1996 RBMS Preconference Program

[mgd1@cornell.edu (Mark Dimunation)]

Getting There from Here

Setting the Agenda for Special Collections in the 21st Century


July 2-5, 1996

Cornell University
Ithaca, New York



The thirty-seventh Preconference of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section
of the Association of College and Research Libraries of the American
Library Association will focus on the possibilities and concerns
confronting Special Collections as we enter the next century.  The sessions
will serve as a forum to explore the challenges and the opportunities that
will shape our operations, our collections, and our profession in the near
future.  The conference will open and close with an appraisal of the future
role of Special Collections.  Plenary speakers will concentrate on
fundamental areas of special collections activity such as administration,
funding, utilization of electronic resources, public programs, and
technical services.  Central to the theme is the question of how special
collections librarians assess past and current practices as part of the
process for identifying and planning new initiatives, technologies, and
strategies for Special Collections.  The program will include consideration
of building effective programs of public outreach, weighing the policy and
professional implications of new technologies, integrating electronic
resources into our daily operations, examining the potential of
multi-institutional projects, defining our constituencies, and funding our
programs for the greatest impact.


PLENARY SESSIONS

Wednesday, July 3

        9:00-10:00 am
I       Getting There from Here
        H. Thomas Hickerson
                Cornell University

        10:30-12 noon
II      Reaching Our Constituency
        Sidney F. Huttner
                University of Tulsa

        Jean W. Ashton
                Columbia University


Thursday, July 4

        9:00-10:00 am
III     The Rediscovery of Special Collections: Technology's Influence on
        Cultural Institutions
        Deanna B. Marcum
                Commission on Preservation and Access
                Council on Library Resources

        Noon-1:30pm
        Luncheon Speaker
        David H. Stam
                Syracuse University

        2:00-4:00 pm
IV      Thinking About Technology
        Clifford Lynch
                University of California

        Jackie M. Dooley
                University of California, Irvine

        Ricky Erway
                Research Libraries Group, Inc.


Friday, July 5

        9:00-10:30 am
V       The Image and Economics of
        Special Collections
        Wade Leftwich
                American Demographics, Inc.

        Merrily E. Taylor
                Brown University

        11:00-12 noon
VI      Getting There from Here
        Alice Schreyer
        University of Chicago

SEMINARS

1.      Special Collections Materials in the General Stacks: Developing
        Institutional Guidelines for Identification and Transfer
        Charlotte B. Brown
                University of California, Los Angeles
        Janet Gertz
                Columbia University

The presenters will facilitate active discussion among seminar
participants, reviewing general selection guidelines.  Participants are
encouraged to bring copies of their own institution's guidelines.

2.      Mastering the New ESTC (offered twice)
        Donald Farren (Moderator)
        John Bloomberg-Rissman
                ESTC
        Deborah J. Leslie
                Yale University

Intended for cataloguers, reference librarians, and the scholars they
assist.  Presenters will explain and demonstrate what has changed and what
new features are available, as well as tactics and strategies for searching
ESTC.

3.      From the Ground Up (or Down!): Planning Your Library Construction
        Project
        Lois Fischer Black (Moderator)
                New York Academy of Medicine
        David W. Corson
                Cornell University
        Gary Menges
                University of Washington

Speaking from personal experience, the presenters will discuss practical
concerns of particular relevance to special collections librarians planning
a new building or renovating an existing facility.

4.      Working with Guest Curators of Exhibitions: Pleasures and Pitfalls
        Elaine Smyth (Moderator)
                Louisiana State University
        Pat Bozeman
                University of Houston
        Daniel J. Slive
                John Carter Brown Library
        Suzy Taraba
                University of Chicago

Extrapolating from personal and institutional experience, speakers will
discuss benefits of and practical considerations for working with guest
curators of exhibitions.

