Collecting against the tide: building a new collection of rare books in the digital age

Abstract

Most Australian libraries with important collections of rare books, or special collections, have many of their treasures derived from 'legacy' collections, the accumulation of decades of collection building. This paper describes the collection development approach of a relatively young institution with a special interest in the history of house and garden design and interior furnishing. In doing so it outlines some of the ways in which the lens of special interest illuminates areas for collecting that have traditionally fallen outside the scope of larger general institutions.