ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

RBMS member survey results

ACRL's Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) surveyed its membership in 1997. The survey provides a wealth of information for planning future section activities and identifies recruitment possibilities for the organization. Here’s a brief profile of RBMS members:

Respondents are predominately female (64%), white (96%), and between 45-54 years of age (41%). Ninety percent have an MLS; of those with an MLS, 48% have a second master’s and 15% have a Ph.D. Forty-one percent have worked 20 or more years in the field of librarianship, 17% have worked 20 or more years in the field of special collections. The Association for Library Collections and Technical Services leads the list of other AIA division memberships held with 26%, the University Libraries Section is first among other section memberships with 32%. The American Printing History Association leads membership in other professional organizations.

Eighty-eight percent of respondents have access to e-mail and the Internet at their workplace, half as many have electronic access at home. Fifty-seven percent regularly read the Exlibris listserve. Sixtyfive percent have never attended an ACRL conference, reason given: more active participation in other organizations.

Eighteen percent of respondents are special collections department heads, 86% work full time, 51% state that their position consists entirely of special collections work, 36% have worked four years or less in their current position, 39% work in a special collections department, 28% report to their library director, 55% work in a university library, 26% work in a library with a collection of one to three million volumes, and 16% work in a special collections department with over 300,000 volumes. Under “current salary,” an optional question, 14% responded that they make between $40,000 to $45,000 per year.

Reading the RBMS Newsletter and C&RL News are the two main ways respondents get information about RBMS. Seventy-four percent of respondents prefer to read the RBMS Newsletter in paper format. Reasons given include the convenience, portability, and greater legibility of the paper version.— Brad Oftelie, University of Minnesota; bofte@maroon.tc..umn.edu