A policy proposal for the conservation and control of bookstock in academic libraries

Abstract

The control of scarce and vulnerable materials, often thought of as the preserve of rare-books librarians, is a matter for wider concern. Most of the stock in most academic libraries can be considered to be either scarce or vulnerable or both. Control of such materials is dependent upon the primary function of the library. If the library's main function is to exploit its stock there are still measures which can be taken to increase control without necessarily locking books away. A revised version of a paper given at the 1982 Annual Study Conference of the University, College and Research Section of the Library Association.