Jasmin,
Your questions really relate more to collections management policies rather
than cataloging policies. You should consult with those at your library
responsible for collections management decisions.
At LC, it is the Hebraic Section, as a custodial unit, which is responsible for
making such determinations with regard to Hebraic materials. It does so based
on LC's institution-wide collections management policies, on the Section's
recognition of the value of the materials, and on its own specific needs,
policies, and resources. If you're interested in more specifics, I suggest you
contact LC's Hebraic Section directly.
Of the materials we catalog on the Hebraica Cataloging Team, those we see most
often assigned to the Hebraic Section's "Cage" secure area are pre-1800
imprints, and also specimens of fine printing (usually limited editions). As
necessary, our team consults with LC's Rare Book Cataloging Team for advice on
constructing provenance notes and other rare book-type data elements.
Lenore
>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 08/23/05 8:45 AM >>>
Sorry, failed to add pertinent details: the work is from 1892, published
in Krakow. Thanks, JN
Jasmin Nof wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have in hand a 14-p. work (Yisrael ve'Oraita be-sifre Shadal) that
> raises the question of rarity. From the preliminary research (OCLC,
> RLIN) I've done, I see that LC and Harvard each have copies. But
> other than number of copies available, what other criteria should
> determine a book's rarity? The question is raised here by colleagues
> trying to determine whether public access should be the determining
> factor (digitize and/or put on shelf), or artifact value should be the
> determining factor (put in special/rare collections that can only be
> accessed by request, no loans).
>
> Comments welcome. Thanks, Jasmin
