Provide a definition of a special
library and post the information to the class. Share where you’ve
looked and your sources.
Definition of a special library
The Special Library Association defines
information professional as one who uses information to advance the
mission of the organization. Information professionals work for
“information organizations, which are defined as those entities that
deliver information-based solutions to a given market. Some commonly
used names for these organizations include libraries, information
centers, competitive intelligence units, intranet departments,
knowledge resource centers, content management organizations, and
others.” (1)
The American Library Association offers a fact sheet with definitions
of various types of libraries, including: corporate, medical, law,
religious, etc. (2) This definition does not include
specialized information organizations such as government libraries and
document centers, armed forces libraries, art and museum libraries, or
private (subscription) libraries. Subscription libraries include The
New York Society Library (3) (founded 1754), The
Library Company of Philadelphia (4) (founded 1731, by
Benjamin Franklin and others), and the Boston Athenaeum (5)
(founded 1807). An unusual corporate library – the Margaret Herrick
Library, of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (6)
– could certainly be considered a special library.
Another special library with diverse collections may be found at the
Marine Biological Laboratory Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Library (7).
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (8)
states that special libraries vary in size but provide specialized
services to their clientele.
(6) Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (2005). Margaret
Herrick Library home page. Retrieved September 5, 2005, from: http://www.oscars.org/mhl/
(7) Marine Biological Laboratory Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution. (2005). Library home page. Retrieved
September 5, 2005, from: http://www.ifla.org/VII/d2/dsl.htm