We maintain a smallish reference library that the curators use (and members of the
public are welcome to use, but that doesn't happen often).  We purchase books
ourselves, but we also have a "Give-A-Book" program with a wish list that is
very popular with the members.  If a member (or anybody else) donates a book,
we put a bookplate in the book and our office manager keeps a rudimentary
database because the donation goes into the board reports (and the members
like to know their donation has been noted officially).  These books are all
reference books and not accessioned.

Up until recently, the library has been catalogued, but rather crudely; however
one of the library staff members has kindly taken us on as a pet project and is 
cataloging and labeling the books properly. 

We do have historic books, but we try not to accept many of them anymore because 
they're supposed to go to the archive in the building, not us.  (We do accept them if they pertain
to an object in the collection.)  The ones we have are accessioned and entered into
the database and may go into a period room.  In theory, these books could be made
available to a researcher who made an appointment, but I don't think it's ever happened.
Additionally, none of them are particularly rare or impossible to find elsewhere.


Genevieve Ellerbee
Associate Registrar
Daughters of the American Revolution Museum
Washington, DC
202-628-1776 x 331
fax: 202-628-0820


-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of cathyosterman
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 6:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] accessioning books


Hi all!

Going a step further on what's already been said about
accessioning books, I'm curious whether any of you have
reference libraries, and if so, are the books accessioned?
Our policy is to accession rare and historic books into our
permanent collection and not allow the public to handle
them. We do have a reference library that the staff and
public can use and the feeling has been that we shouldn't
accession reference books (care of collection books, books
on wagons or cowboys or historic quilts, etc.) 

What is standard for reference libraries regarding books
that the staff uses and that the public can use with
supervision? If a book is donated to the museum but it's
determined not to be historic and worthy of the permanent
collection, but it is placed in a reference library setting,
should it be marked to signifiy the donor? I've seen no
standard in my museum and I'm curious what others have done
in their museums. Is anyone else facing the same sort of use
and status issues? 

Cathy Osterman
Curator of Collections
CFD Old West Museum
Cheyenne, WY

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).