ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 90 Guidelines for the Security of Rare B ook, M anuscript, and Other Special Collections (Draft II) Editor s Note: D raft II o f this document, p re­ pared by the AC RL Rare Book and Manuscripts Section s A d Hoc Committee on Security, was approved by the RBMS Executive Committee, Monday, 25 January 1982. Y o u r com m ents are invited. Send th em to: Peter E. Hanff, Chair, RBMS Committee on Se­ cu rity, Technical Services, B ancroft L ib ra ry, University o f California, Berkeley, CA 94720. I. I n t r o d u c t i o n One of the major problems in the administra­ tion of rare book, manuscript, and other special collections is th e security of those collections. Thefts have greatly increased in th e past few years because of the availability and ever increas­ ing value of materials. This problem has com­ pounded the difficulties of rare book and manu­ script dealers, who may unknowingly sell stolen materials. Rare book, manuscript, and other spe­ cial collection administrators have the responsibil­ ity of securing their collections from theft. Secu­ rity arrangements will vary from institution to in­ stitution, depending on staffing, physical setting, and use of th e collections; these guidelines are written to identify the general topics to be con­ sidered in an adequate security program. I I . T h e S e c u r i t y O f f i c e r A senior staff m em ber should be named Secu­ rity Officer, with the responsibility and authority to carry out the security program. The identity of th e S e c u rity O fficer sh o u ld be m ade w idely known, especially among those persons responsi­ ble for handling incoming telephone calls and let­ ters. The Security Officer’s first priority should be to plan a program, starting with a survey of th e collections, in clu d in g physical layout and staff, and seeking the advice and assistance of ap­ propriate personnel, life safety officers, and of outside consultants from law enforcement agen­ cies and in su ra n c e co m p an ies. The S ecu rity Officer may reco m m en d th a t a S ecurity Task Force be named to bring problem areas to the Officer’s attention and to recom mend solutions. A security consultant may be brought in to assist in determ ining the major threats to the collection and high-risk areas of vulnerability. III. T h e S e c u r i t y P o l i c y A policy on th e secu rity of th e collections should be written by the Security Officer, in con­ sultation with the administration, staff, legal au­ thorities, and other knowledgeable persons. The policy should include a “standing operating pro­ cedure’’ on dealing with possible theft; determ in­ ing su sp ected thieves, rep o rtin g thefts to the proper authorities within an organization, and to the local and (where appropriate) national legal authorities. The Security Policy should be kept up-to-date w ith c u rre n t nam es and telep h o n e numbers. IV. T h e S p e c i a l C o l l e c t i o n s B u i l d i n g o r A r e a The special collections building or area should have as few access points as possible, with the same entry and exit for both patrons and staff. The public should have access only to the public areas, not work areas or stack space. A reading room or search room should be identified as the only area in which materials may be used, and readers m ust be carefully watched at all times by staff trained for this purpose. A visible security guard or staff m em ber should check readers b e ­ fore they go into the secure area, and when they leave th e area. Keys are especially vulnerable items; the keys to secure areas should be issued on an as-needed basis to staff, with master keys secured against easy access. There should be a control/check-out system for all keys. V . T h e S t a f f An atmosphere of trust and mutual concern for the collections is probably the b e st insurance against th eft by th e staff, although close and equitable supervision is essential. The staff should be chosen carefu lly , and b ack g ro u n d checks should be made at the time of hiring. Bonding of th e staff should be considered. A m ajor weak point in any security system is disgruntled staff who may seek revenge through the destruction of collections. Staff should know their responsibility for security and know their legal rights in han­ dling possible problems. Staff should also adhere to the same security procedures as readers, in 91 general including keeping records of use of m ate­ rials by staff, checking th eir belongings when e n ­ tering and leaving th e secure area, and keeping u n n e c e ssa ry p e rso n a l item s o u t of th e se c u re work areas. The S ecurity Officer should make tra in in g th e staff in secu rity m easu res a high priority. VI. T h e R e a d e r s The special collections adm