Sender: Rare book and manuscripts <EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
Carol raises some very important points here. These are wonderful
questions. I'd like to hear the definitive answers. Last week, I
was at the Beinecke Library at Yale University, and I think they have
one of the most sophisticated security systems. The people there
know what they are doing. Their collections must be worth hundreds
of millions, or who knows how much. Yesterday, at a reception I went
to for UCLA in NYC, someone asked me if the Beinecke Library could
survive a direct hit by a bomb, or a nuclear attack. Does anyone
know the answer to that one?
Bruce J. Ramer
Bruce J. Ramer
Experimenta Old and Rare Books
401 East 80th Street, Suite 24-J
New York, NY 10075
Phones: 212-772-6211 & 772-6212
Fax: 212-650-9032
e-mail: bjramer@mindspring.com
Member of the ABAA and ILAB
Established in June 1980
You can always go to my database of about 430 items on the website of
the ILAB: <ilab-lila.com>, put my name in when you click on "our
booksellers" and then click on "go to database."
On Jan 25, 2008, at 8:19 AM, Carol Fink wrote:
We are reviewing security and access issues in addition to
collection management with regard to our rare book program.
Specifically, we'd like to know:
1. Do any individuals other than rare book room staff have access
to the area where the collection is stored?
2. What method(s) are used to control internal vs. external theft
(random inventories, passkey monitoring, etc.).
3. When materials are transferred into the rare book collection
from another area of the library, does responsibility for the item
also transfer to rare book room staff?
4. How many of you are open outside of posted hours by appointment
and how much lead time do you require to schedule staff to cover
that appointment?
Thanks for your time.
Carol Fink
Rare Book Librarian
Library of Michigan
PO Box 300007
702 W. Kalamazoo
Lansing, MI 48909-7507
517.373.3765