REPLACEMENT COPIES

When a book or periodical volume in the Library collection is lost or mutilated beyond repair, the title is brought to the attention of the appropriate subject bibliographer, who decides whether or not to seek to acquire a replacement copy.  Exact textual replacements ordinarily are acquired when available.  Reprints are acquired when cost and the quality of the copy and binding meet library standards.  New or revised editions may be preferred in some instances.  When a classic or critical title cannot be acquired in reprint or a new edition, it may be stored in a custom-made box, photocopied and bound for the collection if copyright restrictions permit, or it may be advertised on the out-of-print market. 

In obtaining replacement copies of library materials, changes may be made in format if necessary, particularly in the case of periodical volumes.  An attempt is made to avoid acquiring high use titles in microform and to minimize frequent format changes in serial backsets.

Replacement Fund

Replacement copies ordinarily are charged to a Replacement Fund derived from billings for lost or mutilated materials.  A bibliographer may choose, however, to use subject funds for this purpose.  Preservation photocopies and titles acquired on the out-of-print market also are charged to the Replacement Fund.  In instances where neither an exact replacement nor a new edition of a work is available, and, in the judgment of the bibliographer, it is important to provide local access to the information contained or the viewpoint represented in the lost or missing title, with the authorization of the Head of Collection Management and Special Services, replacement funds may be used to acquire a similar title.  The Head also may make special allocations of replacement funds to rebuild the collection with like materials when holdings in a particular discipline or topical area have been heavily depleted by loss or mutilation.

Revised July 2004