With books other than fiction and juvenile many of the same questions must be asked. In addition, however, it is sometimes necessary to ask the following:
(a) Are there later editions which are more valuable? This question will arise with frequency especially in the case of scientific, technical and reference books, and careful judgment must be exercised in making decisions. It often happens that a later edition of a technical book has little more value than the one which precedes it; frequently it entirely supersedes the earlier edition. In the one case the book can be rebound with profit, in the other it is best to discard it and buy the latest edition. Some libraries keep all the editions of a book for historical purposes; but most libraries, especially the smaller ones, will do better to discard older editions when they are superseded by later ones. Sometimes a book has no later edition, but its place has been entirely taken by the work of other authors. In such cases it should be remembered that an out-of-date technical book in the hands of an inexperienced person frequently causes more harm than good. It may cost more to buy a new book than to rebind an old one; yet this is exactly what should be done in every such case if the funds of the library permit.
(b) May not the library be better off without either the book or a substitute? In the past librarians have hesitated to discard any book which has once been placed on the shelves. They have believed that all printed matter has value and that a book which belongs to the library is sacred and must on no account be destroyed. It is difficult to defend such an attitude. If we admit for the time being that the librarian never makes mistakes in acquiring books, still it is sure to happen that many books will outlive their usefulness, except as a part of the history or bibliography of the subject. Why should they be kept on the shelves when they are not used and ought not to be used? It cannot, of course, be admitted that the librarian makes no mistakes in acquiring books; every library in the country will show examples of poor selection. Why, after a mistake has been made, refuse to admit it? If the original purchase (or acceptance of a gift) was a mistake, to keep the book on the shelves simply perpetuates the mistake and adds to the expense of maintenance. It is no crime to discard a book. On the contrary, in many cases, it is the only sensible thing to do. In doubtful cases, however, the book should be kept.
ARRANGEMENT
If the final decision is to bind the book the next step is to arrange the book in the way in which it should be bound. The question of collation is one on which there has been a difference of opinion. Some librarians have claimed that it is best to collate books at the library in order to prevent imperfect books being bound, since it is always disappointing to discover, after a book has been bound, that it is incomplete. In the great majority of cases, however, collation is a waste of time, since good binders refuse to bind imperfect volumes. In the case of very valuable books, especially those with many plates, and even in the case of less valuable books which have many illustrations not paged-in, it may be best to collate at the library since it is obviously unfair to the binder to expect him to be responsible for anything except the main paging. Fiction or juvenile books may sometimes be bound when one or two pages are missing. Juvenile books, especially, often go to the bindery with missing pages. Many times these missing pages are not especially important and in these cases it seems more economical to bind the book than to buy a new copy. If the number of missing pages is not too great they may be typewritten from other copies. Books other than fiction or juvenile should seldom be bound in an imperfect condition.
Another exception to the rule of sending books uncollated is in the case of popular periodicals, such as Scribner's, Harper's, Century, etc., where the library has only one copy which it binds. Since periodicals frequently become torn and mutilated and must be replaced it will save delay in having the volumes bound, if the collation is done at the library.
But while collation is generally unnecessary, arrangement in proper order is essential. In dealing with periodicals this is not always an easy task. They should first be examined to see that all the numbers are in hand, and that there is a title-page and an index. It would seem as if there were little chance to go astray in doing this, yet the vagaries of periodicals are innumerable and nothing must be taken for granted. If only five monthly numbers are found when there should be six to complete the volume, it is not best to conclude hastily that it is incomplete. Sometimes the cover indicates that two numbers are published in one. If it is not so indicated one must look at the paging. If the paging is consecutive, and there is a title-page and index, it is safe to assume that the volume is complete, even if a number is apparently missing.
The general rule for arranging periodicals is: Place title page at the beginning, followed by table of contents, text, and index at the end. Periodicals in English are generally easy to arrange, though even in this case one must know whether the periodical in hand is in the habit of publishing supplements which are paged separately, but which are called for by the table of contents. If such supplements are omitted the volume is incomplete. An example of a periodical of this class was the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, before it changed to its method of issuing each number as a separate volume. Many volumes of English periodicals such as All the Year Round, Household Words, etc., have been bound without the Christmas supplements, which those periodicals always issued. A few periodicals in English have two or more sets of pagings either in each number, or in some of the numbers and not in others. When the numbers are taken apart and the proper pagings grouped together, the table of contents will generally indicate how these should be arranged. But if not, it is usually readily apparent which is the main paging and which the minor paging or pagings.
Though rarely found in periodicals printed in English, this exasperating condition of affairs frequently exists in foreign periodicals. The Germans are especially fond of printing several different parts in the same number. Frequently a long monograph will begin in the first number of a volume and extend through two or more volumes. When completed it may or may not have a special title-page and index of its own. Perhaps the table of contents of the last volume in which part of it has appeared will call for it as a supplement to that volume. Perhaps it does not. In any event the paging must be removed from the first and succeeding volumes until the monograph is finally complete. If it is not called for by any regular title-page or table of contents, it may be bound separately. Sometimes a periodical will appear in two or more parts each month, each part covering some phase of the larger subject indicated by the general title of the periodical. These parts will be paged separately and numbered differently but will have the same kind of cover, and care must be used to keep the proper parts together. Peculiarities and irregularities of this sort make periodicals veritable puzzles, some of which it may take months to solve.
In arranging periodicals, front covers having a different color from the text must be kept to facilitate use.