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Special library
A special library is a library that provides specialized information resources on a particular subject, serves a specialized and limited clientele, and delivers specialized services to that clientele. Special libraries include corporate libraries, government libraries, law libraries, medical libraries, museum libraries, military libraries, and news libraries. Special libraries also exist within academic institutions. These libraries are included as special libraries because they are often funded separately from the rest of the university and they serve a targeted group of users.
Special libraries often have a more specific clientele than libraries in traditional educational or public settings. They deal with more specialized, area-specific kinds of information. They are developed to support the mission of their sponsoring organization, and their collections and services are more targeted and specific to the needs of their clientele. Special libraries may or may not be open to the general public. Those that are open to the public may offer services similar to research, reference, public, academic, or children's libraries, often with restrictions such as only lending books to patients at a hospital or restricting the public from parts of a military collection. Many special libraries are not open to the general public, though access may be granted for specialized research by request. Special libraries are also sometimes known as information centers. Some authors differentiate special libraries from information centers by defining the latter as having "a very narrow scope". They are generally staffed by librarians, although many librarians employed in special libraries are specialists in the library's field rather than generally trained librarians, and they often are not required to have advanced degrees in specifically library-related field due to the specialized content and clientele of the library. Instead, they have training in the informational field and have research experience in that field rather than having typical librarian training. However, it is not uncommon for librarians at special libraries to have both a library science degree as well as a degree or experience of some type in the field their library specializes in as opposed to either only library science or field specific experience.
Special libraries are "special" in their collections, users, and services.
For example, a research institute's library may supply information to scientists who lack the time to visit the library. Current Awareness Service (CAS) and Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) are very common. The listing of special libraries in this article is not comprehensive. Special libraries as a field are defined by not being public, school, academic, or national libraries. Special libraries may be called libraries, information centers, information resource collections, or other names, typically decided by the institution that the library is attached to, and they may or may not have a generally trained and qualified librarian on staff.
These libraries select and procure documents and other sources of relevant documents in the particular field and disseminate the updated information in the concerned field. They give pinpointed technical information promptly. Employees at special libraries provide desired information to users on demand and mostly in anticipation.
The idea of "special libraries" in the context of sharing a collection of books to a targeted audience was by no means novel. The first known libraries, dating back to the beginning of known history, recorded commercial transactions and inventories. Today, these fall under the heading of corporate libraries, discussed below.
The concept of "special libraries" as a distinctive categories of libraries emerged in the United Kingdom and the United States in the nineteenth century. The growth of various special library associations led to the founding of the American Library Association (ALA) in 1876.[citation needed] The Medical Library Association was founded in 1898, followed by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) in 1906. The Special Libraries Association (SLA), which includes corporate libraries, was founded in 1909 with 20 librarians.
The major professional association for special libraries is the Special Libraries Association, which has chapters in Canada, the US, and Europe. The UK based Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and the Australian Library and Information Association also have focus groups devoted to special libraries. More special library associations around the world can be found in the list of library associations. There are also associations dedicated to supporting specialized libraries within specific fields. These include:
Hub AI
Special library AI simulator
(@Special library_simulator)
Special library
A special library is a library that provides specialized information resources on a particular subject, serves a specialized and limited clientele, and delivers specialized services to that clientele. Special libraries include corporate libraries, government libraries, law libraries, medical libraries, museum libraries, military libraries, and news libraries. Special libraries also exist within academic institutions. These libraries are included as special libraries because they are often funded separately from the rest of the university and they serve a targeted group of users.
Special libraries often have a more specific clientele than libraries in traditional educational or public settings. They deal with more specialized, area-specific kinds of information. They are developed to support the mission of their sponsoring organization, and their collections and services are more targeted and specific to the needs of their clientele. Special libraries may or may not be open to the general public. Those that are open to the public may offer services similar to research, reference, public, academic, or children's libraries, often with restrictions such as only lending books to patients at a hospital or restricting the public from parts of a military collection. Many special libraries are not open to the general public, though access may be granted for specialized research by request. Special libraries are also sometimes known as information centers. Some authors differentiate special libraries from information centers by defining the latter as having "a very narrow scope". They are generally staffed by librarians, although many librarians employed in special libraries are specialists in the library's field rather than generally trained librarians, and they often are not required to have advanced degrees in specifically library-related field due to the specialized content and clientele of the library. Instead, they have training in the informational field and have research experience in that field rather than having typical librarian training. However, it is not uncommon for librarians at special libraries to have both a library science degree as well as a degree or experience of some type in the field their library specializes in as opposed to either only library science or field specific experience.
Special libraries are "special" in their collections, users, and services.
For example, a research institute's library may supply information to scientists who lack the time to visit the library. Current Awareness Service (CAS) and Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) are very common. The listing of special libraries in this article is not comprehensive. Special libraries as a field are defined by not being public, school, academic, or national libraries. Special libraries may be called libraries, information centers, information resource collections, or other names, typically decided by the institution that the library is attached to, and they may or may not have a generally trained and qualified librarian on staff.
These libraries select and procure documents and other sources of relevant documents in the particular field and disseminate the updated information in the concerned field. They give pinpointed technical information promptly. Employees at special libraries provide desired information to users on demand and mostly in anticipation.
The idea of "special libraries" in the context of sharing a collection of books to a targeted audience was by no means novel. The first known libraries, dating back to the beginning of known history, recorded commercial transactions and inventories. Today, these fall under the heading of corporate libraries, discussed below.
The concept of "special libraries" as a distinctive categories of libraries emerged in the United Kingdom and the United States in the nineteenth century. The growth of various special library associations led to the founding of the American Library Association (ALA) in 1876.[citation needed] The Medical Library Association was founded in 1898, followed by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) in 1906. The Special Libraries Association (SLA), which includes corporate libraries, was founded in 1909 with 20 librarians.
The major professional association for special libraries is the Special Libraries Association, which has chapters in Canada, the US, and Europe. The UK based Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and the Australian Library and Information Association also have focus groups devoted to special libraries. More special library associations around the world can be found in the list of library associations. There are also associations dedicated to supporting specialized libraries within specific fields. These include: