The rare book librarian doesn t have to be an expert in printing, binding, papermaking, and other book arts. Many librarians working with rare books, especially in academic and public libraries, also need to be adept at fund-raising to develop their collections. In public and academic libraries, all staff members not just those who work directly with rare books or a special collection can use a basic working knowledge of book history and book production. General knowledge about books can help subject librarians talk to users who believe that technology has made printed works obsolete. It can help branch managers recognize which volumes ought to be preserved and which can be culled from the shelves.
Doctors hear complaints of assorted aches and pains at dinners.
Librarians invariably hear about Aunt Agatha s old books, still in the attic after the death of her father. The advent of the electronic book hasn t changed this. The antiquarian trade has a long tradition of being conducted by catalog, so it was just a short step to move online, taking advantage of hypertext, database, search engine, and e-mail technology. A number of book-search sites now link librarians and collectors with booksellers from around the country and the world in a single electronic interface. Librarians can use the sites as starting points to acquire books, to check the availability of works they re interested in, and to get a rough idea of the going value of books already in their collection.