Association of College & Research Libraries
Call for Papers

You are invited to respond to the call below, and to distribute this message to all interested parties:

The 48th Annual ACRL/Rare Books & Manuscripts Section (RBMS) Preconference
"From Here to Ephemerality: Fugitive Sources in Libraries, Archives, and Museums"
Baltimore, Maryland
Tuesday, June 19th to Friday, June 22nd, 2007

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Rare Books & Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), seeks proposals for short papers related to the theme of its 2007 Preconference, "From Here to Ephemerality: Fugitive Sources in Libraries, Archives, and Museums."

The preconference will address various aspects of the topic of ephemera in libraries, archives, and museums. Ephemera collections have traditionally been neglected by institutions and have been underused by scholars; they provide unique challenges in cataloging, preservation, and access. The preconference will explore these issues and uncover the value of building and using ephemera collections to their full potential. It will encompass: notions of ephemerality; the scholarly uses of ephemera; dealers' perspectives on ephemera; collecting and collectors of ephemera; and the care and management of ephemera collections in institutions. The term "ephemera" includes a broad range of materials and disciplines, making this preconference particularly attractive to a variety of potential attendees, including librarians, curators, archivists, printing historians, collectors, dealers, and scholars.

This is a call for short papers. Short papers are scholarly research papers that further examine aspects of the preconference theme. A variety of subjects might be explored in a short paper, for example:

• Conceptual definitions and considerations of ephemera
• Electronic ephemera
• Other "non-traditional" ephemera, including events such as performances
• Ephemera from the perspective of printing/publishing history
• Specific types of ephemera
• Specific collections or collectors of ephemera
• Ephemera relating to underrepresented groups and culturally diverse collections
• The role of women and children in collecting ephemera
• Ephemera and the study of history
• Ephemera and the trade
• Various aspects of the management of ephemera in institutions
• Traditional neglect of ephemera by institutions
• Ephemera as an aspect of hidden collections
• The pedagogical uses of ephemera

Each paper selected will be allotted 20 minutes for presentation. Papers will be presented in small group sessions, and audience response will be encouraged.

Proposals should not exceed 250 words, and should be submitted by October 16, 2006 to Henry Raine, Chair, RBMS 2007 Preconference Program Planning Committee by e-mail at HRaine@nyhistory.org or by post at The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. Proposals should include title of presentation, author's name and affiliation, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address. Decisions and notification about proposals will be made by December 1, 2006.

Submissions are encouraged from all interested parties, including graduate students in relevant disciplines. Funding is not available from RBMS to support travel costs.