EPB Duplicates [obsolete collection]

Variations in procedure when inventorying the uncatalogued duplicates.

The EPB duplicates were not duplicates but multiple copies. As they were all uncatalogued, and because they had never been part of the main sequences, a separate procedure was created to ensure the data was collected in a single document.

The duplicates were stored and organised in shelves across the basement stacks. After completing inventory of the duplicates sections, the books were added to the end of the main sequences (or slotted in where appropriate).

Duplicates Spreadsheet

Each tab on the spreadsheet will correspond with a collection/location.

• A

• 9A11

• B;8vo

• C;4to

• Folio

• WIHM/RSH/BMA

Inventory date found

Date the item was inventoried [dd/mm/yyyy].

Recorded by

Initials of recorder e.g. AH.

Former Librarian shelfmark/added shelfmark/other number

Shelfmarks which have been written as a temporary number or as a link to another copy in the main sequence. Examples include the numbers assigned during preliminary A duplicates research e.g. A/Dup/50 and those given to the B duplicates e.g. 2934/B (2).

Former shelfmark

Permanent shelfmarks which suggest an item was pulled out/withdrawn from the sequence. If the former shelfmark points to a missing or withdrawn copy, this item can be reconciled, inventoried and returned to the sequence with note on the spreadsheet e.g. 'Catalogue record for shelfmark 6181 listed as withdrawn - reconciled, inventoried and returned to sequence 06/03/2023 AH' and on the catalogue record 'Found in A Duplicates collection with pink slip '9A/11 please; £90; 583' and returned to sequence - 06/03/2023 AH'.

Former collection

Where the item has come from e.g. A Duplicates, 4to Duplicates.

Suggested multiple copy

Add the shelfmark of an item whose bibliographic record matches that of the book in hand. If all you can find is an item with the same title, but the imprint or edition is different do not add the shelfmark but add a note in the note column e.g. 1763 edition.

Current shelfmark

The majority of items will be given a new shelfmark. This will include the main sequence into which it will be added along with the next sequential number e.g. EPB/A/66428. Those with a unique, use-able former shelfmark that would not mean changing other shelfmarks can be used as the current shelfmark. The decision over which sequenceto add the book will depend on the duplicate sequence and where multiple copies sit. For instance, an item may have been placed in the A duplicates section but it might be a multiple copy of an item in EPB/B. In this scenario, the item would be given a number starting with EPB/B to fit with the other copies.

Accession number

Record the accession number, usually found on the title page, or put 'No number found' if one isn't obvious

Title/Description

Most of the time, this will be copied and pasted from the catalogue. If the title is the same but the edition is different, you can still use the title but add a note on the imprint/edition in the note column e.g. Paris edition. If a corresponding title cannot be found, transcribe from the title page.

Possible record

Add a item record number if the item corresponds to a catalogue record for a missing or withdrawn item. If you are certain it is that copy you can reconcile immediately or, if unsure, give it a new shelfmark and a final decision can be made at a later date.

Binding

Add Y if the item has a handwritten label, waste material, interesting binding or working ties. Any details can be added in the notes field e.g. pigskin.

Provenance

Add Y if the item has an inscription, stamp, plate or evidence of multiple owners. Any details can be added in the notes field e.g. Darmstaedter stamp, no.586.

Marginalia

Add Y if there is evidence of the book being interacted with, such as markings, text, doodles or if it has widespread annotation. Any details can be added in the notes field e.g. 4 pages of MS. notes.

Sensitive/offensive

Add Y if there is sensitive or offensive content. Any details can be added in the notes field e.g. depiction of indigenous groups.

Loose notes

Any additional information added on slips, other than a former shelfmark or author name, should be recorded in this column and separated with semi colons. It will be useful to understand how the duplicates came together or if at some point they were to be sold. For example '9A/11 please; £180; 590' or 'RSM Dupl' or 'Lacks leaves viii-xv'. This is different from loose inserts which should be added to the notes column.

Notes

A column for adding any notes on items with a poor condition, known former owners, loose inserts or copy specific details e.g. 'Debacq; Date on imprint cropped' or 'Already a EPB/A/10421 in situ'.

Duplicates Workflow

Subsuming duplicates into the main sequences

At the end of the inventory process, 3389 items had been recorded on the EPB Duplicates spreadsheet. 255 of the items were not multiple copies while many others contained unique copy specific elements.

The next step was to subsume all the items from the 6 different aisles into the main sequences. This would be tricky given the lack of space at the end of the main sequences and because, even within the duplicate sequences, the items would need to be moved to multiple into sequences. For example, the WIHM/RSH/BMA duplicates had material that needed moving into 11 sequences.

Depending on when work on the duplicate sequences were completed also meant that sequential numbers jumped between aisles. Books may have needed to be moved from the C duplicates, then the folio duplicates, before moving from the C duplicates again. You also couldn't make space at the end of the main sequence without moving the duplicates, but you couldn't move the duplicates until there was space at the end of the main sequences. This required significant logistical planning and communication between teams, as well as the movement of additional catalogued collections and shelving.

Moving material into EPB/A was straightforward. The A duplicates had been stored at the end of the sequence and there was plenty of space to add in A-sized material from other duplicate sections. The same went for any folio duplicates at the end of EPB/D.

Although similar for the B/8vo duplicates, the team soon ran out of room given the need to move 1753 items. New space for EPB/B was only created once the WIHM/RSH/BMA duplicates were moved (the majority of which were moving to EPB/B anyway).

Even though not stored in the same area, there were relatively few items to be moved to EPB/F and space was found fairly easily.

The biggest challenge came with books to be moved into EPB/C. There were 2 shelves available and 393 books to move. In order to open up an additional 14 shelves, EPB American was moved to another part of the store and the items from the former Austro-Hungarian and Cattle Plague collections were subsumed into EPB/D.

At the end of the moves, there were no more aisles of duplicates in the store and there was additional space at the end of the sequences to add newly catalogued acquisitions and any pre-1851 material pulled out from the modern support collections.