inistrator m ust care­ fully balance th e responsibility to make materials available to researchers with the responsibility to e n su re th e secu rity of th e m aterials. R eaders should be req u ired to p resen t photographic id en ­ tification and a reasonable explanation of th eir n eed to use the materials. This check is especially im portant in the use of archival and m anuscript collections. Each read er should have an orienta­ tion to the collections and to the security proce­ d u r e s b e fo re u s in g th e c o lle c tio n s . R e a d e rs should not be allowed to take extraneous personal m aterials (for exam ple, notebooks, briefcases, heavy coats, books, or voluminous papers) into the reading room. Lockers or some kind of secure area should be provided for personal items. The readers should be watched at all tim es, and not allow ed to h id e th e ir work b e h in d bookcases, booktrucks, piles of books, or any other obstacles. Readers should be lim ited to only those books, m anuscripts, or other item s which are n eed ed at one tim e to perform th e research at hand. Each item should be checked before being given to the reader, and w hen retu rn e d . Readers should be re q u ire d to re tu rn all library m aterials before leaving the reading room area, even if they plan to retu rn later in the day to continue th eir re ­ search. Readers should not be allowed to trade materials, nor to have access to materials another read er has checked out. The special collections staff m ust be able to identify who has used which m aterial by keeping adequate check-out records. These records should be kept indefinitely. VII. T h e C o l l e c t i o n s A dm inistrators of special collections m ust be able to identify th e m aterials in their collections. T here are several means to this end. For exam­ ple, adequate accession records should be kept, and cataloging and listings in finding aids should be as detailed as possible. O ther means are rec­ ords and lists kept to fulfill the requirem ents of insurance policies. Unprocessed materials should not b e m ade av ailab le to re s e a rc h e rs w ith o u t careful checking. T here are several ways of mak­ ing the materials them selves identifiable: marking with indelible ink following the RBMS G uidelines for Marking (see Appendix below), o th er forms of m arking, and k eep in g p h o to co p ies of v aluable m aterials. C o n d itio n re p o rts have also p ro v ed useful. Marking or photocopying m ust of neces­ sity in m ost collections be a selective process, with careful thought given to which materials are to be so protected. The more valuable items may also b e s e g re g a te d from th e c o lle c tio n s in to higher security areas and not released to readers except u n d er special circumstances. V I I I . T h e L e g a l R e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s The adm inistrators of special collections m ust know the laws for dealing with theft applicable in th eir political and geographical area. Staff m em ­ b ers m u st know th e ir legal rig h ts in sto p p in g thefts, while not infringing on th e rights of the suspected thief. T he ad m in istrato r m ust rep o rt any thefts to the law enforcem ent agencies with jurisdiction in the area, and m ust take responsi­ b ility to p r o s e c u te th ie v e s . M a te ria ls sto le n should be re p o rte d to Bookline Alert: M issing Books and M an u scrip ts (BAMBAM), 121 E ast 78th S tre e t, N ew York, NY 10027, te le p h o n e (212) 737-2715, a national program for theft con­ trol, endorsed by the Rare Books & M anuscripts Section of ACRL. An additional possibility is an advertisem ent in the Stolen Books column of AB B o o k m a n s W eekly (P .O . Box AB, C lifton, NJ 07015). L isting s in BAMBAM (which may be done anonymously) and in AB Bookman s Weekly will help to prevent unknowing transfer of stolen materials and to facilitate th eir return. I X . C o n c l u s i o n Security is a major concern of the en tire special collections comm unity and m ust be addressed in each individual repository. These G uidelines are necessarily brief; fu rth er information is available through th e professional literatu re, professional organizations, and consultants both w ithin th e rare book, m an u scrip t, and special collections com m unity and in law enforcem ent and insurance professions. It is perhaps the most im portant and most difficult area of special collections adm inis­ tration. Still, the efforts of the entire staff with the final responsibility vested in one senior staff m em ber, consultation and cooperation with local and other law enforcem ent agencies, and rep o rt­ ing losses to p roper authorities will result in d e­ terring thieves and in recovering materials when stolen. Appendix: Guidelines for Marking Rare