Condition Considerations: An Inquiry Into Recording Conditions in Consortial Collections for the Purpose of Selecting (and Deselecting) Shared Print Copies

Following preliminary discussions about a shared print network among Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC) institutions in which he determined that artifactual condition would not be a criterion for retention, the author developed an online survey instrument for the purposes of verification. The survey was utilized in a condition survey of mutually held book copies at eight SCELC institutions. More than 3,400 book copies were examined. Findings indicated that although the majority of books are in “good enough” condition for a shared print network, because just 1/3 of the copies have paratextual elements, it is probable that random deselection of books would result in deaccessioning “duplicates” with artifactual value