Requests for Assistance

The Special Collections Library is frequently asked for various types of assistance. While our staff has expertise in a variety of areas, some of the most common questions concern proper care of rare and unique materials and the kinds of historical materials that organizations or individuals should save, or that may be of interest to the Special Collections Library.

Questions relating to rare books, such as what makes a book rare, or how much is my old book worth, or what are proper techniques for handling rare books are answered on our Frequently Asked Questions About Rare Books Web page.

Additional questions about preservation, such as how to deal with wet or musty books, proper storage, display, or repair of various types of materials, are answered on our Frequently Asked Questions about Preservation and Conservation Web page. Another source of preservation information and advice at Penn State is the University Libraries' Digitization and Preservation Department Web pages.

What historical records should be saved for the future, is another question frequently asked of archivists and librarians in Special Collections. While answers to this question will vary considerably depending on circumstances, a list of general categories of materials, which could have potential research value as archives, is provided on the University Archives Web page.

Collecting emphases of the various Special Collections units can be found on their individual Web pages.

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