5.      The Care and Feeding of Special Collections Friends Groups
        Isaac Gewirtz (Moderator)
                Southern Methodist University
        William Joyce
                Princeton University
        Bernard McTigue
                University of Oregon
        Kathryn Morgan
                University of Virginia

Panelists will discuss creating and administering successful Special
Collections Friends groups, as well as maintaining an effective special
collections presence in Friends groups.  Issues include defining goals; the
role of publications and special events; relationships with other library
units; what the special collections librarian needs to know about the law
and the tax code; working with docents and other volunteers.

6.      Easy Come, Easy Go: The Why's and Wherefore's of Deaccessioning
Materials from Special Collections
        Everett C. Wilkie, Jr. (Moderator)
                The Connecticut Historical Society
        Samuel Streit
                Brown University
        Richard W. Oram
                University of Texas at Austin
        David M. Szewczyk
                Philadelphia Rare Books and
                Manuscripts Company

Deaccessioning unwanted duplicates and out-of-scope materials involves
complex ethical issues and is often a source of controversy for special
collections librarians. Examining the issues and placing them in context,
seminar speakers will explore the historical patterns of deaccessioning
from rare book and manuscript collections, report on current patterns in
college and university libraries, and discuss the trade's view of
deaccessioning.

7.      MARC Format Integration: Its Impact on Special Collections
        Ed Glazier
                Research Libraries Group, Inc.
        Melinda Hayes
                University of Southern California

Ed Glazier will lead off with a history of format integration and its
general impact on the bibliographic utilities and, by extension, their
users.  Melinda Hayes will discuss specific problems in adapting past
practice to current standards, and lead a discussion of the options format
integration provides and their impact on local systems.

8.      Locating Copyright Holders: A New Solution to an Old Problem
        David C. Sutton
                University of Reading, England
        Cathy Henderson
                University of Texas at Austin

The "Writers and Their Copyright Holders" (WATCH) database offers a new
source for locating copyright holders.  Presenters will give a history of
the U.K. and U.S. antecedents of WATCH and its establishment, discuss
research progress and methods, and demonstrate its use via the World Wide
Web.


WORKSHOPS

Anne R. Kenney, Associate Director, Department of Preservation and
Conservation, Cornell University Library, will present a limited enrollment
workshop, "Digital Preservation and Access for Special Collections."  The
workshop will be held on Tuesday, July 2, from 1:00 - 4:00 pm, in the Carl
A. Kroch Library, level 2B.  Enrollment is limited to 35 individuals, and
the fee is $25.

Jill Powell, Reference Librarian, Cornell Engineering Library, will present
a limited enrollment workshop, "Creating Your Own Home Page on the Web."
The workshop will be held on Tuesday, July 2, from 3:00 - 5:00 pm, in the
Uris Library Media Center Classroom.  Enrollment is limited to 20
individuals and the fee is $25.

DEMONSTRATIONS

Cornell University Imaging Projects will be demonstrated by Noni Korf Vidal
(Digital Projects Archivist), and Elaine Engst (University Archivist) on
Wednesday, July 3 from 3:30 - 5:00 pm.  Projects include visual image
databases, such as the Utopia Project, university photographs, and the
Getty-sponsored Museum Educational Site Licensing Project.  Other projects
provide networked access to manuscript collections, finding aids, and
on-line exhibitions.

Interloc will present their on-line system and demonstrate searching the
database of out-of-print and antiquarian books during the conference.

ORIENTATION SESSION

An orientation session will be held from 5:00 - 5:30 pm on Tuesday, July 2,
in the Reading Room of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections,
Carl A. Kroch Library, level 2B.  Elizabeth Johnson, Chair of the section's
Executive Committee, will describe the  Rare Books and Manuscripts Section.
Preconference participants will have an opportunity to meet RBMS officers
and chairs of committees, and to hear and make inquiries about RBMS
activities.

