Bringing Rare Books to Light: The State of the Profession

This article considers changing approaches to rare book cataloging in response to the recent focus on “hidden collections” in special collections departments of academic libraries. The authors analyze the results of a survey of rare book cataloging professionals regarding reactions to the hidden collections discourse, with a particular emphasis on changing policies and practices. A case study of backlog reduction efforts in the rare book unit of Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is also presented