[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: college archivists - a question



We are getting frequent requests to move "old" materials into the
Rare Books collections located in our department.   Most often these
are including items which should be rebound but which cannot be,
old books that faculty think should be here, and similar items.   Lately
the trend has been to check out a circulating copy of a book, get it
autographed by the latest campus visitor-speaker, and return it to the
library to be put in Rare Books now that it is autographed.    One faculty
member requested that we put all the polar expedition books (1899-1920)
because these are going for astronomical prices in the out-of-print stores.

I don't think there is a hard and fast rule here.   I have great authority to
say "yes" or "no" to such requests.   I shook up our Acquisitions Librarian
recently when I said "no" to an item.   He said what am I going to do now?
And I replied look for a replacement copy, have this one microfilmed, or
seek a preservation reprinting.   I don't need another Shakespeare play
just because it is a deteriorating Riverside Press edition from 1912.

So the answer is .... yes you should be prepared to accept items, but
also be willing to say no and explain why.

Dean

Dean DeBolt
University Librarian
Special Collections and West Florida Archives
John C. Pace Library
University of West Florida
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL  32514-5750
Tele:  850-474-2213;   Fax:  850-474-3338

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
     In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                   *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
    http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>