TOURS

Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, tours of the Carl A. Kroch Library and
the Library Preservation and Conservation Program are offered.  The
newly-constructed Carl A. Kroch Library is a state-of-the-art special
collections facility and houses the Library's principal rare book and
manuscript collections.  The Preservation and Conservation Program is
multi-faceted and includes basic and sophisticated book and paper repair
and restoration, collection housing, and digital and microform
preservation.  A walking tour of the Cornell Plantations is also offered on
Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.  The tour will highlight the specialty
gardens of the Cornell Plantations.  Limited to 40 people, the cost is $3.
Sign-up for the tour will be available at registration.  A guided tour of
the Finger Lakes winery country will be available Tuesday, July 2, from
1:00 - 5:00 pm.  A bus with a tour guide will be at the rear of the Statler
Hotel at 12:45 pm.  Pre-registration is required and cost per person is
$32.


RECEPTIONS AND MEALS

The Preconference opening reception will be held Tuesday evening at the
Carl A. Kroch Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections at 5:30
pm.

A reception at the original home of Andrew D. White, Cornell's first
President, will be held Wednesday evening at 5:30 pm.

All Preconference functions on Thursday, July 4 will be held at the Statler
Hotel.  The day will begin with a Continental Breakfast for participants at
8:00 am.  Lunch will also be held at the Statler Hotel and will include a
program presentation.  Following the afternoon session, there will be a BBQ
picnic for all attendees.  Bus transportation to the picnic will be
provided.

A light lunch will be available for attendees following the final plenary
session and concluding remarks on Friday.  Cost for the lunch is $8.

REGISTRATION

The registration form must be received at the ACRL Chicago office by May
31, 1996.  Mail to: RBMS Preconference, ALA/ACRL, 50 East Huron Street,
Chicago, IL  60611-2795; or FAX to: (312) 280-2520.  Written cancellations
will be honored until June 14, 1996, and are subject to a $50 cancellation
fee.  Requests for cancellations will be processed after the Preconference
is held.  Late registration will be accepted through June 14, 1996, at an
additional cost of $50 per person.

Registration is limited to the first 250 applicants.  The registration fee
of $175 for Association of College and Research Library members, or $210
for non-ACRL members, must be included with the registration form.  The
registration fee includes: entry to all Preconference receptions,
luncheons, and coffee breaks; and entrance to all Preconference papers and
seminars.  A special student registration fee of $75 is available for all
currently enrolled, full-time students.  A separate fee of $25 will be
charged for the optional workshops on Tuesday.

Questions regarding registration may be directed to the ACRL offices in
Chicago toll free at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 2523.  RBMS members will receive
a Preconference registration packet through the mail.  Others wishing to
receive registration packets should contact Julia Parker (Cornell
University Library), via email:  jcp8@cornell.edu; phone:  607-255-3530; or
fax:  607-255-9524.



ON-SITE REGISTRATION

Name badges and Preconference registration materials can be picked up at
the Preconference registration desk in the Carl A. Kroch Library, Division
of Rare and Manuscript Collections, from Noon-6:00 pm, Tuesday, July 2.
The following day, July 3, Preconference registration will be held in
Kennedy Hall, from 8:00 am-2:00 pm.

HOUSING

Housing is available on the Cornell University campus in the Statler Hotel
and Hughes Hall, the Law School dormitory.  Statler Hotel (607-254-2602) is
centrally located and is close to all the RBMS campus events.  Statler
Hotel offers single or double occupancy, air-conditioned rooms.  The rate
for the Statler Hotel is $90 plus tax per night for a single and $100 plus
tax per night for a double.  Hughes Hall is located very close to
Collegetown and is within walking distance of the libraries.  Hughes Hall
offers single or double occupancy rooms and is not air-conditioned.  The
Hughes Hall rates are $41.25 per night for a single and $34.25 per person,
per night for a double.  Only those attendees interested in on-campus
dormitory housing should FAX or mail the enclosed Hughes Hall housing form
to:  Cornell University Conference Services, American Library Association
Conference Housing, 206 Robert Purcell Community Center, Ithaca, NY
14853-6001, FAX # 607-255-4722.

