Rare Book Collecting in Black Francophone Caribbean Literature

It is commonly understood that academic rare book collections are shaped by the professionals who work in the special collections library. For academic rare book and special collections librarians, there are myriad elements to consider in acquisitions. Campus stakeholders (e.g., faculty and students, and community members) have different levels of interest in collections at any given time. In other words, their interests wax and wane with popular public and/or disciplinary discourse. We usually lessen the difficulty of acquisition decisions through a collection development policy. Academic rare book librarians should also be mindful of the temporality of a collection—considering how present acquisition decisions will translate into the future.

By contrast, personal collectors engage with booksellers in differing settings. What are some things that can happen in the process of acquiring a Caribbean rare book collection composed of 20th through 21st-century publications? What might be some of the particularities to be aware of when seeking to purchase rare books under the Black francophone Caribbean literature subject area as a personal collector?

Please join us for a webinar discussion between Special Collections librarians, Kellee Warren (UIC) and Curtis Small, Jr. (University of Delaware) on institutional and personal rare book collecting that focuses on Black francophone Caribbean literature. The discussion will include professional and personal anecdotes about institutional stakeholders, rare book fairs, book history in France, and acquisitions. Ms. Warren and Dr. Small, Jr. will respond to questions to explore and interrogate collecting in academic institutions and in private, specifically highlighting some of the differences between collection development for a R1 public university and personal collecting.