Recommended Skills

What knowledge or skills are recommended for a successful career in rare books or manuscripts?

A comprehensive answer to this question can be found in the Guidelines: Competencies for Special Collections Professionals, a document produced by the Rare Book and Manuscript Section and approved by the ACRL Board in 2008. It outlines both fundamental competencies common to a broad range of rare book and manuscript professionals, and specialized competencies for particular branches of the profession.

For additional information from an archives perspective, see: So You Want to Be an Archivist: An Overview of the Archival Profession by the Society of American Archivists.