The Ohio State University

DATE:   22 October 1987
TO:   All library locations and departments
FROM:   William J. Crowe, Assistant Director for Technical Services

SUBJECT: Technical Services Memorandum on "Poor Condition Processing"

The enclosed "Poor Condition Processing" memorandum was developed by an ad hoc working group composed of Olga Beshers, Harry Campbell, Marsha Hamilton (chairperson), Laura Kissel, and Effie Spillman to help address the problems briefly described in the opening paragraph. In many respects the procedure outlined for handling these materials parallels that developed earlier to help identify and resolve Questions about "unindicated duplicates". [NOTE: A 1985 version of the "unindicated duplicates" document may be found on the TS web site at unindicdup.htm ]

Early in November, Wes Boomgaarden and Harry Campbell will be scheduling meetings with all library faculty and staff in Technical Services to review the provisions of the statement and to explain, with examples, how "poor condition" definitions should be applied.

WJC:jd
Enclosure

cc: Executive Committee
     Wes Boomgaarden

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The purpose of the Poor Condition Procedure is to review all physically problematic materials before adding them to the OSU Libraries collection. Poor condition materials will include any monograph or serial piece that has one or more of the following problems: binding not functional, brittle paper, piece is mutilated or damaged, piece has environmental damage such as mold, water damage, or bug infestation. This procedure will not replace existing procedures which cover return of titles damaged in shipping, return of damaged check-in pieces, return of defective titles, etc. These procedures will also not apply to materials for any of the Special Collections locations of Rare Books, the Charvat Collection, the Hilandar Collection, the Theater Research Institute and the Library for Communication and Graphic Arts.

Materials are acquired through a variety of points for the OSUL collections including the following:

• Monograph Acquisition Division -review shelf items, gifts, departmental backlog titles, en bloc purchases, collection processing, etc.

• Continuation Acquisition Division -gift and exchange titles, first issues of continuations, etc.

• Receiving Acquisition Division -firm orders, check-in pieces, some standing orders, etc.

• Search Section (CAT) -all titles removed from backlog/storage, titles on hand, location duplicates and added volumes, etc.

• Monographic and Serial Cataloging (CAT) -titles on hand

PROCEDURE

1. Identification

• Title is identified as meeting one or more of the poor condition criteria

• Title is streamered with Poor Condition streamer

• Reason title is being referred is marked on streamer with any notes

• Name, location and date of person referring piece is added to streamer

• Title is charged on LCS for one month to RESPRSPC manually. If title is not on LCS, place cherry manual streamer in piece.

• If piece is to be forwarded to a different processing unit, indicate location and LCS charge clearly on streamer

• Send piece to Poor Condition Shelf, Collection maintenance, Room 007 Main Library

• For RUSH materials, streamer as usual and hand carry to CM staff; call their attention to it.

  
  

• Staff in Collection Maintenance (CM) will review each referred poor condition item in a timely fashion

• If CM staff can repair, box or bind title to correct problem, they will take appropriate action.

• CM staff will manually charge piece to LCS code listed with "Deliver to address" and then forward piece to "Deliver to address" on streamer. If there is no forwarding address/LCS charge, the piece will be returned to the referring staff person.

• If CM recommendation is to bind after CAT, when cataloging is complete, send to Harry Campbell in Rm 037 for bindery preparation. Do NOT SEND TO LABELING.

• If the CM recommendation is not to add the piece to our holdings, the piece will be charged to RESACQPC for one month and sent to Linda Kennedy, Monograph Acquisition Division, Room 036 Main Library, with all streamers, notes and documentation for selector evaluation decision.

  
  

• The poor condition piece with all documentation will be placed in the referral area of the review shelves for selector decision

• Selectors will be asked to determine if content of piece is needed. If so, selector will be given choice of using discretionary (1) funds to attempt to purchase a reprint, an added edition, a microformat copy or to produce a photocopy if copyright permission can be obtained.

• If selector chooses one of these options, the piece and all documentation will be forwarded to the appropriate Bibliographic Search Section searcher to verify availability and prepare an order request.

• If replacement is purchased or photocopy is produced, original piece will be discarded. An internal note will be added to INNOVACQ explaining action taken and original record will be deleted from LCS.

• If selector decision is to transfer content of piece to microformat and none is available for purchase, piece will be sent through Brittle Books Procedure to Wes Boomgaarden for microfilming. Piece should be charged to RESPRSMC for one year and note placed on INNOVACQ of action taken.

• If selector does not wish to keep damaged piece, it will be noted on INNOVACQ and discarded or sent to the Friends of the Libraries Book Sale.

  
  
  

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