[DCRM-L] Collated & Perfect

[Margaret Nichols]

I would think it would be valuable to a researcher to know whether or 
not X Institution's copy of a rare book is collated and perfect, 
especially if the book is extremely scarce and the researcher is 
coming from some distance away to see it. I'd be in favor of putting 
the information in spelled-out form and in a place where it's visible 
to the public, whether in a 590 or a 500 ending in $5 on the bib, or 
in a public note on the holdings record.

Another two cents,

Margaret Nichols

At 01:37 PM 7/16/2007, you wrote:
>I would like to go back to Deborah's original statement.  Who would 
>such a note be aimed at?  I'm not certain that making such a note 
>would make much difference in a court of law, and would want to 
>confirm its value.  If it is for "internal" purposes, then it is 
>possible to perhaps add such a note in either a 9XX field or perhaps 
>as part of the holdings record, but in a non-public field.
>
>Jane has been doing something comparable for Beinecke's serial 
>records as we gradually work through the recon records.  I believe 
>she puts such a note in the holdings record.
>
>E.C. Schroeder
>
>P.S.  Jane, aren't you busy at RBS?
>
>At 01:24 PM 7/16/2007, jane.gillis at yale.edu wrote:
>>2 points.
>>
>>1. I think Institutional Records might include 590 notes.
>>
>>2. OCLC records are not just for catalogers.  They can be used for
>>bibliographical purposes, for interlibrary loan, etc.
>>
>>It will be interesting to see how IRs will affect the OCLC database.
>>
>>Jane Gillis
>>
>>Quoting John Overholt <overholt at fas.harvard.edu>:
>>
>>>It seems like you'd want the note in a holdings record if 
>>>possible, or at least in a field that doesn't end up in the 
>>>WorldCat master record (which a 590 wouldn't, if I'm not 
>>>mistaken). If you were creating an original record in Connexion, I 
>>>guess you'd have to wait to add it until after you exported to 
>>>your local system. I've always preferred keeping local information 
>>>out of WorldCat unless it has implications for other libraries 
>>>cataloging the same item.
>>>--John
>>>
>>>John Overholt
>>>Assistant Curator
>>>The Donald and Mary Hyde Collection of Dr. Samuel Johnson/
>>>Early Modern Books and Manuscripts
>>>Houghton Library
>>>Harvard University
>>>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/hydeblog
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Margaret Nichols wrote:
>>>>One thought that occurs to me is that since people don't always 
>>>>remove the previous institution's notes from the record when they 
>>>>copy it for their own institution, the "collated & perfect" note 
>>>>might end up being misleading in those cases. On the other hand, 
>>>>if the note begins with "Folger copy" or the like, I suppose that 
>>>>removes that danger (except for the occasional extremely unobservant patron).
>>>>
>>>>Hope this doesn't sound too muddled--it's Monday ...
>>>>
>>>>Cheers,
>>>>
>>>>Margaret Nichols
>>>>
>>>>At 05:02 PM 7/14/2007, you wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>At ALA annual this year, RBMS  co-sponsored a program with 
>>>>>MAGERT on library map security. One of the speakers was Smiley's 
>>>>>prosecuting attorney, who stated that a catalog record that 
>>>>>didn't mention imperfections wouldn't stand up in court as 
>>>>>evidence that it had no imperfections at the time it was 
>>>>>cataloged; a defense attorney would merely need to find a few 
>>>>>examples of cataloging that failed to mention existing 
>>>>>imperfections at the time of cataloging.
>>>>>
>>>>>It occurred to me that for cataloging rare materials, it might 
>>>>>be worth considering incorporating the old "collated & perfect" 
>>>>>(sometimes abbreviated "c.&p.") note that booksellers and 
>>>>>collectors used to pencil into books or include in descriptions. 
>>>>>I'm imagining something like this, where a note on the state of 
>>>>>the volume's completeness would come at the front of all copy-specific notes:
>>>>>
>>>>>590 Folger copy: C.&p. DJL 20070714. Bound in <...>
>>>>>
>>>>>Thoughts?
>>>>>
>>>>>_____________________________
>>>>>Deborah J. Leslie, M.A., M.L.S.
>>>>>Head of Cataloging
>>>>>Folger Shakespeare Library
>>>>>djleslie at folger.edu
>>>>>_ http://www.folger.edu_
>>>>
>>>>________________________________
>>>>
>>>>Margaret Nichols
>>>>Head, Special Collections Materials Unit
>>>>Library Technical Services
>>>>110 Olin Library
>>>>Cornell University
>>>>Ithaca, NY. 14853-5302
>>>>mnr1 at cornell.edu  *  Tel. (607) 255-5752 / 255-3530  *  Fax (607) 255-9524
>

________________________________

Margaret Nichols
Head, Special Collections Materials Unit
Library Technical Services
110 Olin Library
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY. 14853-5302
mnr1 at cornell.edu  *  Tel. (607) 255-5752 / 255-3530  *  Fax (607) 255-9524