Editing Public library (section)

===Reference collections===
{{see also|Archives|Special collections}}
[[File:Choa Chu Kang library.jpg|thumb|Reading area in a [[Singapore]] public library]]

In addition to their circulating collection, public libraries usually offer a collection of [[reference book]]s, such encyclopedias, dictionaries, phone books and unique or expensive academic works. These books may not be available for borrowing, except under special circumstances. Reference books that are frequently used, such as phone books, may be housed in a special section called "ready reference".

Some libraries also keep historical documents relevant to their particular town, and serve as a resource for historians in some instances. The [[Queens Public Library]] kept letters written by unrecognized [[Tiffany lamp]] designer [[Clara Driscoll (Tiffany glass designer)|Clara Driscoll]], and the letters remained in the library until a curator discovered them.<ref name=tws16nov12>{{cite news | author = Kastner, Jeffrey | title = Out of Tiffany's Shadow, a Woman of Light | quote = He was co-curator of the exhibition with the independent scholar ... and the historical society's curator of decorative arts, Margaret K. Hofer. | newspaper = New York Times | date = 25 February 2007 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/arts/design/25kast.html?pagewanted=print | access-date = 16 November 2009 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131114000525/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/arts/design/25kast.html?pagewanted=print | archive-date = 14 November 2013 }}</ref> Some libraries may also serve as [[archive]]s or government depositories, preserving historic newspapers, property records or government documents. Collections of unique or historical works are sometimes referred to as [[special collections]]; except in rare cases, these items are reference items, and patrons must use them inside the library under the supervision or guidance of a librarian. Local libraries' special collections may be of particular interest to people researching their family history. Libraries that are focused on collecting works related to particular families are genealogical libraries and may be housed in the same building as a public library.
		
Many libraries—especially large, urban libraries—have large collections of photographs, digital images, rare and fragile books, artifacts and manuscripts available for public viewing and use. Digitization and digital preservation of these works is an ongoing effort, usually funded by grants or philanthropy. In 2005, the New York Public Library offered the "[[NYPL Digital Gallery]]" which made a collection of 275,000 images viewable over the web; while most of the contents are in the [[public domain]], some images are still subject to [[copyright]] rules.<ref name=tws18novrreer>{{cite news | author = Jim Regan | title = The NY Public Library's Digital Gallery | quote = Officially launched on March 3rd, the NYPL Digital Gallery is presently offering 275,000 images (stored on a 57- terabyte, a thousand billion bytes of data, network of servers) for public perusal and free personal use ("...individual private study, scholarship and research...") | newspaper = Christian Science Monitor | date = 21 March 2005 | url = http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0321/p25s01-stin.html | access-date = 18 November 2009 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080724065427/http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0321/p25s01-stin.html | archive-date = 24 July 2008 }}</ref> Limited funding, [[copyright]] restrictions, a lack of expertise and poor [[provenance]] are barriers to the large-scale digitization of libraries' special collections.