ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 452 / C & RL News ter’s library will have a cooperative relationship with the libraries of the Nanjing University system, and Center students will be able to use those exten­ sive collections. To further the Hopkins-Nanjing relationship, and to provide information about current Ameri­ can library practices, there has been a series of short-term consultantships between the universi­ ties. Visits in 1981-1982 by Nanjing University ad­ ministrators included tours of Hopkins libraries, and several trips by Hopkins librarians to Nanjing have focused on planning for library functions, au­ tomation and public services. This kind of consultation has been essential in the development of a library in a cooperative inter­ national setting. The opportunity to create an aca­ demic library “from the ground up” is in itself unu­ sual. Even more unusual is its structure, which required international communication on every as­ pect of lib ra ry service. All the basic issues— collection development, bibliographic control, au­ to m a tio n , space p lan n in g and p u b lic services— had to be considered from a unique bi- cultural perspective. Just as the Center is a pioneer­ ing venture, so the library represents a cooperative approach that will try to combine the best aspects of Chinese and American librarianship. Checklist fo r closing a college lib ra ry By the CLS Ad Hoc Com mittee on Closing Colleges ( 1 9 8 4 - 8 5 ) Joh n Sheridan, C hair How to close your library gracefully. T h e announcement that a college, and thus its li­ brary, is closing, however much expected, will come as a shock. This checklist and narrative are designed to provide the librarian and college ad­ ministrator with information about the things that need to be done to close and dispose of the library in an orderly fashion. The timeframe for closing may not allow for the entire checklist to be im ple­ mented, but the persons involved can be aware of what is or is not being done. Experience has shown that greater benefits accrue to the institution if a li­ brarian familiar with the collection supervises the entire process. A helpful summary of five college library clos­ ings will be found in Mary Ann Griffin’s “When a Library Closes,” Jou rnal o f A cad em ic L ib rarian ­ ship 10 (July 1984): 141–45. Checklist I. Determine the nature and value of the collection 1. If there is time, conduct an inventory of the collection and then use the shelflist as the standard for the contents of the collection. 2. Prepare an evaluation statement on the scope of th e c o lle c tio n , in clu d in g a list of su b je c t strengths with level of development, and a list of special collections. 3. Check state and federal regulations (e.g ., doc­ ument depositories, HEA and Title II-A) for re­ strictions, and local and regional collection agree­ ments, and list items involved. 4. List gifts with stipulations, if any. 5. Identify and remove for safekeeping valuable items (including suspected “last copies”) . July/August 1986 / 453 6. Use titles rather than number of volumes, ex­ cept in the case of periodicals, as the standard of measurement. 7. Get a signed and dated appraisal of the collec­ tion, including insurance, cost-of-replacement, and wholesale values. Work with an appraiser to determine the value of the cataloging and include that value in that appraisal. II. Equipment 1. Check with the business office as to proce­ dures for disposal of equipment and furnishings of library. 2. List unique equipment and furnishings, and give age and value using IRS depreciation sched­ ules. 3. Determine whether to sell unique items with the collection or separately (the former is prefer­ red). 4. Dispose of other equipment and furnishings with rest of college equipment. III. Phasing out library operations 1. Increase security. 2. Continue environmental controls. 3. Recall all materials. 4. Notify utility/network and cancel contract. Other contracts (e.g., for leasing equipment) need attention also. 5. Cancel periodical subscriptions to end with completed volume. 6. Cancel standing orders with last volume re­ ceived or shipped. 7. Cancel all other orders, if possible. Vendor may be committed to purchase and unwilling to cancel. Where there have been prepayments, de­ termine if arrangements can be made for refund, or for transfer to institution purchasing the collec­ tion. 8. Determine any outstanding liabilities that cannot be cancelled. IV. Staff 1. The institution will determine who will super­ vise the closing. This should be a professional li­ brarian and, if possible, the present librarian. 2. The institution will give proper notification to staff and set up procedures to aid in finding new positions. V. Disposal of the collection 1. Decide whether to sell collection as a whole or in parts (the former is preferred). 2. Decide method of sale: tailored to requests, open market, or bids. 3. D on’t allow faculty, other individuals or groups to take their pick. 4. C ontact opening colleges for possible pur­ chase. Accrediting agencies might be a source for this information. 5. Advertise the sale “as is.” 6. Ensure that archival materials in the library go to the same depository as the other records of the institution. 