Special collections play an increasingly important role in university libraries. As library collections move to digital formats and collections are similar from one library to another, special collections are one of the ways in which libraries can build a distinct identity. Because of their unique nature, special collections must be permanently retained because of their artifact value and need specialized storage conditions with appropriate levels of security. Library administrators will increasingly face the need to provide expanded space for special collections as well as improving storage conditions to ensure that unique and valuable materials are preserved for research in the future.With the rapid growth of universities and university libraries in the second half of the 20th century, university special collections grew as well. Driven by growing humanities faculties, libraries acquired an increasing number of rare books, manuscript collections and other primary materials to support faculty research and the research of students prior to the growth of on-line resources. Larger universities created extensive special collections programs, some with facilities separate from the main university libraries. Growth was not limited to universities and many colleges created special collections to support faculty and undergraduate research. Academic growth also brought an expansion of college and university records and the creation of archives programs to preserve and provide access to these materials. In most cases, institutional archives programs were attached to the library although some material may have been stored in other locations because of space requirements.
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