[DCRM-L] Machine-press special collections

[Myers, John]

Ostensibly, I am the rare books cataloger for my institution, although the
main hat I wear is oversight of cataloging production for the general
collection.

For the materials I catalog into our Special Collections and Archives
collections that are post-1830, these are the typical categories, not
ranked:

   - Fine press editions
   - Artists books (less so now, following retirement of the selector)
   - College publications
   - Subject material on the college (including publications by faculty and
   alumni, although this is being reviewed)
   - Subject material on Schenectady
   - Subject material on Audubon's Birds of North America
   - Random, obscure titles gifted to the library

Also, I have recently discovered a cluster of obscure legacy items in our
general collection that will need to be assessed for reclassification into
rare books. These include theater publications from the 1840s and
engineering publications from the 1850s-1870s (including European
publications on railroads).

And while not generally subject to current cataloging, our Special
Collections and Archives includes several subcollections comprising the
libraries or specialized collections from prominent donors that feature
post 1830 publications.

John Myers, Catalog & Metadata Librarian
Schaffer Library, Union College
Schenectady NY 12308

518-388-6623
myersj at union.edu
pronouns: he/him/his


On Mon, Jul 6, 2020 at 7:53 PM Deborah J. Leslie <DJLeslie at folger.edu>
wrote:

> Dear Rare Materials Catalogers:
>
>
>
> I've finally had a chance to watch Brenna Bychowski's Rare Book School
> virtual presentation on Superheroes and Shocking Affairs, or, Adventures
> in Cataloging Popular Literature
> <https://rarebookschool.org/rbs-online/superheroes-and-shocking-affairs-or-adventures-in-cataloging-popular-literature/>.
> Informative, entertaining, and very well done; I especially like the way
> Brenna incorporated general information on the nature of cataloging. Highly
> recommended!
>
>
>
> Brenna's presentation got me to wonder about the post-hand-press materials
> that cross the desk of rare materials/special collections catalogers. I
> invite DCRM-L readers to characterize the kinds of post-1830 material
> you're asked to catalog, and give a rough ranking of relative quantity?
>
>
>
> I can start (although since 1999 I've been cataloging pre-1831 materials
> almost exclusively):
>
>    - Little Blue Books
>    - Railroad companies' annual reports, timetables, and maps
>    - Sunbelt migration advertisements
>
> ______________________________
>
> Deborah J. Leslie, MA, MLS (she/her) | Folger Shakespeare Library | 201
> East Capitol St., SE, Washington, DC 20003 | 202.675-0369 |
> djleslie at folger.edu | www.folger.edu
>
>
>
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