CDNLAO Newsletter
No. 57, November 2006
For this issue of the CDNLAO Newsletter, we chose "Rare Books and Their Management" as a special topic. We sent out questionnaires and received answers from five libraries, Australia, Mongolia, Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. We would sincerely like to thank these libraries for sending back their responses. Though the number of the respondents is not so great, the responding libraries are spread over a wide area, namely, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania; thus the editorial office believes that it can be said to some extent that the responses reflect the rare book management of libraries of a variety of climates and cultures.
To see responses from each library:
The following is a short summary of the questionnaire survey (boxed texts are questions).
- Definition of rare books
- About your library's rare books collection
- Managing department of rare books collection
- Terms of use of rare books collection
- Photocopy service of rare books collection
- Loan service of rare books
- Management of rare books collection
- Cataloging of rare books collection
- Training of rare books librarians
- Management of the reading room for your rare books collection
- Microfilming and digitization of rare books collection
1. Definition of Rare Books
1.1 How does your library define "rare books"? If there are different definitions according to the types of materials, please specify, e.g. Western materials, Islamic materials, Far Eastern materials, etc.
For this question, naturally the five libraries presented five different definitions. However, it seems that most libraries deem the date of publication, or in case of hand-copied materials, the date at which the work was finished, as the primary criterion to designate items as rare. Rarity, aesthetic importance, and high monetary value are also regarded as important criteria.
1.2 How does your library authorize the designation of rare books based on the above definition? For example, does your library have a committee to designate rare books?
Two libraries have in-house committees to designate rare
books. The other three libraries' responses are: A) nominates items of
rarity in accordance with the laws related to cultural asset
preservation and the library's own criteria, and invites experts and
scholars to appraise the items; B) managers of domestic and overseas
collection development units authorize the designation according to the
collection development policy and other criteria; C) no special
designation has been made for rare books.
2. About your library's rare books collection
2.1 How many titles/volumes of rare books does your library hold? How many of them are Western, Islamic or Far Eastern, etc?
Australia: about 120,000 titles
Japan: about 2,000 titles
Mongolia: over 500 books
Philippines: about 8,100 titles (about 14,700 volumes)
Taiwan: about 24,500 titles (about 250,200 volumes)
See each library's answer for the breakdown.
3. Managing Department of Rare Books Collection
3.1 Is there any section or reading room which is dedicated only to rare book collections?
|
Yes (2) |
No (3) |
3.2 What other collections are managed together with your rare books collection?
The following are the answers of the libraries which answered "No" to question 3.1.
- Electronic collections, microfilm collections, research-level materials, etc;
- Old materials produced before a certain period but not as old as those designated as rare/semi-rare books;
- part of the rare books kept in other stacks.
4. Terms of use of rare books collection
4.1 Do you prescreen applications to use the rare books collection?
Four libraries answered "No" to this question, but they all provide rare books only on a permission basis. The remaining library answered that only copied or microfilmed collection can be provided and that readers must obtain permission if they want to see the original items.
4.2 Are there any specific qualifications that you set up for users of your rare books collection, such as a doctoral degree?
Yes (2) |
No (3) |
The following qualifications are required in two libraries:
- a.Readers must have at least a master’s degree;
- b.Readers must be post-graduate students, professors, or foreign researchers.
5. Photocopy service of rare books collection
5.1 How do you accept requests for photocopy of your rare books collection?
- __We do not accept requests for photocopy
- __Only microfilming
- __Others (please specify)
All five libraries provide some kind of copying service. Two libraries provide only copying service by microfilming. The other two provide copying service handled by staff and also permit users to take photographs on their own digital cameras without flash.
5.2 How do you handle requests for color photocopy?
No libraries provide color photocopy, but two libraries permit users to take photographs, and another library permits users to have a professional photographer film at their own expense.
Basically all five libraries do not loan out rare books.