Books, Manuscripts, and other Special Collections I. I n t r o d u c t i o n T here has been much thoughtful discussion in re c e n t years reg a rd in g th e a p p ro p ria te n e ss of p e rm a n en tly m arking rare books, m anu scrip ts, and o th e r sp ecial c o lle ctio n s. T he g u id e lin e s which follow are in ten d ed to aid those libraries and o th er institutions which have d ecid ed th at they will mark their materials. The guidelines are intended prim arily to provide as consistent and uniform a practice as possible, given the variety 92 and special n a tu re of th e m aterials concerned. They are ad d ressed only to those libraries and o th e r in stitu tio n s who elect to use m arking as p a rt of th eir overall security arrangem ents; and they attem p t to strike a balance betw een the im ­ plications of two major considerations: d eterren ce (v isib ility , p e rm a n e n c e ) a n d in te g r ity of th e docum ent (both physical and aesthetic). II. G e n e r a l R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s G eneral recom m endations are: 1. That a form of perm an en t ink be used for marking. 2. That secret marking as a prim ary identifica­ tion device be avoided. 3. That th e ownership mark be placed w here it can easily be located (but not in a place that is too prom inent or disfiguring). 4. That it be placed away from text or image on both sides of the leaf. F o r th e sake of uniform ity and o th e r advan­ tages, m arking in ink has been p referred to em ­ bossing or perforating. Visible marking is m eant to reduce or obviate the need for secret marking, w h ich lacks an im m e d ia te d e te r r e n c e v alu e. Placem ent of the ownership mark will always be a m atter of careful and trained judgm ent, varying according to each docum ent. For the purposes of these guidelines, the place selected should be as close to th e low er p o rtio n as possible, on th e verso, at a site that is blank on both sides of the leaf, and rem o v ed sufficiently from the text or image on the side of th e leaf on which it is placed to avoid disfigurem ent or confusion. W here cir­ cum stances or p eculiarities of th e item do not allow th e above to be readily followed, marking m ay b e d e f e r r e d u n til f u r t h e r c o n s e n s u s is reached. III. S p e c i f i c R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s Marks should be located as follows: 1. Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts. On the verso of th e first leaf of principal text, on the in ner margin, approximate to the last line of text. Additional markings may be n eed ed when the item is a composite m anuscript or otherwise has a substantial text that may be broken away w ithout noticeable injury to the volume. The location of each su b seq u en t marking would be the same, i.e. lower in n er margin, approximate to th e last line of the text. W hen th e m anuscript is too tightly bound to mark in th e inn er margin, alternate lo­ cations may be m ade in any blank area of th e verso, as close to th e lower portion of the text as possible. The m ark should be so placed th at it may not be excised w ithout extrem e cropping. (In m anuscripts of double colum ns th e m ark m ight be lo cated in th e blank area b e tw e e n th e two columns). 2. Incunabula and Early Printed Books. On the verso of the first leaf of principal text on the lower in n er margin, approximate to th e last line of text. Follow th e sam e in stru ctio n s as given u n d e r M edieval and R enaissance M an u scripts above, w ith th e same precautions and a lte rn a ­ tives. 3. L e a f B o o ks, Single L ea ves f r o m M a n u ­ scrip ts, &c. O n e ith e r v erso or re c to , at th e lower portion of th e text or image of each leaf. The choice may be d eterm in ed by the docum ent itself if one of th e sides has m ore im portance (ow­ ing to an illu s tra tio n , m a n u s c rip t a n n o ta tio n , etc.). The ownership mark should th en be placed on the reverse side. 4. Broadsides, Prints, Maps, Single L e a f Let­ ters and Documents. On th e verso, in the lower margin of the area occupied by text or image on the opposite side. Care should be taken h e re to insure that th e specific area is blank on the side opposite to that which is to carry the mark. If th e back side is entirely blank, the ownership mark may be p laced freely in areas o th e r th an th e lower margin. 5. M ultip le L e a f M a n u sc rip t L etters, D o c u ­ ments, Newspapers, Ephemera. On the verso of the first leaf in the lower margin. It may be ap­ propriate to place an additional mark later in the work if a p o rtio n (such as a famous sig n atu re, p a p e r seal, first a p p e a ra n c e o f a p o e m , e tc .) w ould have in d e p e n d e n t value if d e ta c h e d or excised. 