[DCRM-L] Machine-press special collections

[Jeff Barton]

I'd say that 85% of the items I've cataloged in the last year or two are pre-1830.   (In prior years, it was probably 75-25 and 50-50 pre-1830 vs. later, driven by which parts of collection were targets for cataloging, not primarily by new acquisitions.)

90% of these are children's books, or publishers' materials related to children's book publishing or marketing (advertising, catalogs, ephemera, etc.).

A breakdown, in very rough order of numbers:

  *   Fiction (for children, as are other groups below, unless noted)
  *   Poetry, verse, and songs
  *   ABCs and educational books (primers, etc.)
  *   History & biography (usually biographies of historical or 'exemplary' figures)
  *   Classical & Ancient History
  *   Natural history and other science (including plate books)
  *   Voyages, travels, and travelogues
  *   Toy books
  *   Chapbooks (or chapbook-like format)
  *   Drama (either adaptations of adult classics or written for children, often in a dialogue-format)
  *   Educational manuals and guides for teachers, tutors, mothers (aimed at adults, not children)
  *   Non-English language materials -- primarily European, Latin and some Greek   (a colleague catalogs Chinese, Japanese, and Korean books, about 10% of which are pre-1830, I'd say off-hand)
  *   Incunables and early 16th c. books
  *   Publisher's archives, wholesale catalogs, and advertising ephemera
  *   Objects and non-monographic materials (miniature libraries, cards, games...)
  *   Picture books for children (mid 19th c - early 20th c)
  *   Small press publications for children an artists' books
  *   Electronic resources (March-July as general priority for all PUL catalogers)


From: DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu> On Behalf Of Deborah J. Leslie
Sent: Monday, July 6, 2020 7:54 PM
To: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Subject: [DCRM-L] Machine-press special collections

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<mailto:djleslie at folger.edu> | www.folger.edu<http://www.folger.edu>

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