Accessioning books
A careful record should be made of all books received. Use for this
purpose what is called an accession book. This is a blank book, ruled
and lettered and numbered especially for library invoices. (See the
Library Bureau catalog.) It is the library's chief record, and should
contain a complete history of every volume on its shelves. The items
entered in the accession book concerning every volume in the library
are commonly the following: date of entry; accession number;
class number (religion, sociology, etc.); author; title; place of
publication and name of publisher; date of publication; binding
(cloth, leather, etc.); size (octavo, quarto, etc.); number of pages;
name of dealer from whom purchased; cost; remarks (maps, plates, etc.;
books rebound; magazines, etc.; lost, worn out, replaced by another
book, etc.).
[Illustration: Accession book, left-hand page. (Reduced size.)
Date 29 5 '92
ACCESSION
F.T. CLASS BOOK VOL. AUTHOR TITLE
7581 428 B88 Bunce, O.B. Don't
7581.93 82 Z713 Zola, E. Soil
Scr.15.92 83 973.1 F54 v.1 Fiske, J. Discovery of Amer.
84 973.1 F54 v.2 " "
85 ]
[Illustration: Accession book, right-hand page. (Reduced size.)
PLACE AND PUBLISHER DATE BINDING SOURCE COST REMARKS
N.Y. App. 1885 pa. Scribner 28 Bind No. 354
L. Vizetelly 1888 cl. " 81 " " 355
B. Ho.M. 1892c " " } 2.97
" " " " " } ]
Each book and each volume of a set has a separate accession number and
a separate entry. Each entry occupies a line; each line is numbered
from one up to such a number as the library has volumes. The number of
each line, called the accession number, is written on the first page
after the title-page of the book described on that line. The accession
book is a life history of every book in the library. It forms such
a record as any business-like person would wish to have of property
entrusted to his care. It is also a catalog of all books in the
library, and a useful catalog as long as the library is small. Never
use an old accession number for a new book, even though the original
book has disappeared from the library.
Record should be made of all books, pamphlets, reports, bulletins,
magazines, etc., received by the library as gifts; and every gift
should be promptly and courteously acknowledged in writing, even if
previously acknowledged in person. Keep this record in a blank book,
alphabetizing all gifts by the names of the givers, with dates of
receipt. Books given should appear on the accession register the same
as books purchased.