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Re: Maintaining book collections



Hi, Lisa.

In the 1980's, the university library where I was then working switched over
to an OPAC system.  They wanted the archives to keep the card catalog for
them as a backup!  I respectfully declined, explaining that it had no
archival value.  I suggest that you do the same, if possible.

But is it possible?  What is the mission of your department?  It sounds like
yours combines the functions of both a Special Collections Dept. and an
Archives.  Despite your title, it also sounds like you see yourself more in
the light of an archivist/manuscripts curator than a librarian.  It's time
to think that over.

"Special" collections tend to be exactly what you have described:  groups of
books that must be separated from the main library stacks due to a common
bond.  It might be because they are undersized, oversized, or at-risk due to
rarity, fragility, desirability, vulnerability to vandalism, etc..  Just
like aggregations of books gathered by a single collector of a given
subject, these special collections require segregated housing.  Many of them
also need the protections afforded by a locked and supervised area.  Your
area may also be the only one with shelving that can accommodate the
dimensions of atlases, etc.

If your department has specific collecting goals, I salute you.  But these
alone do not warrant getting rid of the library's other legitimate
sub-collections.  Review your mission and policy statements, and then talk
it over with your fellow librarians.  If there are categories of material
currently housed in your area that do not really need the protections of
special collections management, those should certainly be returned to the
main stacks.  But if you are not the only one crying for space, be prepared
to meet resistance.

Sincerely,

Judy Robins, C. A.,
Collections Supervisor,
Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
520 N. Northwest Highway
Park Ridge, IL  60068-2573

Tel:  847-825-5586

Fax:  847-825-1692

e-mail:  j.robins@ASAHQ.org



-----Original Message-----
From: Lisa Speer [mailto:lkspeer@SEMOVM.SEMO.EDU]
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 2:10 PM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: Maintaining book collections


Dear Colleagues,

Over the years, the archives in my academic library has been used as a
"dumping ground" for books that our librarians felt should not be in
circulation.  The criteria for placing books in Special Collections is
vague, but includes factors like "irreplaceable or scarce books," "books
highly susceptible to theft," "signed books," and "materials of unusual size
and shape."  The end result is an eclectic collection that is
mostly irrelevant to the collecting focus of Special Collections, and is
taking up needed space in my stacks.  While I do believe that some of the
materials in the book collection should remain in Special Collections,
either because they are valuable or related to our mission, I feel that many
of them should be sent back to the circulating stacks or weeded out.  Do any
of you have collections like this in your archives, and if so, what is
your criteria for accepting/declining proffered books?  I appreciate your
thoughts.  Thanks in advance.

Lisa K. Speer, Ph.D.
Special Collections Librarian
Kent Library
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
573.986.7446 (phone)
573.651.2666 (fax)
lkspeer@semo.edu

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