Thank you for your great suggestions on how to deal with our
reference library issues. It's nice hearing from other
professionals on the subject!!

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



----- Original Message -----
From: "Ellerbee, Genevieve" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] accessioning books
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 08:45:16 -0400

> 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
> 
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