duplicates

["SID HUTTNER, MCFARLIN LIBRARY, TULSA" <HUTTNERSF@centum.utulsa.edu>]

I may be able to contribute one small idea to the "duplicates"
thread.

We were approached several years ago by the heirs to a carefully
formed collection of about 2000 titles -- in a subject area we
have long collected.  They wished to see the collection held
together intact as a memorial to their grandfather (who had
assembled it).  We were concerned about duplicates.

After a fair amount of discussion, we came to agreement that we
would (a) accept the collection; (b) identify duplicates during
the cataloging process; (c) offer the duplicates _en bloc_ to a
named group of insitutions which, in purchasing them, would
create a second memorial collection while allowing us to
establish an endowment to maintain and extend our portion; and
(d) if none of the named institutions were interested or able to
purchase the duplicates in a reasonable period of time, we would
offer them to the booktrade at large, again using the income to
establish an endowment.

In processing the collection we found more varient printings and
bindings than we had expected; but still, a third of the
collection proved duplicate.  We are now moving through the later
phases of the agreement and hope to establish an endowment with
principal between $25,000 and $35,000.

So far, everyone -- we and the family members -- is quite pleased
with the process.  Indeed, as we were about to sign the
agreement, the family had a final thought: if at some point the
endowment income proved ample, might it provide scholarship
support to a student interested in the subject area of the
collection?  We were delighted with the suggestion: the income
will not be large, but offering even modest support will allow
us, from time to time, to advertise the collection, encourage its
use, and thus enhance its vitality.

---------
Sidney F. Huttner . Curator, Special Collections, The University
of Tulsa Library, 2933 East 6th Street, Tulsa, OK 74104-3123 . 
Ph 918-631-3133 . Fax 918-631-3791 . Internet: huttner@utulsa.edu