library duplicates

[renjilia@k12.wcsu.ctstateu.edu (John Renjilian)]

I've been surprised at a couple of replies to the current thread.  I'm
especially concerned at a suggestion, made or hinted at in more than one
reply, that a donated collection can be kept as long as an endowment
accompanies the donation; this would seem to me poor justification for
keeping duplicates, basic referencess perhaps already found in multiples in
any collection, out-of-scope, or otherwise not useful materials.  An
endowment would only perpetuate their lack of usefulness.  I chose a
different library path years ago and may be a bit behind current thinking,
but my training, reading, and common sense all rebel at keeping unwanted
materials just because they are supported by an endowment.  Libraries which
promise to keep everything forever must have infinite space and staff, or
short-sight.  My interests as a library patron, collector or bookseller are
not served by such a policy; all would be better served by a wider
dispersal of duplcates.

It seems to be that a collector/potential donor should spend some time
examining potenital recepients for a collection, and both donor and donee
should not hesitate to talk about conditions, restrictions, policies, and
the like, which will influence the destiny of the donation, and determine
its governance after the fact.  With such discussion and understanding in
place, surprise and unhappiness will hopefully be minimized before the
stage of bitterness.  If I should ever dwell in the income bracket where I
might donate my own collections to an institution rather than its proceeds
to my family, I would expect to reach an earlier consensus on the purpose
of the collection, its potential use, fit with the institution's other
collections, and so on.  On the other hand, as someone has remarked,
perhaps an auction catalog is better as a memorial if that is the main
purpose of the donation; we would hardly remember Thomas Streeter more as a
donnor than we do as frequent users of his catalog.

                     John Renjilian

          email: renjilia@k12.wcsu.ctstateu.edu

Scotland School           The Pages of Yesteryear
111 Barlow Mt Rd          9 Old Hawleyville Rd
Ridgefield, CT 06877      Newtown, CT 06470
Phone: 203-438-6563       Phone: 203-426-0864
Fax: 203-431-2862