At the conclusion of the chapter “Understanding Objects in Special Collections” Alison Cullingford mentions the phrase “just a taste of the amazing objects”. On reading this handbook I was reminded of what librarians in the field of Special Collections deal with each and every day or over extended periods of time as tenured professionals. It made me reflect on what were Special Collections materials, the type of objects dealt with, and the myriad of activities that are embedded in the role of Special Collections or Heritage Librarians. And I was amazed at the scope. It is no wonder that most Special Collections Librarians are dedicated to their positions, are passionate advocates (often fiercely held) of all their charges, and live and breathe the job 24/7. I believe such individuals are very fortunate indeed.
There is no pretence surrounding Cullingford's title, it is simply a handbook. But it is a very good one, offering a comprehensive overview of all that is entailed in the field. Cullingford begins almost every chapter with definitions and terminology, making sure that the reader is given all the right information before proceeding. E.g. the difference between preservation and conservation; what is an emergency; what is a codex; and terms such as bibliography, metadata, etc. This is a plus. The more so when she grounds that covered with reference to universally accepted standards, e.g. British Standards Institute, or RBMS Guidelines. Understandably, British examples feature more than those US based agencies.
What follows is coverage of all those facets that encompass Special Collections, and which she rightly states can vary dramatically. In ten chapters she outlines: care, emergency planning, understanding special collection objects, acquiring and developing, cataloguing, legal and ethical issues, user services, marketing and communication, widening access, and influence and fund‐raising. Of course, operations within large Special Collections (and their parent organization) can differ greatly from the small. Involvement by those outside the Special Collections circle can also vary; the reprographic section, designers and the bindery (for exhibitions, if there is a regular programme), and technicians who maintain the thermohydrographs and environmental controls. This no‐nonsense handbook is not an overly complicated book clogged with jargon. It is readable, and jaunts along point to point, topic to topic – covering the basics. The reader – those in the field, those who want to be, or those in related fields such as archives and museums – can easily tease out aspects that apply to each situation. I particularly liked the “User Services” chapter, using what was covered as a checklist which I could tick off: thinking about opening hours, laptop facilities, appointment necessary? Set pick up times or on demand?, managing the visitor (some elderly scholars do want to know where the nearest café is situated), and accommodating the ubiquitous digital camera, which as Cullingford points out is now more or less standard practice. Considering that she has spent only 11 years in this specialist field, Cullingford deserves full credit for managing to encapsulate all the aspects involved within this 200+ paged handbook.
She offers variety with real‐life scenarios and case studies, some understandably disguised. One learns about the Women's Library and their collecting policies and because of the scope the need for collecting priorities; Cullingford's own University of Bradford “risk‐managed” project to digitize the materials relating to peace protest since the 1950s, and its concomitant legal and copyright issues; the Ohio State University Cartoon Library initiative. I believe people like reading about practical cases, and if anything, they are prompts for further discussion like “Can we do that too?”
Right from the outset Cullingford is honest: the handbook does not “solve the problems”. By acknowledging all that is entailed in Special Collections she offers one hope in succeeding against the realities of compromise, backlogs, lack of space, lack of good keen staff, the need for specialty training, frenetic project work, financial constraints, hard times, etc. This is the need to set priorities; an essential activity.
Cullingford also realizes that such a publication cannot contain everything and that there is life (and usefulness) outside its covers (incidentally, my one small gripe is the not‐so‐attractive covers; a better image and colour for the 2nd edition please). To this end, she provides three important sections: “Further reading”, “Examples and case studies”, and “Useful websites”. The first highlights seminal works that the reader can refer to, with full bibliographic details given at back in the bibliography. The other two contain e‐links to institutions, agencies, and subjects pertinent to each chapter that the reader can visit. While e‐links are often notorious for disappearing or being out of date, a random search was undertaken. Happily, all linked well. Credit then to Cullingford and the publishers for their currency and timely supply of this handbook. Thanks are also due to them because I learnt much by the random visits, which of course was the point and usefulness of the given links.
