Special collections, for example collections of historic maps or early printed books, are not only valuable as primary source materials for teaching and research, they also form a part of the cultural legacy of libraries. Special collections are becoming increasingly important not only in relation to cultural and public outreach programmes but also in the competition for users and third-party funding. Today they are regarded as of central importance to the modern research library. Change in the modern information world, and in particular the impact of digital technology, presents new challenges for library professionals and for the technical facilities of those institutions that seek to preserve, record and provide access to special collections. This volume, which presents 14 contributions to an international conference of librarians and scholars from the USA and Europe held in Weimar, provides information about the status and purpose of special collections, and about collection policies, collection description, digitisation projects and fundraising for special collections in the 21st century.