Rare Books Project Update
A multi-year project to appraise and inventory the HSLS rare books collections is nearly complete. There are approximately 7,000 rare books in these collections housed in Falk Library. Highlights include the Rodnan Collection on the history of rheumatology, History of Medicine on permanent loan from the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, and the Ravitch Collection on the history of surgery, with special focus on hernia repair.
On the advice of University auditors, HSLS contracted with Mr. Jeffrey Weber of Los Angeles, Calif., to appraise all books in the collections over a two-year period. To expedite Weber’s work, HSLS Resource Management completed an inventory and cataloging review of the collections to ensure that records in PITTCat accurately represented those books actually on the shelves.
The rare books were physically reorganized for better access and space utilization. Materials of high value were removed to a more secure internal area. Some books in the Falk Library circulating collection were reassigned to the non-circulating rare book collection. A gated area in the open stacks was constructed in June 2003 to house materials that are either too fragile or too valuable to be housed in public stacks.
In coming months, materials of high value in need of specialized preservation will be identified. In addition, housing, access, and security procedures for the collection as a whole will be reviewed. Future issues of the HSLS Update will highlight some of the more interesting and valuable books in these collections.
-Barbara Epstein