In addition, two other hotels are available for conference attendees.  The
Collegetown Motor Inn (607-273-3542) is located a block and a half from the
Cornell University campus and is centrally located in Collegetown.  Rates
for these single or double occupancy rooms with air-conditioning range from
$62 to $88 plus tax per night.  The Holiday Inn (607-272-1000) is located
in downtown Ithaca.  Rates for the Holiday Inn are $67 plus tax per night
and $77 plus tax per night for the Tower.  The hotel is air-conditioned and
is located two blocks from the Ithaca Commons.  Transportation to and from
RBMS events on campus will be provided.

A limited number of rooms are reserved at each alternative.  Attendees
should contact the listed numbers for reservations.

Other motel and bed and breakfast options are available.  For more
information please contact Bed & Breakfast Reservations Services of Ithaca
(607-272-7344) or the Ithaca-Tompkins County Convention & Visitors Bureau
(607-272-1313).


TRANSPORTATION TO ITHACA

Arrange to fly to the Tompkins County Airport in Ithaca.  To reduce the
costs of air travel, the conference coordinators have established a
convention airfare with USAir, including "circle trips."  Please call the
Cornell Travel Office at 1-800-848-8134 (M-F, 8-5, EST) and identify
yourself as an attendee of the RBMS Preconference at Cornell University.
The travel office will assist you in arranging your airfare and convention
discount.  Tickets ordered through the travel office will be sent directly
to you.  If you prefer, you can contact USAir directly by calling the
Meeting and Convention Air Staff at 1-800-334-8644; ask for Goldfile Number
39290030.  Identify yourself as an ALA or Cornell University attendee.

There are a number of options for airport-to-hotel transportation.  If your
destination is the Statler Hotel, inform the hotel, when making your hotel
reservation, of your flight number and arrival time.  If your destination
is the Holiday Inn, phone the hotel when you arrive and a van will come to
the airport to pick you up.  If you are staying at another location, the
Ithaca Airline Limousine service can be contacted ahead of time at
607-273-3030.  Cost of this service is $7 per person, one-way.  Identify
yourself as an attendee of the RBMS Preconference.


PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION IN ITHACA

Campus parking permits may be purchased in advance through Tom Aldrich,
Cornell University Transportation Services, 607-255-5692.  Daily campus
parking permits for the Parking Garage or Visitor Parking areas can be
purchased by stopping at a parking booth at the entrance to campus.  Cost
for a daily campus parking permit is $6.  There will be no charge and no
need for a parking permit on July 4.  Attendees staying in Hughes Hall
during the conference may purchase parking permits in advance through
Transportation Services.  Cost for Hughes parking is $4.25 per day in a lot
located behind the hall.  Attendees staying in the Statler Hotel, during
the conference can use the Statler Valet parking service, which costs $5.50
per night.

Campus and city buses provide local transportation around the campus area.
Bus route maps will be available.  Cost for the rides is $.30 for campus
bus routes and $.60 for city bus routes.


TRANSPORTATION TO NEW YORK CITY

On Friday, July 5, first class charter bus service provided by Short Line
bus service will be available from Ithaca to New York City.  The service
will pick up passengers at the following locations starting at 1:00 pm:  at
the Statler Hotel (on East Avenue), in College Town (in front of the
Cornell Performing Arts Building), and at the Holiday Inn.  Cost of the
service will be $25 per person.  The trip will take five hours, and the bus
will take passengers to the Port Authority.  Reservation and prepayment are
required.


_____________________________________________________________________

Mark Dimunation                                 phone: (607) 255-3530
Curator of Rare Books                           fax:   (607) 255-9524
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections     e-mail: mgd1@cornell.edu
Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
_____________________________________________________________________