ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


Febru ary 1 9 9 7  /  83

Brittle: Replacing em brittled 
titles cooperatively
B y  B r ia n  J .  B aird

A cost-cutting preservation effort at 
the University o f  K ansas

Most condition surveys in research librar­ies show  that a significant percentage 
(usually about 25%) o f a library’s volum es have 
embrittled paper. For these volumes there are 
usually three treatment options available: re­
formatting; withdrawal from the collection; or 
placing the item in an enclosure to provide 
som e additional support and protection. Each 
o f these treatment options are legitimate.

In som e cases, withdrawing the volume is 
the right decision. Other volumes must b e kept 
regardless o f their condition b ecause they hold 
artifactual value. For the majority o f cases what 
is im portant ab o u t the em b rittled  volu m e is 
the inform ation it con tain s. For m aterials in 
this ca teg o ry  reform atting is o ften  the best 
answ er.

How a text is reformatted should be a deci­
sion based on the access and storage needs o f 
the item. Som e types o f publications amend 
themselves well to microfilm such as new spa­
pers and serials. In these cases, the microformat 
often increases accessibility to the information. 
Other texts, such as m onographic publications, 
are more accessible if they are reformatted back 
into b o o k  form by producing a preservation 
quality photocopy. This allows the text to be 
used in a form that users are com fortable with.

To date, most preservation quality photo­
copying replacement efforts to secure shelf cop­
ies o f heavily used works have been  conducted 
individually by libraries. By establishing a co
operative effort for preservation photocopying, 
research libraries can work together to:

• low er the cost o f obtaining preservatio
quality photocopy replacem ents by reducing

both the cost o f the service and staff time spent 
processing materials for photocopying;

• ensure that libraries obtain high-quali
photocopy replacem ents by working coop era­
tively to identify the best possible original vol­
ume from w hich to copy.

For this reason, the University o f Kansas Li­
braries and BookLab, Inc. established the Brittle 
program in the spring o f 1995.

H ow  Brittle w o rk s
Brittle is a cooperative effort am ong several 
research libraries to obtain less expensive pres­
ervation quality photocopy replacem ents for 
their embrittled titles. The University o f Kansas 
Libraries have established a moderated elec­
tronic listserv named Brittle to w hich interested 
libraries are invited to subscribe. The listserv 
acts as a running list to w hich libraries can post 
titles that they are interested in having photo­
copied. In addition to bibliographic informa­
tion, the list also provides the nam es o f librar­
ies that want a preservation copy o f each title, 
the estimated cost o f obtaining a copy o f the 
title (based on the num ber o f copies being re­
quested), and the date w hen the title will be 
removed from the list, as seen  in this exam ple:

D all , C arolin e W ells H ealey. WOMAN’S 
RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW: IN THREE LEC­
TURES, DELIVERED IN BOSTON, JANUARY, 
1861. Boston: Walker, W ise and Company, 
1861. xix, 164 pages.
CALL NO. HQ 1239 .D2
Will b e listed until 8/30/96
Libraries wanting a copy: KKU, WEL, W C  
Estimated cost per copy based on the num­
ber o f libraries wanting a copy: $ 3 9 .00 (plus 
shipping and handling).
Estimated cost savings: $4.00

n NOTE: KU’s copy o f this title is badly dam­
aged. Therefore, if your library is interested

ty 

B rian  J . B a ir d  is p reservation  lib rarian  a t the University o f  K ansas; e-m ail: bbaird @ u kan s.ed u

mailto:bbaird@ukans.edu


8 4  /  C&RL News

in obtaining a copy o f this title, please indi­
cate if your volume can be sent to BookLab 
for copying.

Titles remain on the list for one month. Elec­
tronic updates o f the list are sent out weekly 
showing new titles added, libraries requesting 
copies, and changes in price per copy.

After a title has been on the list for one month 
it is sent to BookLab for preservation quality 
photocopying. If more than one library wants 
a copy o f a title, the library that placed the title 
on the list sends the volume to Brian Baird, at 
the University o f Kansas, where it is processed 
as part o f a Brittle shipment. Having materials 
from Brittle sent to BookLab from a central lo­
cation reduces the chance o f error and helps 
the process run smoothly, which ultimately re­
duces costs. In addition to the normal process­
ing procedures of erasing marks, mending tears, 
and checking for missing text, a special flag is 
prepared by University o f Kansas staff telling 
BookLab which libraries want a copy o f the 
title and where to return the original.

