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This article seeks to understand the current state of the field of special collections library administration in the United States. Using a dataset gathered through publicly available information about special collections directors from the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), Independent Research Libraries Association (IRLA), and the Oberlin Group institutional members, the authors explore the educational backgrounds of directors, the types of positions they held prior to taking on their current roles, and the effect of gender on leadership advancement. This article also discusses the similarities and differences between institution types as well as promotions within institutions and across types of institutions.

This paper examines both the presentation content and institutional representation of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) of the American Library Association (ALA) conference from 2009 to 2021. An analysis of types of presentations and presentation topics reveals that types of sessions and session topics are consistent throughout the years. Presentations with a diversity focus remain low, despite an RBMS commitment to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the section. Multiple presenters from a single institution are common at the conference. There are few local presenters at the RBMS conference, but non-academic institutions are represented at all of the conferences studied. Taken together, these all have an influence on how RBMS creates and thinks about important work, standards, and best practices in the special collections field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article, titled "Chair's Note," discusses the work and initiatives of RBMS (Rare Books, Manuscripts, & Cultural Heritage), an all-volunteer organization. The chair reflects on the changes that RBMS has undergone over the past fifteen years and highlights the massive amount of work undertaken by the organization, including writing guidelines, providing cataloging resources, hosting webinars, and organizing a national conference. The article also mentions ongoing initiatives, such as transferring old conference presentations and documents to the ALA Institutional Repository for better access and long-term preservation. Additionally, the article mentions the upcoming hybrid conference in Costa Mesa, California, and the development of a new Diversity Action Plan. The Controlled Vocabularies Editorial Group is upgrading their software to improve the maintenance of vocabularies, and the Instruction and Outreach Committee is reviewing the Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy. The Executive Committee is available to answer questions and support members in their work. The author of the article is Sarah M. Horowitz, the current chair of RBMS. [Extracted from the article]

This study examined how hands-on work with original primary materials affects students' information literacy and critical thinking skills. The project team developed rubrics to evaluate document analyses from before and after student time in special collections. Most scores did not vary significantly between the pre- and posttests, although students' ability to analyze the materiality of documents did improve. They also examined papers from classes that had and had not used special collections against the Association of American Colleges and Universities' information literacy rubric and found no significant differences. The authors hope this project will serve as a pilot for future assessment of student learning in special collections. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An essay is presented on editions of English author Jane Austen's 1813 novel "Pride and Prejudice" illustrated by Hugh Thomson and C. E. Brock. Topics addressed include the books' significance in Austen publishing, the experience of reading an illustrated edition of a novel, and the illustrators' black and white line drawings. Also mentioned are Thomson's encouragement of a focus on allegorical themes and comic characters and Brock's highlighting of minor events outside the main plot.