This practice has been going on for a few years now with architecture & design publications.  I assumed that it was a deliberate design/aesthetic decision, and sometimes perhaps also an economic one (though some of the boxes look rather costly to me), or even an issue of wanting to reflect a ‘green design’ approach to book production. Sometimes these books (text blocks) are covered with folded posters/maps/plans (or other wrappers) with information that is not repeated elsewhere in the text, thus throwing these kinds of ‘covers’ away is not a good option.  For instance, the 2008/2009 volume of:

Abstract / Columbia Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. New York : Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.

Our preservation staff wanted me to shelve the entire item in our “Cage” for protection, but I wanted it on the open shelves so that our architecture students would be able to consult it easily.  So, our preservation staff designed a nice removable cover for the volume and we treated the map/book jacket as a ‘Supplement’ that we shelve in our “Cage.” Catalogers placed the following note in the catalog record:

“Notes: fancy book jacket and map accompanying 2008/09 volume in Arts Cage.”

All this was extremely labor intensive, so we really can’t do this for all the titles that come in this format.  

My guess is that this practice is evidence that libraries are not the primary market for these publications. Remember the old days when books came out in several formats including ‘library binding?’ I’m betting that ‘library bindings’ are not edgy enough for some of our art/architecture/design publishers. One more thought: when so much information is available in electronic format, could it be that the designers responsible for these books may be trying to justify using the print format by revealing the text block? (à la "The medium is the message.")

Still, I hope to be able to discuss this issue with publishers & vendors exhibiting at the conference: it would be interesting to hear their perspective!

Best wishes,

Perhaps it is also a way for physical books to last no longer than 26 circulations, like what some publishers are now doing with their electronic counterparts.

Cindy Wolff

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Nina Stephenson, Art Librarian-Library Acquisitions
Fine Arts and Design Library  MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
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505-277-0679

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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.arlisna.org Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask]
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