Library

The Augustan Society, Inc., maintains and operates a library on the subjects of Chivalry, Genealogy, Heraldry, History, Royalty & Nobility. Other topics covered include maps, numismatics, philatelics, and material used for staff support such as style manuals.

The departement is headed by the Library Committee Chairman, who is styled Librarian. He is appointed by the President and serves at his pleasure (unless this title is included in the Consuls' Contract.

The work of the Library is conducted by a loosely organized group called the Library Committee, though it does not function as a conventional committee with meetings, minutes, etc. The activities include:

1. Shelving and physical maintenance
2. Accessions, covering both purchases and donations
3. Classification, defining how the materials are to be organized
4. Cataloging, entering specific items into the catalog
5. Patron support, opening and staffing the Library when a patron makes an appointment to visit the collection
6. Mail Loans to members only (presently suspended by Board policy)
7. Inter-Library Loans
8. Repair and rebinding, including the conversion of digital materials to new media
9. Deaccessions; weeding obsolete, duplicate, or unsuitable material from the collection

Note: Disposition of withdrawn items is handled by Sales.

At present, Consuls are responsible for all of the above. They would delight to delegate any or all of this work to volunteers.

 

Location

The physical location of the Library is at ExtraSpace Storage, 13125 S John Young Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32837, United States. The stacks with cataloged books are in Unit 986. Uncataloged material is in Unit 961. Some materials in process are at Headquarters.

Accessions

Due to the large amount of uncatalogued material, accessions—particularly purchases—must reasonably be constrained:

1. Purchase policy: post-2006 until cataloging is complete
2. Donations

1. Donations will be accepted or rejected by staff.
2. Staff are expected to accept nearly all, with unsuitable material disposed of through the Book Sales program. Honest assessments of suitability will be given on request.
3. Reimbursement for shipping costs will be considered (from the accessions budget) on a case-by-case basis depending on the desirability of the collection. Such reimbursement will not be made until after the books are inspected and found worthy and serviceable.
4. No assessment of the financial value of any donation will be made.
5. No promise to retain any donation can be made; all retention decisions are subject to periodic review by the Library Committee.

1. Expected donations:

1. Russell Clark, FAS, has willed us a large collection on royal biography; we are in touch with his next of kin.
2. Marta Metcalf, FAS, may offer her genealogical collection as a long-term loan as long as the Library is open to the public. This will likely be delayed until all other genealogical material has been cataloged.

Cataloging

The collection is cataloged using Koha, an open source library software system. This includes an Online Public Access Catalog or OPAC, which is on the Internet and accessible by all.

The materials to be cataloged are being approached in the following sequence:

1. Books for which cataloging data can be obtained from public sources (such as Library of Congress)
2. Bound periodicals for which cataloging data can be obtained from public sources
3. Other periodicals for which cataloging data can be obtained from public sources*
4. Books which require original cataloging
5. Bound periodicals which require original cataloging
6. Other periodicals which require original cataloging*
7. Maps and charts (pending the relocation of the map cabinets to a more accessible location)
8. Photographs (pending their being processed by the Photo Collection Study Group)
9. Ephemera

* These categories will be delayed until funds are available for shelf boxes.

The public web page on this topic is here.

Classification System

The classification system is a unique creation designed to meet the specific needs of our unusual collection. Click here to view the Classification System.

Some books are difficult to assign to a given classification. The primary consideration will be to place similar books in the same classification, with the focus on how our members might be expected to use them, with traditional classifications or those used by other libraries being subordinate to perceived member use.

Due to cataloging being done by a genealogist at this time, there is an innate bias toward classifying as "genealogical" any work that has a substantial fraction of genealogical data, even it the author intended it primarily as a historical work. (Historians who object are invited to volunteer.)

Another innate bias is toward treating history as biography. A work on the reign of Henry III would be listed under Royal Biography rather than History.

Sub-Classification by authors

Most classifications are then sorted by author. Cutter numbers (following the model of the Library of Congress) are used for this purpose. Where an author has multiple titles, the titles are used as a third group, also using Cutter numbers. When multiple editions are held, dates are used.

Sub-Classification by families or houses

Classifications GFN and RH are sorted by the name of the family or noble house using Cutter numbers. Third order sorts are by author, as above.

Sub-Classification by dates

Classification RB (Biography, individuals and couples) is sorted by date of birth of the subject. Care must be taken to precede dates with “BC” as needed, despite this confounding the automated sorting procedures. Third order sorts are by author, as above.

Spine Labels

Spine labels will not be created until the collection has been cataloged, as the process may drive changes in the classification system and especially Cutter numbers. The data to be printed on the labels, and the use of them on rare or valuable volumes, is to be determined.

Technology may suggest that we want to supplement the printed information on the labels with a barcode, either in black & white or using UV ink. This will depend on available and affordable technology at time time of label creation.

Shelving

Books and periodicals are shelved in the order of classification. This results in some things being out of alphabetical order (e.g.: Switzerland’s code is CH, which puts it far from where an alphabetical sort would file it). Dates BC are shelved before dates AD, in chronological order.

Oversize items are placed on the top shelf as near as practical to their classification.

Damaged items may be placed on the bottom shelf as near as practical to their classification, but it may prove prudent to remove these to storage boxes to minimize further damage.

Funding for shelving and other storage equipment is provided through the "Buy-A-Box" Fund.

Rebinding and Repair

Standards need to be set for rebinding, and these should probably match those set for the bindings of Society publications. Current thinking is black ¾ covers, with a goldenrod spine, author/title printed in black. This needs to be run past our binder to ensure practicality.

Selection of items for rebinding or repair will come from:

1. Patron calls for damaged items
2. Suggestions from Department Heads
3. Suggestions from Committee Chairmen
4. Library staff selection of items with the highest ratio of damage to repair cost

Deaccessions

The pressure to weed the collection will come from three sources: Academic cleansing, shelving space, and revenue from sales. Only the last of these is likely to be a strong motivator in the immediate future.

1. Categorical nominations — There are some categories which warrant consideration as a whole. These might include Anthropology and VHS videotapes, as a start.
2. Individual nominations — Books will suggest themselves of their own accord, either for being off-topic or unworthy of scholarly consideration.
3. Decision process — At present, Staff are acting as the Library Deaccession Committee. The membership at large may serve on this committee by objecting to the sale of items advertised by the Book Sales flyers.

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