Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Development Policy Statement

I. Mission

The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC) is an endowed unit of the Cornell University Library and the 4th largest among Cornell University's 20 libraries. Its collections include more than 300,000 rare books, more than 70 million manuscripts, and another million photographs, paintings, prints, and other visual media. RMC shares in Cornell University Library's mission to enrich the intellectual life of Cornell by fostering information discovery and intellectual growth, nurturing creativity, and partnering in the development and dissemination of new knowledge.

In addition to this core mission, RMC holds scarce and irreplaceable historical artifacts in trust for the benefit of the public and for the international scholarly community. To accomplish its mission, RMC collects, preserves, and makes available original research materials. Areas of collecting emphasis are defined by the historic and existing strengths of the collections (see: Collections Overview). New collecting areas may be added in response to evolving research and teaching needs, new disciplines or modes of intellectual inquiry, or in response to gift or other opportunities.

II. Programs Supported by RMC

A. Research

Materials are acquired and made available to serve the research and teaching needs of Cornell faculty, staff, and students, and members of the public.

B. Acquisitions

RMC acquires materials through donation and purchase. Purchases are financed by income from endowments, funds allocated by the University, and by cash donations. RMC seeks the support of donors. Gifts of materials and funds are essential to maintaining and developing our collections.

C. Preservation and Security

Preservation of research materials is crucial to the mission of RMC. The majority of the collection is housed in the Carl A. Kroch Library, a state-of-the-art special collections facility opened in 1992. The Carl A. Kroch Library features a temperature and humidity controlled environment and fire detection and suppression systems. The collection is non-circulating and is maintained in closed stacks. Security measures include video cameras and monitors, a staffed reading room, security personnel, and alarm systems monitored by Cornell Police. Some collection materials are maintained at Cornell Library's Annex facilities under similar security and climate conditions. RMC collections receive care and treatment by specialists in Cornell Library's Department of Preservation and Conservation.

D. Teaching and Public Access

RMC promotes the use and development of its collections through outreach and instruction programs. These programs are designed to increase the visibility and use of RMC's collections and to raise public awareness of the nature and relevance of rare book and manuscript collections. RMC's outreach programs include: regular semester and summer classes, public lectures, class presentations, exhibitions, tours, educational Web sites, on-site and electronic reference, print publications, press releases, and regular communication of significant new acquisitions to members of the University and relevant scholarly communities.

E. Exhibitions

Selected materials from RMC's collections are regularly featured in exhibitions installed in the Library's exhibition galleries and made available online. RMC will evaluate requests to loan materials and reproductions for exhibition at other institutions when the policies and facilities of those institutions meet accepted national exhibition loan standards, and when proper credit is given to Cornell University Library. RMC also borrows materials for exhibition from other institutional and private collections as appropriate.

III. Scope and Priorities of the Collections

RMC collection strengths and collecting programs are outlined on our Collections Overview page. Because resources for acquisition and housing are finite, collecting is selective in all areas. A premium is placed on new acquisitions that fulfill needs in more than one research area.

IV. Clientele Served by the Collections

RMC's materials are made available to all researchers in the Carl A. Kroch Library on equal terms, subject to appropriate care and handling and donor requirements. Certain materials may require an advance appointment. Researchers include faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students from both Cornell and other institutions; independent researchers; and the general public. Individuals under age sixteen may use selected materials in the RMC Reading Room when accompanied by a parent or guardian. All researchers must produce proper identification (a picture ID such as University I.D. card, driver's license or passport) and must fill out or have on file a current reader registration form.

V. Statement of Resource Sharing Policy

RMC will consider requests to digitize, photocopy, or lend materials needed by other institutions or individuals, subject to specific limitations imposed by the terms of acquisition, and subject to RMC's reproduction, conservation, and security policies.

VI. Cooperative Agreements Affecting Collecting Policies

While no formal cooperative arrangements with other libraries are currently in effect, RMC seeks opportunities to work collaboratively with other repositories to achieve the greater goals of preserving historic resources. RMC approaches collecting initiatives thoughtfully, with the aim of avoiding both needless duplication and gaps in documentation. In some cases, another institution may be a more appropriate repository for materials offered to Cornell. Such materials will be referred to that other, more appropriate repository. It is also recognized as unavoidable that institutions sometimes collect in the same or overlapping areas. In cases where the collecting interests of RMC and another repository conflict, RMC curators will use the best interest of the scholarly community, as well as the best interests of Cornell faculty and students, as criteria for pursuing a resolution.

VII. Deaccession Policy

Materials that do not fall within the scope of RMC collecting areas or that duplicate existing holdings may be transferred to a more appropriate collection within Cornell University, or deaccessioned in accordance with Cornell University Library's Policy on the Disposition of Traditional Library Materials, subject to the terms of acquisition, University regulations, and state and federal laws.

VIII. Collecting Policies and Procedures

A. Deed of Gift

RMC does not accept materials without legal transfer of title, deed of gift or deposit, or other official acknowledgment.

B. Deposits

RMC does not ordinarily accept materials on deposit. However, materials will be accepted when the conditions for acceptance are favorable to Cornell University Library, usually with the understanding that such materials will be donated at a later date. Deposit agreements must be made in writing prior to acceptance. Materials on deposit will be properly housed, but they will not be cataloged or otherwise processed. Deposit materials are not necessarily covered by University insurance; owners may be required to provide their own insurance. RMC's deposit agreements include provisions for recovering storage and other costs if materials are later returned to owners.

C. Restricted Materials

RMC does not accept materials that are not available to public access in perpetuity.

D. Revision of Policies

RMC reserves the right to change the preceding policies without notification to donors, their heirs or assigns.

IX. Ongoing Review of Collection Development Policy

This collecting policy is designed to meet the goals of Cornell University Library and RMC. This policy will be periodically reviewed, evaluated, and changed as necessary to meet these goals. The sources for review and revision will include information supplied by Cornell Library annual reports, user surveys, Library budget information, faculty and graduate student interviews, changes in Cornell academic programming, and other relevant information.