Special Collections and Archives

Public, academic and some special libraries or other organizations that acquire, house and make available to the community for purposes of research or appreciation, rare books, aggregations of printed works or manuscripts on a particular subject or by a particular author; artistic materials by a particular artist or representative of a particular era or style; or other collectibles that are rare, of special interest, of historical significance or of scholarly value. Also included are organizations that acquire, classify and make available to the community on a loan or distribution basis, special document collections or reading materials in a variety of language or special formats which enable people who have visual or hearing impairments or who read in a language other than English to enjoy leisure reading materials and selected nonfiction and reference works. Some collections include materials that require specialized security and user services.