Generally, within six to eight w eeks after a 
title has b een  removed from Brittle, BookLab 
will send a replacement copy and an invoice 
to each library that has requested a copy o f the 
title. BookLab will send the original volume, a 
replacement copy, and an invoice to the library 
that owns the volume sent for copying.

Price benefits of participation
One o f the primary benefits of participating in 
Brittle are the savings that libraries receive in 
obtaining preservation quality photocopy re­
p la ce m e n ts  o f  th e ir em b rittled  m aterials. 
BookLab offers the follow ing discounts for 
Brittle customers:

• 10% discount off the catalog price for 
each duplicate replacement copy ordered;

• the library owning the original volume 
used for making the replacement photocopy 
will receive an additional 10% off the price of 
its replacement copy for each extra copy or­
dered up to a 50% discount. This is an incen­
tive for libraries to place titles on the Brittle 
listserv and to encourage others to purchase 
copies o f those titles.

O ther benefits from participation
Since July 1995, more than 130 volumes have 
been ordered from Brittle by 20 university li­
braries from around the country at a combined 
savings in photocopying costs o f more than

$870. To date, more than 50 libraries subscribe 
to Brittle with additional libraries joining almost 
weekly. B ecause o f the number o f participat­
ing libraries, the time-consuming task o f co n ­
ducting bibliographic searching o f embrittled 
titles is shared. If the University o f Kansas 
searches a title and determines that there are 
no reprints available, and posts that title to the 
list, then other participating libraries simply 
determine if they hold a copy o f the title and 
then decide if they wish to replace it.

Another benefit o f this service is that many 
embrittled titles o f heavily used works suffer 
from other problems, such as lost or damaged 
text, mutilation, or underlining, which make it 
difficult to produce a clean photocopy replace­
ment. Therefore, the members o f Brittle work 
together to identify the best original copy pos­
sible, or piece together a com plete copy o f the 
work to send to BookLab.

One title that was placed on Brittle dem on­
strates how helpful this cooperative effort can 
be. O ne university placed two volumes o f a 
European scientific journal on the list to be 
copied. These volumes w ere out o f print, but 
still covered by copyright, so the library ob­
tained a letter from the publisher granting per­
mission to photocopy the volumes. Another 
institution was interested in obtaining a copy 
of the two volumes, but heard through a dis­
tributor that reprints were available. The effort 
o f investigating this lead was divided by the 
two institutions and, in the end, two copies of 
the volumes were ordered from BookLab with 
the second institution providing the originals 
since theirs were in better condition.

These two institutions worked closely to­
gether, via electronic mail, to share informa­
tion, split the work o f the very challenging bib­
liographic searching responsibilities, and then 
determine which institution had the best origi­
nals from which to make a copy. This one ex­
ample demonstrates the virtues o f Brittle and 
the natural cooperative disposition that exists 
in the field o f preservation that simply needs a 
medium through which to manifest itself.

H ow  to subscribe and participate
Participation in Brittle is easy. Subscribe to the 
Brittle listserv by sending an e-mail message to 
the address listserv @ u k an v m .cc.u k an s.ed u . 
Leave the name and subject lines blank. Then 
send the following message: subscribe brittle 
<your full nam e>.

(B rittle cont. o n  p a g e  9 5 )

mailto:listserv@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu


February 1 9 9 7  /  8 5



F ebru ary 1 9 9 7  /  9 5

Also relatively new  is the 
S ta r d u s t T h e a t r e  (a ls o  at 
2 4 1 6  M u sic V a lle y  D riv e ) 
w here Boots Randolph ( “Mr. 
Y a k k e ty  S a x ”) and D an ny  
Davis & the Nashville Brass 
perform. Th ese versatile and 
veteran entertainers perform 
country, jazz, big band, and 
pop music.

