Deferred binding of paperbacks

In reference to Sara Williams' inquiry:

At VCU, we also have a generous binding budget but alas, not enough
staff to process all the monograph binding.  Our binding priorities with
the blessing of Collection Management are:  serials first, rebind/recase
damaged materials already in the stacks second, new monographs third.
Nevertheless, we still treat 97% of the new paperbacks that come
through.  Exceptions to treatment are most Reference materials, faculty
rush/reserve, and those few items so designated by bibliographers.

We segregate signature sewn paperbacks, adhesive bound paperbacks with
narrow inner margins, the _Lecture Notes_ series (adhesive bound),
Westview Press and foreign language books.  These last three items go to
the stacks as is while the signature sewn paperbacks and those with
narrow inner margins are charged to a special repair pseudo-patron for
Kapco lamination.  Students are trained to apply the Kapco covers and do
a pretty good job most of the time.  We now have 20 hours of student
assistance assigned to this.  It's not enough to turn things over as
quickly as I'd like but it's the best we can do right now.

This alternative allows us to conserve the binding budget for treatment
projects in special collections and brittle serials which always seem to
go over budget.

Patricia Palmer
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 7:40
               Distributed: Wednesday, November 17, 1993
                        Message Id: cdl-7-40-003
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