferences
- ALA Conference Programs Co-sponsored by RBMS
- Past ALA Annual Conference Programs
- RBMS/ALA Meeting Schedules
- RBMS Preconference Scholarship Program Assessment
See also the Conference Development Committee Manual, which contains scheduling and other information relating to upcoming and past RBMS preconferences.
2012 RBMS Preconference
FUTURES!53rd Annual RBMS Preconference
San Diego, California
June 19-22, 2012
The theme is FUTURES! The 2012 RBMS Preconference will explore a multiplicity of futures for the rare book, manuscript, and special collections community. How are special collections materials being discovered and used today? How will they be discovered and used tomorrow? Who will our users be and what will they need? What forms will special collections materials take? Join us to learn, discuss, share, and contemplate. Now is the time to shape and prepare, because the future is now.
The preconference will feature engaging plenaries, educational seminars, lively discussion groups, dynamic short paper presentations, tours, a book fair, and workshops. Check back often for updates. Registration will open in February.
Past RBMS Preconferences
- "In the Hurricane's Eye: Challenges of Collecting in the 21st Century," the 52nd Annual RBMS
Preconference, Baton Rouge, LA, June 21-24, 2011.
[Selected Presentations and Documents] - "Join
or Die: Collaboration in Special Collections," the 51st Annual RBMS
Preconference, Philadelphia, PA, June 22-25, 2010.
[Selected Presentations and Documents] - "Seas
of Change: Navigating the Cultural and Institutional Contexts of
Special Collections," the 50th Annual RBMS Preconference,
Charlottesville, VA, June 17-20, 2009.
[Selected Presentations and Documents] - “Rare and Special Bytes: Special Collections in the Digital Age,” the 49th Annual RBMS Preconference, Los Angeles, CA, June 24-27, 2008.
- “From Here to Ephemerality: Fugitive Sources in Libraries, Archives, and Museums,” the 48th Annual RBMS Preconference, Baltimore, MD, June 19-22, 2007.
- “Libraries, Archives, and Museums in the Twenty-First Century: Intersecting Missions, Converging Futures?” the 47th Annual RBMS Preconference, Austin, TX, June 20-23, 2006.
- “Bridging the Gap: Education and Special Collections,” the 46th Annual RBMS Preconference, St. Louis, MO, June 21-24, 2005.
- “Ebb & Flow: The Migration of Collections to and from American Libraries,” the 45th Annual RBMS Preconference, Yale University, New Haven, CT, June 21-24, 2004.
- “TRUE/FALSE: Facsimiles, Fakes, Forgeries and Issues of Authenticity in Special Collections ,”the 44th Annual RBMS Preconference, Toronto, Canada, June 17-20, 2003.
- “New Occasions, New Duties: Changing Roles and Expectations in Special Collections,” the 43rd Annual RBMS Preconference, Atlanta, Georgia, June 11-14, 2002.
- “The Twentieth Century,” the 42nd Annual RBMS Preconference, San Francisco & Berkeley, California, June 12-15, 2001.
- “Beyond Words: Visual Information in Special Collections,” the 41st RBMS Preconference, Chicago, July 5-7, 2000.
- “Border Crossings: Exploring New Territories for Special Collections,” the 40th RBMS Preconference, Montreal, 1999
- “Getting Ready for the Nineteenth Century: Strategies and Solutions for Rare Book and Special Collections Librarians,” the 39th RBMS Preconference, Washington, 1998.
- “Rereading the Past: New Methodologies and Approaches to the History of the Book,” the 38th RBMS Preconference, Claremont, California, June 24-27, 1997.
- “Getting There From Here: Setting the Agenda for Special Collections in the 21st Century,” the 37th RBMS Preconference, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, July 2-5, 1996.
Proceedings of several RBMS Preconferences have been published; please see the "Publications" section of the Web site for details.
ALA Conference Programs Co-sponsored by RBMS
- “ Cultural Competencies: From Development to Action!,” organized by the ACRL Racial and Ethnic Diversity Committee: Saturday, June 25, 2011, at 4:00-5:30 p.m., at the New Orleans Convention Center, Room 338.
Past ALA Annual Conference Programs
- “You Can't Always Get What You Want / But Sometimes You Get What You Need : Special Collections in Tough Economic Times,”
at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA, June 26, 2011.
- “To
Catch a Thief: Cataloging and the Security of Special Collections,”
at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, June 27, 2010.
- “Action! Setting Preservation Priorities and Ensuring Access to Your Moving Image Collections,” at the ALA Annual Conference, Sunday, in Anaheim, CA, June 29, 2008.
- “Collecting World Cultures: African, Asian, Caribbean, and Native American Materials in Chicago Institutions,” at the 2005 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL, June 26, 2005. [PDF]
RBMS Preconference Scholarship Program Assessment
At the request of the ACRL Board, RBMS conducted an assessment of the impact of its preconference scholarship program assessment on membership recruitment and retention. The report is available for download as a Word document.
RBMS/ALA Annual and Midwinter Meeting Schedules
- 2012 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2011 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2011 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2010 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2010 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2009 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2009 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2008 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2008 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2007 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2007 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2006 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2006 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2005 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2005 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2004 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2004 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2003 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2003 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2002 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2002 Midwinter Meeting Schedule
- 2001 Annual Meeting Schedule
- 2000 Midwinter Meeting Schedule