6.2 Do you loan out rare books for exhibitions?
If yes, do you loan out rare books to overseas institutions for exhibitions?
Four libraries loan out rare books for exhibitions, but only two of them loan out for overseas exhibitions.
7. Management of rare books collection
7.1 Are there stacks or storage spaces
which only store rare books?
If yes, what are the differences of the rare books stacks from other
stacks?
All five libraries have storage spaces dedicated to storing rare books. Three libraries answered that they give special attention to environmental control in the storage space, giving high security and very limited staff access. Taiwan and Japan have their rare book stacks made of cypress.
How large are the rare books stacks, and how many rare books can be stored in them?
Australia: 540 square meters (total), over 130,000 items (total
estimated)
Japan: 260 square meters, about 22,000 volumes (4,000 titles)
Mongolia: 175 square meters, 500 books
Philippines: 310 square meters, about 17,200 volumes and
4,100 boxes
Taiwan: 844 square meters, 270,000 volumes
8. Cataloging of rare books collection
8.1 Which section/unit of your library does the cataloging work for rare books?
In four libraries their cataloging divisions which deal with general cataloging do cataloging of rare books as well. In two libraries the sections which serve rare books also do the cataloging.
8.2 Do you set any differences in cataloging rare books and other general books?
Two libraries set no differences in cataloging rare books and general books. The other three libraries set special standards in cataloging rare books.
8.3 What formats of catalogs have been made for your rare books collections? (multiple answers allowed)
Book catalog: 3 libraries
Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC): 4 libraries
Microfilm: 1 library
Others (please specify):
- a.Provides rare books image search system and bibliographic database for rare books.
- b.Provides a catalog in DVD format and a portal site which provides access to a union catalog of five partners including a national library as well as access to other digital contents.
9. Training of rare books librarians
9.1 Do you have any training courses specifically targeted for rare books librarians?
Yes (2) |
No (3) |
9.2 If yes, who organizes the training courses?
The following are the answers of the libraries which answered "Yes" to question 9.1.
- Provides training course conducted in-house by a dedicated officer.
- Provides training course in cooperation with other
institutions.
10. Management of the reading room for your rare books collection
10.1 Are there any tools or equipment that are provided for readers of rare books in the reading room?
The following are the items provided for rare books readers in four libraries: cotton gloves, weights, cradles, guides for the rare book collection, microfilm/fiche readers, book stands, PCs or computer terminals, printer, pencils
10.2 Are there any specific items that you prohibit users from bringing in or using in the reading room where the rare books collection is served? For example, ball point pens.
The following are the items whose use is prohibited in the rare books reading rooms of four libraries: pens (fountain pens, ball point pens), writing instruments of any kind (pencils are provided for readers instead), PCs, mobile phones, drinks, foods, bags, cameras, satchels
11. Microfilming and digitization of rare books collection
11.1 Have you done microfilming of your rare books collection? If yes, what percentage of your rare books collection has been microfilmed?
Only one library has microfilmed 100% of its rare books. One library has done no microfilming, but has a plan for future. The other three libraries have done some microfilming, with priority on domestic rare books.
11.2 Have you done digitization of your rare books collection? If yes, what percentage of your rare books collection has been digitized?
Three libraries have digitized a part of their collections. The other two libraries' responses are:
- Has digitized very little portion of rare book collections as they are usually digitized to support some other purposes such as for publications and exhibitions;
- Has not done digitization yet, but will start a
digitization project soon.
11.3 Have you created digital library collections? If yes, what percentage of your digital library collections is made of rare books?
The answer ranges from none to 50% of rare books collections.
11.4 If you have created a digital library specializing in your rare books collection, please give the name and URL.
Three libraries give URLs. The other two libraries' responses are:
- a.There is no digital library yet;
- b.Has made its digital collection available primarily through the library's OPAC and other search engines such as Google, etc, so it has not created a separate "digital library" specializing in the rare books collecion.
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