In a rare books class in library school, an instructor mentioned a micro stamp as a way of marking materials.  I believe they're small enough that they're not readily visible, but can be seen with magnification.  Hence, if an item of yours goes missing and shows up elsewhere, you can have it checked in a particular place for your micro mark.  I would favor this method for marking rare items, though it doesn't serve as a theft deterrant the way a more obvious mark might.

Just the opinion of a non-rare-books librarian

Melissa Martinez
Librarian, Bishop O'Rourke Library
St. John's Catholic Newman Center 
Phone: (217) 255-6610
Email: [log in to unmask] 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Barbara Austen 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 9:48 AM
  Subject: marking manuscripts


  Dear Colleagues:

   

  At a staff meeting today our library director distributed the recently published "Guidelines for the security of rare books, manuscripts and other special collections" issued by ACRL's RBMS.  Appendix one provides guidelines for marking manuscripts and rare books, while Section VII categorically states that materials themselves should be identified by a unique mark.  We are discussing using a stamp with our OCLC symbol and permanent ink to discreetly mark our manuscripts.  I don't know how I feel about this.  The library director's explanation was that since these manuscripts are going to be permanently retained by the institution, reducing the market value by stamping an item should not be of any concern. 

   

  Are other institutions marking manuscripts with a permanent stamp?  What were the pros and cons of doing so? 

   

  What a great question for a Friday!

   

   ============================================================

        Barbara Austen

        Manuscript Archivist / Cataloger

        The Connecticut Historical Society Museum

        One Elizabeth Street

        Hartford, CT  06105

        (860) 236-5621, ext. 251

        Fax: (860) 236-2664

        www.chs.org
         

         

         

         

         

         
       

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A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org.
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Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>