Preservation Department

Report of Recommendations

BRITTLE & IRREPARABLE BOOKS TASK FORCE

BIRPs

Submitted October 21, 2004

Karen E.K. Brown, Gerald Burke, Mary Van Ullen

I. Goals of the Task Force

1. To create a working construct that clearly defines the preservation options available for brittle and irreparable monographs.
2. To streamline selection for preservation in order to process brittle and irreparable monographs in the most efficient, effective manner possible.

II. Objectives

1. Clarify staff responsibilities for processing irreparable materials in all areas of the library.
2. Outline and simplify the selection process in coordination with stakeholders.
Update procedures and forms.
4. Implement new selection procedures (expected January 2005).

III. Definition

Irreparable books, pamphlets, or holdings in other formats may be brittle, have very narrow margins, or exhibit significant loss or obscured text/information. These materials cannot be repaired in-house or by a commercial vendor, or the cost of doing so is prohibitive. Many cannot be reformatted and can only be withdrawn or replaced.

IV. Background of the Task Force

In the fall of 2001 the Preservation Librarian initiated a review of the management of brittle and irreparable books by the University Libraries. Existing procedures were not effective in moving the many hundreds of volumes routed to Cataloging Services or to Preservation for evaluation and processing.

For example:

Close to 1000 brittle books were waiting for review in the Preservation Laboratory, a backlog that had been building for over five years. They were not ordered by call number and only roughly by date received, making on-demand retrieval of single items difficult and time-consuming.

Over 300 “irreparable” volumes were shelved in Physical Processing that required bibliographer review.

Hundreds of reels of original microfilm, including camera masters, print and service copies, were stored together stacked in aged cardboard boxes and film cabinets in Special Collections, in boxes in Room LI B39A in the Main Library, as well as in the Preservation Laboratory. Many were simply labeled with inscribed Post-it Notes.

Books that had been filmed, but not yet withdrawn, were found in the Preservation Laboratory, as well as in the Main Library.

No database of original University at Albany microfilm had been developed, and no records of what had been shipped for off-site storage was being maintained.

Hundreds of volumes were waiting to be replaced by purchasing print or microfilm copies; these orders had been delayed due to staff and funding shortages.

Over 200 volumes were waiting to be preservation photocopied or microfilmed; nothing had been done in-house between Summer 2000 and 2001 while the Preservation Librarian position was vacant.

Efforts have since been made coordinate and streamline selection the selection process:

All items that require evaluation, including microfilm and books that cannot be commercially rebound, are now routed to Preservation for evaluation and processing in the irreparable book program.

Items to be reviewed have been physically reorganized in the Preservation Laboratory to facilitate location and retrieval.

Decision forms have been revised.

Procedures now include distributing copies of decision forms and instructions to subject bibliographers in advance of scheduled review periods.

Training sessions are delivered each fall to the Library’s bibliographers to assist in making the best decisions possible.

As a result of these efforts, backlogs have been reduced, although not eliminated. Most items waiting to be replaced have been searched by Acquisitions and copies are once more available in the open stacks. In addition, all original microfilm is now stored in a proper cabinet in the compact storage area of Special Collections, along with paper finding aids, and item records are being managed in an database on the server Romeo. Scanning and electronic delivery of monographs, as a by-product of the preservation photocopying process, was initiated in Fall 2003.

IV. Amendments to the Existing System

The following rationale support amendments to the existing selection process:

The Preservation Department will only prepare 1X and 2X brittle monographs for selection by library bibliographers. This puts forward that all materials being prepared for review have limited options for treatment. Brittle monographs that test as 3X will be returned to the shelf.

A dated label will be affixed under the barcode noting that the item is brittle as a flag for Circulation not to return the item to Preservation unless other physical damage is noted.

The item record will be updated with a note that the object has been identified as brittle, along with the date of entry. These items may be placed into an enclosure, as required. A sort once at the beginning of each calendar year will insure systematic review of 3X holdings on the shelf.

Bibliographers will be responsible for determining if appropriate replacements are available for each item under review in advance of their decision, and for ordering replacements before the end of each review period.

The Preservation Department will reformat materials using the following criteria:

If no microfilm exists and there are less than 30 holding libraries, the Preservation Department will reformat as microfilm.

If no microfilm exists and there are more than 30 holding libraries, the Preservation Department with reformat as photocopy.

Monographs will not be reformatted if microfilm is available.

Highly visual, reference, or highly circulating items will be preservation photocopied.

Those items no longer protected by copyright will be made available in electronic, as well as print format.

Items that cannot be reformatted (mutilated, moldy, incomplete, that have obscured text, etc.) will be noted on the Decision Form. Your only option will be to replace or withdraw.

VI. Areas of Responsibility

Although the selection process has undergone several iterations, the program is not yet wholly satisfactory. Success depends on the coordination of efforts by several departments and many staff of the University Libraries.

Responsibility for the selection and processing of irreparable materials is as follows:

Identification of irreparable materials and routing to Preservation.

Managing the review and selection process

Reformatting (in-house or through commercial vendors)

Determining when intellectual content should remain in the Libraries

Identifying and requesting replacement copies

Consulting with Bibliographers regarding transfer of materials

Ordering/purchasing replacements

Re-routing items for reformatting those items for which replacements could not be procured

Managing final disposition of books being withdrawn and replaced

Updating the MARC record for 3X holdings being returned to the shelf

Binding preservation photocopies and updating the item record accordingly

Creating a new record for electronic copies of monographs and linking them to the Libraries’ OPAC.

VII. Procedures, Forms & Correspondence

The following has been developed and revised in keeping with program modifications:

Summary: Preservation Decision -- Irreparable Monographs

Preservation Department Bibliographer’s Decision Form

Announcement - Bibliographer Review Period for Irreparable Materials

VIII. Stakeholder Modifications

This Report of Recommendations and appended documentation have been reviewed and approved by Mary F. Casserly, Assistant Director for Collections; Kathryn Boyd, Head of Acquisitions; Timothy Gatti, Head of Cataloging Services; and Bibliographers for the University Libraries.

IX. Implementation

This Report of Recommendations is scheduled for implementation in January 2005. The Preservation Department begins use of new forms and will manage the transition of the irreparable books program after October 22, 2004.