BRITTLE BOOKS REPLACEMENT PROCESSING
SUMMARY: Brittle and severely damaged volumes may be replaced in-kind and by reformatting technologies. The guidelines below are meant to assist subject specialists and others in choosing the most appropriate, feasible options.
Brittle volume
The Brittle Books Unit of the Imaging Division (room 6060 Ackerman Library, x2-0342) encourages subject specialists to identify, select and forward monographs and serials that are brittle, extremely damaged, and generally irreparable to the Brittle Books Unit's attention.
Scope: This page outlines procedures for forwarding materials to the Brittle Books Unit for replacement and reformatting consideration. Decisions are based upon the items' value, the technical possibilities, cost of action, and circulation history. "Brittle" materials generally do not include items that can benefit from routine repair or rebinding; rather, brittle materials are those general collections titles of importance which are not able to be rebound or routinely repaired.
Options available:
· In-kind replacement with an available reprint
· In-kind replacement from a viable out-of-print source
· Digital imaging to create a paper facsimile replacement to be shelved in the Libraries’ collections
· Digital imaging to create a digital surrogate to be made available on the World-Wide Web
· Purchased microform replacement
Summary of the procedure: When received, titles receive a thorough bibliographic search for available replacements, existing copies and editions within OSU, OhioLINK, CIC, OCLC’s WorldCat,™ GoogleBook™ and other sources. Brittle Books Unit provides the information from this search to the subject specialist to assist in the replacement / reformatting decision.
Generally, Preservation Office replacement funds (fund code Brt1) are used to purchase or create the replacements.
Please complete and use a Collection Maintenance Streamer when forwarding materials to Brittle Books.
Specific Brittle Books Procedures at OSU Libraries
Working definition of a "brittle book" is …
· …a volume with deteriorated ("brittle") paper for which routine repair or rebinding is not feasible. "Brittle" paper is exhibited as pages that have broken from the binding, or will break off with routine usage or rebinding.
· … a volume with extensive damage from readers (e.g., defacement or lost text), or from the environment (e.g., water damage).
Recommended procedure to Inform Users of Oscar/Felix that an Item Was Sent to Preservation:
· 1. Update the item record's status to "r" ("at preservation")
· 2. Type a note into the "staff note" field that states: "Search for Replacement mm-dd-yy" (month-day-year sent)
· 3. Complete and insert a Collection Maintenance Streamer Indicate in the "Additional Instructions" section the subject specialist’s preferences for action.
· 4. Forward the volume(s) with the completed Collection Maintenance Streamer via library delivery routines to:
Brittle Books Unit
Room 6060 Ackerman Library
campus.
Note: For periodicals and large sets, it is recommended that you NOT forward the
physical volumes to Brittle Books. Rather, send only an OSCAR print-out
to begin the search-for-replacement process.
To assist subject specialists, Brittle Books prepares a thorough bibliographic search, which is recorded on a Preservation Replacement Form. Completed work is entered into an MS-Access database.
General Procedures and Criteria for Preservation Replacement Actions:
In-kind replacement with an available reprint
· Often, the preferred option is the purchase of an exact or reasonably similar edition from an in-print source. In this process Brittle Books staff compares the replacement item with the "brittle" copy when the replacement is received in the Labeling Unit, to ascertain the acceptability of that replacement. Replacements are forwarded to the location of the brittle original following new books processing routines.
· When replacements are available, they are noted on a Preservation Replacement Search Form, which is created br Britttle Books.
In-kind replacement from a viable out-of-print source
· When a title is out-of-print or out-of-stock-indefinitely, Brittle Books performs routine searches of used or antiquarian book market on the Internet.
· When replacements are available, they are noted on a Preservation Replacement Search Form which is created by Brittle books.
· The selection of in-kind replacements with imprint dates earlier than 1950 is usually discouraged because their physical condition, especially the condition of paper stock, is often poor.
Digital imaging to create a paper facsimile replacement to be shelved in the Libraries’ collections
· This option is attractive to subject specialists when the item is
o out of print; and
o shows significant past (and expected future) usage in paper; and/or
o the format of the item is best used in book format (high-use books, reference books, music scores, field guides, significant illustrative materials with text, etc.)
Digital imaging to create a digital surrogate to be made available on the World-Wide Web
· This option is attractive to subject specialists when the item is
o Out of copyright protection (in the public domain, see http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm ) and
o Usage is acceptable and enhanced as an e-book; and/or
o The title has not already been reproduced as an online book accessible via the WWW.
· This option is attractive when future usage is expected to be low, but the content has permanent value, and
· When no other acceptable replacements are available.
Purchased microform replacement.
· This option is attractive when …
o …the only viable alternative is a microfilm or microfiche that is available for sale from a reputable source, and
o … it is essential to own and house this microform within the OSU Libraries.
Related Issues:
Deferred action: If none of the above options is technically feasible or if the cost of replacement is perceived by both the subject specialist and the preservation officer as too high, the title may receive a deferred action such as a box or shrink packaging.
Retention of original materials after in-kind replacement or reformatting is done at the discretion of the subject specialist. Brittle Books and the Preservation Officer offer advice on retaining originals.
Turnaround time: Turnaround time from receipt of the brittle original to its replacement varies widely, and thus time estimates are not provided here. "Rush" action will be initiated upon request, and may cut the time significantly.
Access to materials in process: Items held in the Collection Maintenance and Imaging Divisions are accessible to readers and library personnel. Unless the materials are being reformatted by an outside vendor, they may be retrieved for readers by Collection Maintenance Division personnel (x2-0342) when they are in process.
OSCAR records: Collection Maintenance and Imaging Division staff routinely update the Staff Note field of OSCAR to reflect specific actions being taken on individual volumes. Such OSCAR updates will reflect changes in treatment from a decision to search for replacement, to (for example) an action to reformat to microfilm. In this manner, materials in process can be tracked and their retrieval facilitated. Personnel at the holding library should change the status and remove all staff notes in the OSCAR item record display when items are received and checked in at the holding location.
Questions and suggestions: Questions about materials in process should be referred to the Brittle Books Assistant x2-0342, or to the Library Conservation Specialist (Collection Maintenance Division supervisor) x2-0342.
Return to Digital Image Division home page.
Comments and suggestions may be forwarded to the Preservation Office.
Content by Wes Boomgaarden, boomgaarden.1@osu.edu
Updated by Andrew Hang,Preservation Webmaster, June 28, 2007.
Date last revised: January 8, 2007.
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