7. Stipulate that the buyer pays for packing and oving. I. Other considerations 1. Treat the collection as a marketable commod­ ty. 2. Try to proceed step by step. This may prevent ostly mistakes. Narrative . The nature of the collection Before an intelligent and informed disposition of he collection can take place, it is necessary to know hat is in the collection. Librarians have some knowledge of the nature of the collection, its trengths and weaknesses, from working daily with it, but a detailed analysis of the collection will turn up aspects that were previously overlooked. W hat is needed is an accurate determination of the con­ tents. Special collections within the main collection need to be sorted. Strong subject areas need to be listed together with a short description of the level of their strength. Collection analysis procedures are helpful here. These outline in graphic form ex­ actly where the collection’s strengths and weak­ nesses lie and enable the potential buyer to see whether the collection is really what is wanted. Special collections or parts thereof that were given with certain stipulations need to be so listed. This includes purchases and gifts that fall under state and federal regulations such as m aterials pur­ chased with Title II-A monies. These may need to be handled separately from the regular collection. If there is time, an inventory of the collection should be taken. This can be done when all materi­ als are returned, or in conjunction with the circula­ tion files. If the latter, materials which are out should be considered as lost, until they are re­ turned. No attempt should be made to withdraw missing items. The shelflist card should be flagged in some manner. Once the inventory is completed, the shelflist becomes the index to the actual con­ tents of the collection. It may also be used to sepa­ rate special parts of the collection that may or may not be included in the main disposition. II. The value of the collection The value of the collection needs to be estab­ lished so that offers can be intelligently evaluated. A rule of thumb for the general collection could be set as a certain amount per title plus a figure for the cataloging. One library set that figure as $5.00 per title plus $5.00 for cataloging ($10.00 per title) as a figure to judge bids by. To get a fair price for special collections, and possibly for the whole collection, it would be wise to have special collections appraised by a profes­ sional. Two types of figures can be given for the collection: the cost-of-replacement value and the wholesale value. The two will differ. The former might be used if the library intends to sell items sep­ arately; the latter if the collection is to be sold as a m V i c I t w s 454 / C & R L News block. If another value has been placed on the col­ lection for insurance purposes, this might be of use. If an appraisal is sought, it should have sufficient detail to make it useful to anyone reading it. The qualifications of the appraiser should be given. The sources used to determine the value given should be listed. A description of the collection should be complete to readily identify the items to which the value given is assigned. The appraisal should be signed and dated. III. Equipment The furnishings which are unique to the opera­ tion of a library, such as the card catalog and book trucks, need to be listed and a value assigned to each. This is used equipment, and so the price should be based on age and condition. Regular of­ fice equipment can be included with the rest of the equipment of the institution. IV. Phasing out library operations The integrity of the collection needs to be pre­ served. Security needs to be increased. Periodical subscriptions should be cancelled in such a way as to guarantee that the purchaser will be receiving the set with the current volume com­ plete. Standing orders can be cancelled effective with the last volume received or shipped. Book purchases should cease except for those needed to complete the sem ester’s work. They should be cataloged as soon as they come in. In ex­ treme circumstances it might be possible to cancel outstanding orders, but it must be remembered that the vendor has made commitments to pur­ chase the items on the library’s behalf. Refunds should be obtained for prepayments, if possible. If not, then arrangements should be made to transfer them with the collection. Gift books can be disposed of by sale to students, faculty, etc. Valuable items in the collection need to be pro­ tected. It may be necessary to place them in locked storage. Networks and utilities to which the library be­ longs must be notified and contracts cancelled. If there are contracts for services such as the leasing of photocopy machines and servicing of microfilm eaders, these also need to be cancelled. . Staff One staff member needs to stay with the library ntil all assets are totally disposed of. The institu­ on will need to enter into a contract to ensure that is will be the case. The rest of the staff should be given sufficient no­ ce of termination of their contracts. The institu­ on should be prepared to aid them in whatever anner is possible in their search for new positions. I. Disposing of the collection One method of disposing of the collection is to ell the library item by item, or in blocks, to inter­ sted parties on a first-come, first-served basis. his involves work on the part of the person or per­ ons who will conduct the sale. The best materials ill sell quickly, leaving the more common materi­ ls to go to the dump. Another method is to respond to buyer inquiries nd tailor the sale to the requests. If the whole col­ ction can be sold in this manner, it will mean that e materials are going where they can all be used. A third manner is to offer the collection to bid­ ers. This can be done by the library itself or by a rofessional auction house. Bidding should be on he basis of the appraisal report. The library may eserve the right to reject any and all bids. Whichever manner is chosen, it would be wise to ake packing and shipping costs part of the condi­ ion of the sale. Archival materials should go to the state histori­ al society, or wherever the rest of the institutional ecords are going. II. General principles Use titles rather than volume numbers, except in he case of periodicals, as the standards for deter­ ining value and sale. The shelflist should be the authority for deter­ ining what is in the collection and what is for ale Don’t allow the administration to rush the pro­ ess. (For example, don’t advertise for bids before he shelflist is ready to be looked at.) Well-ordered rocedures will prevent costly mistakes. r V u ti th ti ti m V s e T s w a a le th d p t r m t c r V t m m s c t p New N EH programs The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has established two new initiatives, “Un­ derstanding America” and “Understanding Other