Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 10:28:44 -0500
From: Jon "Barney" Kleist" <kleistj_at_paulsmiths.edu>
Subject: Re: Dust jackets on books
Carol,
We meet the three criteria listed in your message below. I don't cover all
dust jackets -- just those that:
1) Provide a significant amount and quality of information that would help
the patron to decide what the book is about. This would be information not
readily found in the preface, introduction, author's note, or the book
title itself. The information should be factual rather than subjective.
The writers of dust jacket descriptions often tend to be interested in
sensationalizing rather than describing. So I regard dust jacket
descriptions with suspicion until I can verify the usefulness of the
information.
2) Come with a book that is constructed of very poor quality materials AND
which I expect to get a lot of use by our patrons. The dust jacket cover
can add years, I believe, to shelf life of a poorly made book.
3) Do not cover important information, like maps, on the inside of the
front or back cover.
In my ten years experience processing the books for this library, I've
found that the polyester covers I use (Brodart's Lifetime Duplex
Self-stick) can start to break down as soon as two years into the shelf
life of the book. This early, it's usually the adhesive strip across the
width of the book that holds the two halves of the cover together, and has
an edge that can catch or be fiddled with by nervous hands. But these
covers usually last much longer -- like at least five years -- before they
begin to fail. The other failure point is the self-stick adhesive that
attaches the cover to the cover boards of the book. These change
chemically and let go after a while. But when this failure occurs, the
hinge of the book is usually still in excellent condition.
Dust jacket covers are expensive to use, both in terms of purchase cost and
in labor to install them. That is why we don't keep a cover without a good
reason. Visual attractiveness doesn't count, usually. Decisions about
whether to borrow, it can be argued, are too often made at the catalog,
rather than at the shelf, to consider the visual qualities of the cover
when processing.
I hope this is helpful, if not too late. Feel free to contact me if you
want to refute any of my opinions, or if you want to ask me any questions.
At 08:25 PM 2/6/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> . . .
>Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2000 16:53:27 -0600
>From: Carol Eyler <ceyler_at_CARLETON.EDU>
>Subject: Do You Keep Dust Jackets on Books?
>
>We are investigating the possibility of keeping dust jackets on all new
>books that arrive with them. To gain more practical information on
>maintenance and repair issues, we would like to talk with staff in academic
>libraries that meet the following three criteria:
>
> 1. Keep original dust jackets on hardback books in the circulating
>collection
> 2. Cover each paper dust jacket with a polyester cover
> 3. Have been doing this for at least 3 years
>
>If your library does all three, please reply to me personally --
>ceyler_at_carleton.edu -- NOT to the list. It would also be helpful to
>receive the name/email for a contact person who could discuss your
>library's experiences with dust jackets. Thanks very much!
>====================================================
>Carol E. Eyler ceyler_at_carleton.edu
Jon "Barney" Kleist
Library Secretary (Acquisitions)
Paul Smith's College
Routes 86 & 30
Paul Smiths, NY 12970
ph. (518) 327-6312
fx. (518) 327-6350
em. kleistj_at_paulsmiths.edu
Received on Sat Feb 17 2001 - 14:26:59 EST