Rare Books & Special Collections

Students get hands-on experience with rare books  and special collections having immersive learing expereiences from traditional practice to digital contexts and applications.

Enriching our programs in the field of cultural informatics, this program in Rare Books and Special Collections is taught from traditional and digital perspectives, knowledge and skills. It prepares students for careers in academic and research libraries for professional positions in arts and humanities collections and services. Key courses take place at New York Public Library, 42nd St., South Court affording students the rare opportunity of having access to world-class collections. Students participate in digitization projects to get hands-on experience creating digital archives based on rare books and special collections.

Program of Study: 12 credits (four 3-credit courses)

• LIS 689 - Special Collections Institute at NYPL
• LIS 697 - Rare Books at NYPL
• LIS 632 - Conservation Preservation
• LIS 698 - Praticum/ Seminar

Recommended Courses:

• LIS 625 - Management of Archives & Special Collections
• LIS 663 - Metadata, Description & Access
• LIS 665 - Projects in Digital Archives
• LIS 686 - Performing Arts Librarianship at Lincoln Center, NYPL
• LIS 688 - Map Collections at NYPL
• LIS 687 - Art Collections at NYPL
• LIS 695 - Photography Collections at the International Center for Photography
• LIS 697 - Special Topics in Archives and Manuscripts
• LIS 618 - The Art World: Business & Information at NYPL
• Ephemera Collections at NYPL

Above:- print from Le Costume Historiqueby A. Racinet, Firmin Didot, Paris, 1888.  Pratt, Dazian Collection, Rare Books.

Left: Lybian Chain of Mountains from the Temple of Luxor."David Roberts, The Holy Land, 2 Volumes, Elephant Folio\London 1842-43. 2 volumes Tinted lithograph. Pratt Institute, Dazian Collection, Rare Books.