Dear Raymond:
Many thanks for the excellent summary of advice concerning the preparation of books for sale.
Joan
----- Original Message -----
From: Raymond Smith
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 10:51 AM
Subject: [ARLIS-L] Ownership marks in books
Dear Sarah:
I am aghast and horrified at the idea of crossing off a book's ownership
indication with an ugly (and often smelly) black marker. Please, in respect
for the book, do not put a black magic marker line or any other mark across
a previous owner's bookblate or inscription. Also, please do not clip the
corner or cut out the front free end paper because a signature or
inscription is on it. To the collector or even the experienced reader,
these are anathema. I have been to hundreds of booksales in my thirty year
career in the profession, and if I saw suich markings I would not want the
book either for myself or for any potential customer. Such a mark would be
the kiss of death to the book.
I have never heard of anyone worrying that a book would be returned to him
because of a previous owner's bookplate or signature. These are part and
parcel of the book's history. The tens of thousands of people who frequent
library book sales are not concerned with such issues.
Also, if you are selling off books which have no library marks in them,
please do not stamp them with your library stamp, as this would mar an
otherwise nice copy.
However, if you are de-accessioning duplicates with your library stamp
or bookplate inside, a discreet "withdrawn" or "duplicate" stamp on the
library bookplate would help avoid confusion as to whether it still belongs
to the library.
Also, boookplates themselves are often attractive and collectible. The massive bibliography of bookplate literature attests to their interest ad to their appeal. I advise against removing the donor's bookplate despite the suggestion of another librarian. Not only is it a lot of work, but the remnants of the plate or the glue residue are offensive and ugly, compared to an attractive handsomely designed bookplate.
Raymond Smith
R.W. Smith Bookseller
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sarah Quimby" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 10:59 AM
Subject: [ARLIS-L] Book sales and owners' signatures in books
Dear ARLIS-Lers,
We are in the process of getting ready to sell many of our duplicate art
books and unaccessioned donations. One question we need answered before
selling the books is what to do with donated books that have donors'
signatures and/or bookplates in them. None of these books are rare or
otherwise worth keeping, and the donors are all ordinary, unheralded people
like you and me.
The question has arisen because one donor was worried that someone would buy
a book, see his bookplate, and try to return the book to him. My colleagues'
experience in other libraries has ranged from not caring at all about
previous owners' signatures, to going through each book with a black marker,
to recycling outright any book with any mark of ownership.
I would be most interested to find out what other libraries do when
de-accessioning books with markings made by previous owners.
Sincerely,
Sarah Quimby
Associate Librarian
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
[log in to unmask]
612-870-3182
__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
For information about joining ARLIS/NA see:
http://www.arlisna.org/join.html
Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
to [log in to unmask]
ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask]
__________________________________________________________________ Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/join.html Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask]
__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
For information about joining ARLIS/NA see:
http://www.arlisna.org/join.html
Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
to [log in to unmask]
ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask]