C lassical
For cla ssica l m u sic lovers, 
three scheduled performances 
will occur during the time that 
c o n f e r e n c e  v isito rs a re in 
Nashville.

T h e Nashville Symphony, 
as part o f its Pops Series, per­

T h e N ashville S y mforms with guest artist Burt 
Bacharach in Jack son  Hall o f the T e n n e s se e  
P e rf o rm in g  A rts C e n te r in 8:00 p.m. concerts 
on April 11 and 12. For ticket information co n ­
tact Ticketm aster at (615) 255-9600.

T h e R y m a n  A u d ito riu m  (1 1 6 Fifth Ave. 
No.), as part o f its Classical Concert Series, fea-

tu res the Orpheus Chamber 
Orchestra on Friday evening, 
April 11. Ticket information 
can b e obtained by calling 
(615) 889-6611.

On Saturday, April 12, at 
8:00 p.m. the Stuttgart Cham­
b er Orchestra performs at the 
T e n n e sse e  Perform ing Arts 
C en ter’s Polk T h eater. For 
t i c k e t  in f o r m a t io n  c a ll 
T ick etm aster at (6 1 5 ) 255-
9600 .

And still more
There are many m ore clubs, 
restaurants, bars, and concert 
venues offering visitors a rich 
musical offering. Those listed 

p h o n y . here are w ell-know n and/or 
favorite places and offer only a starting point 
for the music lover. The Local Arrangements 
Committee hopes visitors to the ACRL National 
C onference in April will ch eck  out the Nash­
ville m usic scen e and ex p e rie n ce first-hand 
som e o f what Music City has to offer. ■

(B rittle con t. f r o m  p a g e  8 4 )
To leave Brittle, send an e-mail message to 

th e ad d ress listse rv @ u k a n v m .cc.u k a n s.ed u . 
Leave the name and subject lines blank. Then 
send the following message: signoff brittle.

The ow ner and editor o f the listserv is Brian 
Baird. If problem s are experienced  with the 
list, notify him at brited@ukanvm .cc.ukans.edu.

T o  submit titles to the list, to sign up for a 
copy o f a title, or to m ake com m ents, send 
m essages to: brittle@ukanvm .cc.ukans.edu.

The future for Brittle
In the future, as m ore libraries b eco m e inter­
ested in the services o f Brittle, subject specific 
lists can be developed. O ne exam ple o f how 
this might work is SlavCopy, a listserv estab­
lished at the University o f Kansas Libraries for 
Slavic materials. B ecause many Slavic materials 
are printed on extremely acidic paper, a very 
high percentage o f a research library’s Slavic 
collection is at risk. In addition to the physical 
problem s, Slavic materials can be challenging 
because o f nonroman characters and/or unfa­
miliar subject areas. SlavCopy allows Slavic li­
brarians to w ork co o p erativ ely  to p reserve 
materials in their subject specialty.

There are also plans, w hen the lists o f titles 
on Brittle b eco m e longer, to create a Brittle 
World Wide W eb hom epage so the databases 
can b e searched and links betw een subject spe­
cific lists can easily b e made.

Brittle is a dynamic service that will con ­
stantly try to progress and adapt to meet the 
needs o f participating libraries. Brittle’s primary 
function is to provide participating libraries with 
preservation quality photocopy replacem ents 
o f heavily used embrittled materials at signifi­
cant savings o f both staff time and copying costs. 
T h ese savings are realized through coop era­
tion.

Additional information
For m ore information about Brittle please co n ­
tact: Brian J. Baird, Preservation Librarian, 502 
Watson Library, University o f Kansas, Lawrence, 
KS 66045-2800; (913) 864-3568; fax: (913) 864-
5311; bbaird@ ukans.edu. For m ore information 
about BookLab please contact: Sabina Daly, 
Marketing/Customer Service, BookLab, Inc., 
1606 Headway Circle, Suite 100, Austin, TX 
78 7 5 4 ; (8 0 0 ) 2 2 4 -1794; (5 1 2 ) 8 3 7 -0 4 7 9 ; fax: 
(5 12) 837-9794. ■

mailto:listserv@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu
mailto:brited@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu
mailto:brittle@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu
mailto:bbaird@ukans.edu