If an institution has rare and unique manuscripts, I would
think a photocopy and digital
image might serve the purpose of “proof” of
ownership instead of marking the item. I
have concerns over the ink, type of mark, not to mention how
you decide what to mark.
And with 700,000+ materials, you then have the question of
WHAT to stamp. Years ago,
many institutions marked manuscripts on the margin or at a
point that did not affect the
manuscript writing, image, etc. – and what did thiefs
do, they trimmed those edges!
I’ve wondered many times the scenario of trying to
prove something was yours and was
stolen. It seems to me that good cataloging data, accession
data, photocopies or digitial
images would serve the same purpose.
But clearly I don’t have the staff to stamp every
manuscript or archive item that we have.
.
Dean
Dean DeBolt
University Librarian, Special Collections
John C. Pace Library,
850-474-2213
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