[original posting followed by response.]
Hello,
I was wondering how other public libraries deal with paperback
collections.
Currrently our paperbacks are all donations and have brief catalog
records.We are considering changing our collection of paperbacks...perhaps
using only donations and not cataloging them at all, or purchasing
paperbacks and have our collection be comprised of> selected purchases
and selected donations.
Thanks for any and all ideas.
---
Katie Boyes
Public Serivces Librarian
Flathead County Library
kboyes_at_co.flathead.mt.us
406-758-5713
==2==
From: Colleen Knight <crknight_at_earthlink.net>
In the Bartow County Library System, we have both uncataloged and
cataloged paperbacks. Quite a few of our patrons prefer paperbacks
because of their size. We regularly purchase paperbacks for that reason.
We also accept donations of paperbacks. The ones that are in pristine
condition we may catalog. The ones that are not are put in a
uncataloged paperback swap. The patron may take as many as what they
like, keep them out for as long as they like and when they're done,
bring them back or bring back others. We have a barcode set up as
paperback swap in the catalog so we can scan how many the patron is
taking.
Colleen Knight
Circulation Supervisor
Bartow County Public Library
Cartersville, GA
==3==
From: Zumaland_at_aol.com
I have worked in two public library systems that handle paperbacks
differently. Both are in the metro-Atlanta area.
One partially cataloged them as adult or juvenile paperbacks, with no
title, author, or other identifying information, a process they called
temporary conversion. This sounds similar to the brief catalog record
mentioned in the original email. Much of that collection was built
from donations and as items were checked out, they were immediately
checked back in, using cards with a barcode on them. That way, the
patron was never charged for paperbacks that were late or lost.
The other, where I currently work, purchases most of their collection
and catalogs them fully. We have them broken down by genre and
purchase most of them in the spring from summer reading lists of local
schools or what we call "Beach Reads" just for fun. The catalog
includes all necessary information about the book as well as the
genre, helpful in finding it on the shelves.
I hope this information is helpful.
Eva Wardrup
Received on Tue Aug 31 2004 - 02:07:16 EDT