RBMS Manual / Orientation to the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section
A Unit of the Association of College and Research Libraries
- What is RBMS?
- How RBMS gets things accomplished
- How to participate in RBMS
- How appointments are made
- Who gets appointed
- Internships
- Elections
- Terms of office
- The elective and appointive year
- The number of members on a committee
- Obligations of committee membership
- RBMS program meetings
- Publications
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RBMS is a section of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. RBMS represents and promotes the interests of librarians, curators, and other specialists concerned with special collections and provides its members with means of communication through publications, programs, and meetings.
The roots of RBMS go back to 1948, when an ACRL University Libraries section meeting was devoted to the topic of rare books. In 1955 an ACRL Committee on Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Special Collections was formed "to promote wider understanding of the value of rare books to scholarly research and to cultural growth, [and] bring improvement to the care, use and recognition of rare books in all libraries." As part of a 1958 reorganization of ACRL, the Committee became the Rare Books Section.
From its inception, RBMS has attempted to foster communication between special collections librarians and assist in their professional development. To this end, it first held a preconference in 1959 and has held one annually every year since 1961. The section has sponsored the publication of numerous guidelines, thesauri, and other professional publications. It also sponsors the Katharine Kyes Leab and Daniel J. Leab American Book Prices Current Awards Exhibition Catalogues Award and a biennial award for the best article to appear in the ACRL journal Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship. A measure of the section's growth is the increase in its membership from 300 in 1962 to nearly 1,900 as of October 1994.
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B. How RBMS gets things accomplished
The work of RBMS is accomplished by its elected officers, by the members of its committees and discussion groups, and by its representatives who provide liaison to other groups. The committees and discussion groups of the section meet during the ALA midwinter meetings and annual conference, but work goes on throughout the year.
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RBMS is a very active and productive section and needs active and productive committee members. The best way to become involved in RBMS is to attend and participate in the meetings of RBMS committees. You need not be a member of a committee to attend and participate in its meetings, but you must be a member of RBMS in order to receive a committee appointment.
All meetings of RBMS committees are open (except for meetings of the Nominating Committee and the selection meetings of the awards committees). Open participation by all who attend a committee meeting is a strong ALA and RBMS tradition and is welcomed. Participation in discussion groups is open to anyone who is interested in the topic of discussion.
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The chair of the section and the vice chair/chair-elect make appointments to committees; they also designate the chairs of committees and discussion groups. The chair of the section makes appointments for the ongoing term of office, and the vice chair/chair-elect to the prospective term of office. (See below on terms of office.) Most appointments are made to a prospective term of office. The chair of the section and the vice chair/chair-elect normally make appointments to committees upon recommendations by committee chairs or in consultation with them.
See also: Appointments to Standing Committees
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Members of the section usually become members of committees, chairs of committees and discussion groups, and liaisons by volunteering for appointment. People are selected for appointment because they have contributed to the work of the section by participating in open meetings or because they have a special expertise in the work to be accomplished.
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Chairs of RBMS committees may recommend the appointment of one or two interns to their committees. Members interested in serving as an intern on an RBMS committee should consult the chair of that committee.
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The membership of the section at large elects the officers of RBMS by ballot in the annual ALA elections held in the spring of the year. The officers of the section are the chair, the vice chair/chair-elect, the past chair, the secretary, and three members-at-large. The officers of the section compose the Executive Committee.
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The person elected vice chair/chair-elect of the section automatically becomes chair after serving a year as vice chair/chair-elect, and then becomes past chair, serving one year on the Executive Committee in each successive capacity. The secretary serves a two-year term. The members-at-large each serve a three-year term, with one new member-at-large elected annually.
Members of standing committees, including committee chairs, are appointed for terms of two years. They may be appointed to a second but not a third consecutive term. Interns are appointed for one year and may then be appointed as regular committee members.
Members of task force committees are appointed for the life of the committee. That is, they serve until the committee completes its work and is discharged.
Appointments to other positions, such as liaison to another group or editor of the RBMS Newsletter, normally are made for a two-year term.
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I. The elective and appointive year
A year of office begins with the adjournment of the ALA Annual Conference and ends with the adjournment of the succeeding annual conference.
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J. The number of members of a committee
There is no limit to the number of members of most committees. The number is determined by what is necessary to accomplish the work of the committee.
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K. Obligations of committee membership
Members of committees are expected to accept work and complete it. Committee members are expected to attend all meetings of the committee held at the ALA Midwinter Meetings and Annual Conferences during their terms of appointment.
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An annual RBMS Preconference is held before the ALA Annual Conference in the same place or near to where the ALA Annual Conference meets. RBMS Preconferences are held on themes of current interest and importance to the membership of the section. Numerous continuing education seminars are conducted as part of RBMS Preconferences. RBMS also sponsors a program session on a topic of current interest which is typically held on Sunday afternoon during the ALA Annual Conference. The RBMS business meeting and award ceremony precede the program, and the RBMS Information Exchange session follows the program. The Information Exchange session also is held on Sunday evening during each ALA midwinter meeting.
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When funding permits, RBMS publishes a newsletter twice a year, before the ALA midwinter meeting and before the ALA Annual Conference. The RBMS Newsletter contains news of the work of the section, activities in the field of rare books, manuscripts, and special collections librarianship, and activities of section members. The RBMS Newsletter is sent free to all section members and can be subscribed to separately by non-members.
Published standards, guidelines, and thesauri are an important outcome of the work of RBMS committees. A number of these documents usually are in progress. (See complete list in RBMS Standards and Guidelines and Other Publications).
C&RL News publishes notices of meetings and other official notices, drafts of reports, standards, and guidelines produced by RBMS committees, and other reports of section activities. A subscription to C&RL News is included with membership in ACRL.
Rare Books & Manuscripts Librarianship is a journal published semiannually by the Association of College and Research Libraries. The journal contains articles on the theory and practice of special collections librarianship and requires an annual subscription.