Nations,” in an effort to reinvigorate the teaching and learning of American history and literature, and to encourage the restoration of foreign lan­ guage literacy in America. The Endowment has produced a flyer describing the new initiatives. The flyer describes the types of proposals that are invited under the initiatives; gives examples of projects that might be supported by each of NEH’s divisions; and lists the name, tele­ hone num ber, and address of a specially ap­ ointed staff coordinator who will answer ques­ ions about proposal submissions. Single copies of the flyer are available free to hose who write or call: Understanding Ameri­ a/Understanding Other Nations, NEH Public Af­ airs Office, Room 409, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., .W ., W a sh in g to n , D C 2 0 5 0 6 ; (202) 786- 438. p p t t c f N 0 ACADEMIC PRESS SERIALS The Titles You Need The Quality You Demand You know the facts: The incredibly rapid progress being made in most areas of science today. The resulting deluge of primary literature. And the increasing impor­ tance of keeping up with it all— somehow. Academic Press serial publications provide quick and convenient access to the most significant advances in a wide range of subject areas. Readers trust our serials because they’re backed by a reputation for scholarship of the highest standards and by AP’s decades of experience as a leading scientific publisher. Look at what Academic Press serials have to offer: • Each volume focuses directly on today’s major issues. • The contributions provide a balance between journal articles and full-length monographs. • Readers get a concise overview of the most important progress in their discipline; references allow them to explore the subject in further detail if they wish. • Topics are carefully selected to reflect the areas of greatest interest and are written by the top researchers in the field. • Readers get critical, authoritative reviews, and your library gets a high-quality, lasting source o f reference information. And there’s more. Keeping your reference library up-to-date is easy when you enter a Continuation Order for the serials you need. Each time a new volume becom es available, w e’ll ship it to you automatically, immediately upon publication. Your readers will never miss an important new volume. If yo u ’d like m ore inform ation on these publications: Write o r call for yourf ree Academic Press Serials Catalog! Return the coupon below o r call collect 1-305-345-2743. Please specify the subject area you’re interested in: Life Science, Behavioral Science, Social Science, Medical and Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, o r Earth Sciences. Here, in the first published microfilm edition of the Edison Papers, scholars can glimpse the detailed workings of this inventive genius, as well as the conditions and atmosphere in which he worked. The editors have done a magnificent job of indexing, cataloging, and photocopying over 45,000 pages of notebooks, correspondence, and official records. The microfilm is accompanied by a 152-page guide that describes the history of this collection and contains indexes to authors and recipients of correspondence and to technical papers, drawings, and financial documents. This collection will be a valuable addition to any research library. —Choice ventor, businessman, scientist, industrialist, entrepreneur, engineer— Thomas Alva Edison eveloped many of the technologies that have shaped the modern world. Perhaps more than ny other single figure, Edison helped to integrate the worlds of science, technology, business, nd finance. Edison’s work laid the foundation for the age of electricity, recorded sound, and otion pictures. In addition, he utilized team research and development with such great uccess at his Menlo Park and West Orange laboratories that he helped introduce the era of odern industrial research. In a manner unprecedented in the history of technological dis­ overy, Edison’s work brought together the laboratory and the marketplace in a unique, ooperative venture. It was a combination that was to transform the industrial, economic, and ocial landscape of America. The life, the work, and the vision of Thomas Edison are documented in the laboratory otebooks, diaries, business records, correspondence, and related papers that have survived e more than fifty years since his death. Access to these papers will be a boon to scholars in any areas of study: the history of science and technology, business and economic history, e history of popular culture, film history, social and labor history, and other diverse interests. ecause of the massive quantity of material, its dispersal all over the world, and its limited ccessibility, these resources have been neglected. Now, through the Thomas A. Edison apers project, the papers of Edison and his associates are being published for the first time. rdering Information___________________________________________________________ HOMAS A. EDISON PAPERS. A Selective Microfilm Edition: Part I (1850-1878). 5mm microfilm (28 reels) with printed guide. rice: $1,650. ISBN 0-89093-700-1. Available now. echnical specifications: All microfilm is positive silver halide film on 35mm reels and con­ rms to all applicable ANSI, AI IM, and NHPRC standards. The reduction ratio is 14:1, except r oversized documents. Each frame of film is assigned a frame number by which the printed uide is keyed to the film. tanding order discount: The Thomas A. Edison Papers will be published in six parts at tervals of approximately three years. A discount of 15 percent is available for a standing order. ublication of the Edison Papers is sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, the National Park Service, e New Jersey Historical Commission, and Rutgers University. dison signature used with permission of McGraw-Edison Company. indly direct all orders and inquiries to: UNIVERSITY PUBLICATIONS OF AMERICA Dept. A-CRL786 44 North Market Street Frederick, MD 21701 Call Toll Free 1 -800-692-6300 In d a a m s m c c s n th m th B a P O T 3 P T fo fo g S in P th E K