[ha-Safran] weeding question
Hi all, I am doing a MAJOR weeding of my collection this summer. I have the set Library of the Universe by Issaac Asimov, a set about astronomy. It is quite extensive, however, it is also 22 years old. Some things stay the same in astronomy, but others change - namely Pluto's status, and the Mars rovers, along with changes to the ISS. Some volumes may still be valid though, dealing with other planets and basic qualities of the universe. My dilemma is this: Do I chuck or keep? do I just keep the volumes that are still relevant? If I do that, then I will have an incomplete set, and that might bother me more that getting rid of the whole thing. Any recommendations? Thanks, Talya Talya Pardo, MLIS Librarian Solomon Schechter Academy Cote St Luc Rd Montreal, Quebec H3X 2C9 Tel: (514) 485-0866 x118 http://www.solomonschechter.ca __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
[ha-Safran] I have some old Jewish books. What can I do with them?
This is sort of a general refrain that comes to my inbox from time to time. The collections in discussion are usually the basics, maybe an old, worn copy of the Jewish Encyclopedia, some Talmuds, a few siddurim or mahzorim, and then some of the coffee table books. Often there are some important books there, but always works that we already have, and which most institutions already have. Is there a general answer that you give? Thanks! Michelle Michelle Chesner Jewish Studies Librarian Columbia University __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
Re: [ha-Safran] I have some old Jewish books. What can I do with them?
I cite our collection development policy and gifts policy as a reason to decline such books. But I always offer them a list I've developed of local libraries and Judaica book dealers they can consult about donating/selling such materials. Will be happy to send that list to anyone who emails me. There is also a section on the AJL Wiki, http://www.jewishlibraries.org/main/Portals/0/AJL_Assets/WIKI%20Document s/How%20to%20dispose%20of%20discards.pdf, that deals with disposing of unwanted books, that may be of help. Debbie Stern, Library Director Mordecai M. Kaplan Library Reconstructionist Rabbinical College From: hasafran-bounces+dstern=rrc@lists.service.ohio-state.edu [mailto:hasafran-bounces+dstern=rrc@lists.service.ohio-state.edu] On Behalf Of Michelle Chesner Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 12:42 PM To: hasaf...@lists.osu.edu Subject: [ha-Safran] I have some old Jewish books. What can I do with them? This is sort of a general refrain that comes to my inbox from time to time. The collections in discussion are usually the basics, maybe an old, worn copy of the Jewish Encyclopedia, some Talmuds, a few siddurim or mahzorim, and then some of the coffee table books. Often there are some important books there, but always works that we already have, and which most institutions already have. Is there a general answer that you give? Thanks! Michelle Michelle Chesner Jewish Studies Librarian Columbia University __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
Re: [ha-Safran] I have some old Jewish books. What can I do with them?
We have an ongoing used book sale on a cart, everything is a dollar.I tell people I'll take their books if it's okay for me to put on the sale cart anything that we can't use for the collection. I explain that the proceeds go for prizes for kids in our reading programs. Virtually everyone is happy to say yes. After some months, if some things won't sell, I bring them to the warehouse for our public library's annual used book sale. Andrea Rapp Wise Temple, Cincinnati --- On Tue, 7/31/12, Michelle Chesner michm...@gmail.com wrote: From: Michelle Chesner michm...@gmail.com Subject: [ha-Safran] I have some old Jewish books. What can I do with them? To: hasaf...@lists.osu.edu hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu Date: Tuesday, July 31, 2012, 12:41 PM This is sort of a general refrain that comes to my inbox from time to time. The collections in discussion are usually the basics, maybe an old, worn copy of the Jewish Encyclopedia, some Talmuds, a few siddurim or mahzorim, and then some of the coffee table books. Often there are some important books there, but always works that we already have, and which most institutions already have. Is there a general answer that you give? Thanks!Michelle Michelle ChesnerJewish Studies LibrarianColumbia University -Inline Attachment Follows- __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
[ha-Safran] Special Collections
Zachary Baker's reply to the inquiry about old books once again prompts me to ask about special collections. Had I not read his email I wouldn't know that Stanford University is collecting the kinds of materials he alludes to. Is there a listing of special Judaica collections anywhere? It's not on the AJL site, right? Emily Goldberg Mowshowitz Library Hillcrest Jewish Center] Flushing, NY __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
Re: [ha-Safran] I have some old Jewish books. What can I do with them?
To second Zachary’s approach: I spent a 3 months sabbatical last spring going over 18,000 items offered by an executor of a secular Jewish scholar’s library, who’s main interest was political science. Turns out that his father (New York, Portland, Toronto and Santa Monica) and grandfather (Lithuania) were scholar rabbis, avid readers and activists in the Jewish community – and he had their libraries as well. I ended up adding no more than 300 BOOKS to our collection, but the EPHEMERA that reflected Jewish life in their communities was priceless and was placed in the rare and special collections of our library. And feeding the nosey treasure hunter in me is an added bonus… Dr. Yaffa Weisman, Director The Frances-Henry Library Adjunct Associate Professor HUC-JIR Jack H. Skirball Los Angeles Campus www.huc.edu/libraries/lahttp://www.huc.edu/libraries/la 213-765-2170 From: hasafran-boun...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu [mailto:hasafran-boun...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu] On Behalf Of Zachary M Baker Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 1:47 PM To: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu Subject: [ha-Safran] I have some old Jewish books. What can I do with them? My instinct is to resist these types of invitations, but (to quote the old New York State Lottery slogan) hey, you never know. We certainly don't want to accumulate massive numbers of duplicates that become _our_ problem (or Gifts and Exchanges' problem), instead of the donor's. On the other hand, if donors can provide lists that we can select from, that is helpful. (One of the first questions I ask, when offered a book donation, is, May we be selective?) Or, if we have a sense that the donor had intellectual interests that might result in significant additions to our research collections, by all means let's pursue the matter. My favorite example involved the library of a deceased scholar of Hungarian Jewry, whose books on the subject greatly enriched the holdings of the YIVO Library. I enjoyed meeting and chatting with the late scholar's widow (an artist) as well. And sometimes one encounters unexpected -- and welcome -- surprises. A couple of years ago an acquaintance invited me to look over her father's books. He had died a year or so earlier and the daughter was cleaning out his house. I went there with not very high expectations and indeed the Judaica books on the living-room shelves were fairly slim pickings. But then I went into the garage and encountered a treasure trove of gray literature: vintage publications -- in Hebrew and English -- devoted to soil science, agricultural development, and water resources in Israel in the 1950s and early 1960s. This is precisely the sort of special collections material that we are collecting at Stanford. The 1950s-era Israeli children's magazines were a bonus. (My acquaintance's father had trained as a soil scientist and lived with his family on an Israeli kibbutz back then.) Hey, you never know... Zachary M. Baker Reinhard Family Curator of Judaica and Hebraica Collections Stanford University __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
