Prepared For:
LIS 5404-321
Dr. Patricia Bauer
Fall Semester, 2003
08 October 2003
The category "Special Libraries" encompasses an enormous range of library types which do not fit comfortably into other categories such as Public Libraries, Academic Libraries or Governmental Libraries. There is much argument over what constitutes a Special Library; there are many types of libraries included in the category, and the boundaries of many of them overlap those of other types of libraries. For instance, many Special Libraries are open to the public, yet they are not considered Public Libraries because they do not contain general information on a variety of topics. Specialized collections within academic libraries are considered by some to be part of the Academic Library, and by others to be Special Libraries because they are tightly focused on one subject and they are set apart in some way from the rest of the general academic collection. Ownership of the library cannot be a defining characteristic because some are privately owned by corporations, some are run by non-profit organizations, and others are supported by the government. Perhaps the only reasonable description is the simplest and most non-specific. Rubin states that Special Libraries "tend to have a relatively small number of users, and restricted access to relatively small, but highly specialized collections" (336). This description is vague at best but does encompass the primary characteristics of a Special Library without conflicting with more specific (and controversial) descriptions.
Special Librarians of all types share the same goals: they must "evaluate, analyze, organize, package and present information in a way that maximizes its usefulness" (SLA). Special Librarians must be intimately familiar with the needs of their organization and those of the library clientele, and in many cases have extensive training or degrees in the pertinent subject matter. As opposed to Public or Academic Librarians, who must make educated guesses as to what materials will be most useful to meet the needs of a diverse population across a broad range of topics over a long period of time, Special Librarians have a clearly defined and limited set of patrons, and must be able to produce relevant, in-depth, accurate and up-to-date information for them - preferably before they even know they need it. In some situations, Special Librarians also perform double-duty as researchers - preparing research reports, fact-checking, and evaluating sources.
Because of the disparate natures of the many different types of Special Libraries, as well as the difficulty of making generalities across the board, the authors determined that it would be most informative and useful to break down the subject matter into logical groupings. To facilitate this, the four categories of Special Libraries as defined by the Special Libraries Association (Rubin 337) were used as guidelines, and two subcategories of libraries contained within each category were researched. For example, for the Humanities category, Museum Libraries and Music Libraries were researched.
SLA Special Library Categories
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rubin, Richard E. Foundations of Library and Information Science. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc, 2000.
Special Libraries Association. SPECIAL LIBRARIANS Putting Knowledge to Work. 06 Oct. 2003 <http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/professional/meaning/what/index.cfm>.