6. Modern Printed Books, Pamphlets, Serial Is­ sues. On the verso of the first leaf of th e opening text, directly below th e first line. The placem ent h ere is designed to spare th e title-page, half-title, d ed icatio n page, e tc ., w hich in m any valuable productions have a separate aesthetic appeal not to be disfigured even on the verso. As in th e case of m u ltip le - le a f m a te ria ls (see a b o v e, no. 5) additional markings may be indicated for those internal items (illustration, maps, etc.) that may have separate m arketable value. I V . K i n d o f I n k a n d E q u i p m e n t The ink used should be p e rm a n e n t (i.e. suf­ ficiently difficult to rem ove to act in most cases as a d e te rre n t), in ert in itself and in conservation t r e a tm e n t, an d ab le to b e a p p lie d in m in u te quantity. The ink and equ ipm en t (rubber stamp and balsa wood pad) described in the Library of Congress’s Preservation Leaflet No. 4, M arking M anuscripts, may serve as an example. V . F o r m a n d S i z e o f M a r k The size should be k e p t to a m inim um (ca. 5-point type size for lettering). The form should be m ade up of initials identifying th e institution as succinctly as possible, based on th e National Union Catalog symbols, and suitable for arranging in lists to circulate to dealers, auction houses, collectors, etc. VI. C a n c e l l a t i o n o f M a r k Do not attem p t to obliterate marks of ow nership 93 m ade according to these guidelines, even in th e e v e n t th a t th e m a te ria l is to b e d e a c c e s ­ sioned. No system has yet b een devised for can­ celling marks which cannot be im itated w ith rela­ tive ease by thieves, and th e re seems no altern a­ tive b u t to assum e p erm a n en t responsibility for th e fact of one s m ark of ow nership in a book, m anuscript, or o th er docum ent. P erm an en t rec­ ords sho u ld b e k e p t of d e ac c e ssio n e d m aterial containing marks of ow nership m ade according to these guidelines, and th e m aterial itself w hen r e ­ leased should be accom panied by a signed le tte r of authorization on institutional stationery. ■ ■ W A S H I N G T O N H O T L I N E by Carol Henderson Deputy Director ALA Washington Office If all the proposals outlined in President Reagan's fiscal year 1983 budget should be enacted by Congress there would be no federal role in support of libraries. The list of programs proposed for zero funding and termination is extensive: Higher Education Act II-A grants for college library resources and networking, HEA II-B library training and library research and demonstrations, HEA II-C grants for major research libraries, the Library Services and Construction Act public library services and inter- library cooperation, and the National Commission on Libraries and Informa­ tion Science. The elementary and secondary education block grant which includes school libraries would be cut severely, then turned back to the states and phased out. Some cuts in library funds already appropriated for F Y T82 were also proposed, including the entire $1,920,000 for college libraries. The Education Department would be downgraded to a much smaller Foundation for Education Assistance. In response to requests at A L A ’s Midwinter Meeting in Denver for a plan of action to protest this disastrous budget, the February 9 ALA Wash­ ington Newsletter suggested a massive campaign of letters and visits to every Representative and Senator with a very simple message— don't cut FY 1982 library funds, and reject the FY 1983 budget for library programs— backed up by specific data or "for instances" on the impact of the proposed cuts. This campaign has three components: (1) Everyone— librarians, faculty, students, researchers, friends, White House Conference participants— should write immediately. Write to your own legislators to protest the budget for the program(s) you know best. (2) This is the time to activate association and chapter legislation networks. Spread the word to others to write letters. Organize a representative group of library supporters for all types of li­ braries to visit the home offices of Members of Congress. In an election year (all House seats and 1/3 of Senate seats will be up for election), they will be home often; there is a recess scheduled for April 7-19. Or send a small group to Washington for the annual Legislative Day on April 20 of National Library Week. (3) Data on the expected impact of wiping out library programs, or "for instances" on services not provided or improvements not made are needed by your legislators and by the ALA Wahsington Office. In­ corporate such material into your letters to make them more effec­ tive and send blind copies to the ALA Washington Office, 110 Mary­ land Avenue, N.E., Box 54, Washington, D.C. 20002 (202/547-4440).