[Genealib] Author's request to pull title from shelf andreturn

[Sandy Day]

Don
I feel compelled to mention here that your points are very valid and I for 
one am glad you brought these up. I think all your points deserve 
consideration.
Sandy Day
Genealogy Librarian
Schiappa Library
Steubenville OH
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Litzer" <dlitzer at acpl.lib.in.us>
To: <genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 2:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Genealib] Author's request to pull title from shelf andreturn


You really have two questions: the first being what your institution's 
policy is on dealing with donations for which an investment has already been 
made to add them to your collection (presumably this is a donation--if you 
bought the book, why return it to him?), and the second being whether you 
can rationalize that action as a collection development decision.

Addressing the second question: the original work, flawed as it may be, 
represents how history was best interpreted at a given point in time.  If 
another researcher cites that particular work for his/her genealogy, and 
that original edition is no longer available to be verified at a later date, 
a disservice has been done, because there's no way of knowing how the 
"new-and-improved" version has changed history, or at least our view of it. 
If you don't have room for every edition and/or don't want to antagonize a 
patron, those are separate issues--but  I would at least remind the author 
that every edition of a family history has enduring value, and libraries 
exist to preserve that value.

Don Litzer
Reference Librarian, The Genealogy Center
Allen County Public Library
900 Library Plaza
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
e-mail: dlitzer at acpl.info
phone (reference desk): 260.421.1225


>>> Susan.Scouras at wvculture.org 10/14/2008 9:18 AM >>>
I received a new family history title from the author.  He requested
that we pull his previous family history from the shelf and return it to
him because the book had too many errors.  Although the title is
different, the new book is supposed to be an updated and corrected
version of the first.  What would you do?

Susan Scouras
Librarian
WV Archives and History Library
The Cultural Center
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
Charleston, WV  25305-0300
(304) 558-0230, Ext. 742



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