Everett C. Wilkie, Jr. is a former Chair of the ACRL Rare Books & Manuscripts Section (RBMS) Security Committee and an independent scholar. He received his PhD and ML from the University of South Carolina. He is the co-author of The French Image of America: A Chronological and Subject Bibliography of French Books Printed before 1816 Relating to the British North American Colonies and the United States, among other volumes, and has published numerous articles and other writings in the field of Americana bibliography and history and special collections.

Guide to Security Considerations and Practices for Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collection Libraries—print/PDF e-book Bundle
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- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the Author
The Guide to Security Considerations and Practices for Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collection Libraries is the first such book intended specifically to address security in special collection libraries. Containing nineteen chapters, the book covers such topics as background checks, reading room and general building design, technical processing, characteristics and methods of thieves, materials recovery after a theft, and security systems. While other topics are touched upon, the key focus of this volume is on the prevention of theft of rare materials. The work is supplemented by several appendices, one of which gives brief biographies of recent thieves and another of which publishes Allen’s important Blumberg Survey, which she undertook after that thief’s conviction. The text is supported by illustrations, a detailed index, and an extensive bibliography.
The work, compiled and edited by Everett C. Wilkie, Jr., contains contributions from Anne Marie Lane, Jeffrey Marshall, Alvan Bregman, Margaret Tenney, Elaine Shiner, Richard W. Oram, Ann Hartley, Susan M. Allen, and Daniel J. Slive, all members of the ACRL Rare Books & Manuscripts Section (RBMS) and experts in rare materials and the security of these materials within special collections.
This work is essential reading for all those concerned with special collection security, from general library administrators to rare book librarians.
Preface
Introduction
Why Security?
ADMINISTRATIVE CONCERNS
CH1: General Considerations
CH2: Background Checks
PHYSICAL SECURITY
CH3: General Building Considerations
CH4: Reading Room Design for Security
CH5: Access Control Systems
CH6: Burglar Alarm Systems
CH7: Closed Circuit Television Systems
CH8: Special Circumstances
CH9: Security Guards
PROCEDURES
CH10: Special Collections Reading Rooms
CH11: Audit Trails
CH12: Security and Technical Processing
CH13: Marking Rare Book and Manuscript Materials
CH14: Weighing Materials in Rare Book and Manuscript Libraries to Prevent Theft
THIEVES AND THEFTS
CH15: Thieves: Who and Why
CH16: Legerdemain: How Did They Do That?
CH17: Dealing with a Theft: Before and During
CH18: Bringing It All Back Home: Recovery of Stolen Special Collections Materials
APPENDICES
Appendix I–Blumberg Survey
Appendix II–Who's Who
Appendix III–Guidelines
ACRL Guidelines Regarding Security and Theft in Special Collections
ACRL Guidelines on the Selection and Transfer of Materials from General Collections to Special Collections (Third edition)
MAGERT Map Collection Security Guidelines
SOURCES CONSULTED
CONTRIBUTORS
INDEX