Handling books during cataloguing

Re:  Jean Bailey's request for a device to hold a book open during the
cataloging process

I recently visited a college library where I saw a number of what looked
to be small, stuffed toys sitting around every workstation in the
processing areas. Some were in the shape of gingerbread men, others
simply a small rectangle, slightly longer than my hand. They turned out
to be beanbags made by the staff for the purpose of holding books open.
The librarian was amazed when I asked what they were; she apparently
learned about them in library school.  Although the leather weights from
the Vermont Country Store sound wonderful, perhaps a less expensive
option would be to make beanbags.  Someone with a sewing machine could
whip up at least a dozen simple bags in an hour, and fill them with
either dried beans or fishtank gravel.

Alicia Cosgrove
Materials Processor
J. Murrey Atkins Library
UNC-CHARLOTTE
Charlotte, NC 28223

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 7:78
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 27, 1994
                        Message Id: cdl-7-78-002
                                  ***