Afterword: Special Collections and Assessing the Value of Academic Libraries

Abstract

The initiatives and operational studies presented in this issue of RBM reflect a new level of research and analysis in the area of the assessment of special collections and related services. Here I wish to explicitly frame these essays in the larger context that they imply, namely institutional outcomes. The key challenge in special collections—in fact, in any part of the academic library—is getting the broader institution to care. How does one ensure that the university and its stakeholders will be willing to underwrite the support of special collections, arguably the most expensive component of a library as . . .