End Processing

The Published Materials department handles a variety of different types of materials, and the end processing guidelines vary based on the type of item. Here are some of the most common item types and how they are processed. NB: If you're ever unsure about the best way to handle a particular item or worried that an item might be too fragile/idosyncratic for regular housing, please check with the head of published materials.

Monographs

Paperbacks and Unjacketed Hardcovers

For new materials and antiquarian materials in good physical condition, monographs without a book jacket should be covered using CoLibri covers. A barcode sticker should be placed on the upper-left corner of the CoLibri cover.

Jacketed Hardcovers

For both new and antiquarian items in good physical condition with book jackets, the jackets should be covered using mylar and left on the items. A barcode sticker should be placed on the upper-left corner of the mylar cover.

Romance and Pulp

Romance and pulp paperbacks should be placed in clear 6 x 8 inch ziplock bags with a cardboard stiffener. The title of the item should be written at the top of the stiffener (on the side facing away from the item). No barcode is required for individual items (these types of materials are boxed and one barcode is assigned for the entire box). Individual items that are too tall or thick to fit into the 6 x 8 ziplock pouches should be processed like regular monographs, as indicated above.

For other boxed fiction such as Girlhood Fiction and Medical Fiction, the individual items should be covered with CoLibri or mylar, as appropriate, but not barcoded. The cataloger will handle the barcodes and box numbers as required.

Envelope Materials

Short, small items without the necessary spine for CoLibri covering that do not fall into another specific category (such as culinary/health & hygiene pamphlets or zines) should be housed in an acid-free envelope of the smallest size that will comfortably fit the item. A barcode sticker should be placed on the upper-left corner of the front of the envelope and the title of the item should be written at the top following the barcode. This housing is also recommended for antiquarian items that are too delicate for CoLibri covers but too thin for CMI boxes and not in need of substantial preservation work or custom-made enclosures.

Pamphlets

Culinary and Health & Hygiene Pamphlets

Pamphlets that fall into one of the categories collected in the Culinary Pamphlets or Health & Hygiene Pamphlets collections should be housed in ziplock bags with cardboard stiffeners. Use the smallest bag that will comfortably fit the item. A barcode sticker should be placed on the upper-left corner of the stiffener (on the side facing away from the item) and the title of the item should be written at the top following the barcode. Be sure to leave enough room on the upper right-hand corner of the stiffener for the cataloger to write the box number.

Serials

Individual issues of antiquarian/discontinued serials should be housed in an acid-free envelope of the smallest size that will comfortably fit the item. A barcode sticker should be placed on the upper-left corner of the front of the envelope and the title of the item as well as any volume/issue information should be written at the top following the barcode. Multiple issues may also be housed in this manner to the extent that it seems reasonable for the number/size of the items. For larger accessions/full runs of serials, see the instructions for CMI below.

Zines

Zines should be housed in ziplock bags with cardboard stiffeners. Use the smallest bag that will comfortably fit the item. The title of the item should be written across the side of the stiffener on the side facing the item. No barcode is required for individual items (these types of materials are boxed and one barcode is assigned for the entire box).

A/V (DVDs, etc)

DVDs should get matching barcodes from the "double barcodes" sheets: one on the top left corner of the case and one inside the case, as well as a round "Schlesinger Library" label on the disc(s).

Fragile or Damaged Items and Bulk Serials

Pamphlet Binders/Four-Flap Binders

Pamphlet binders or four-flap binders are useful for delicate materials that are too small for CMI boxes, including fragile pamphlets, books less than 150mm thick, etc. Use the smallest binder that can comfortable fit the item. A barcode sticker should be placed on the upper-left corner of the front of the binder. For thicker items that don't need a CMI, use the four-flap binders with the dark green spines, which expand more generously in order to house things like mass market paperbacks with detached covers. At the time of processing, please lightly pencil the title on the front cover next to the barcode. After cataloging, the cataloger will return the item to the end-processing assistant for a label. For more information on labeling, see the section on CMI boxes below.

CMI

CMI boxes (made-to-order archival protective boxes) are used for a variety of archival materials for preservation reasons as well as to collect multiple issues of serials together (currently practice is to use this approach rather than binding periodicals, which is what was done in the past). Some examples of materials that should be housed in CMI boxes are fragile or damaged books, items with odd or awkward shapes that cannot easily be housed using the normal methods, and books acquired as part of our women bookbinders collection. Most items that are candidates for CMI should be reviewed by the department head and conservation/preservation representative before being measured for CMI (books in the women binders collection are an exception; they always get CMI housing and do not have to be reviewed). If you come across an item during end processing that looks too delicate or otherwise unfit for regular processing, set it aside for conservation/preservation review.

Basic instructions for measuring items for CMI can be found on the Published Materials Sharepoint site: CMI MEASURING.docx

The template for collecting CMI measurements is also on the Sharepoint site: CMI_Box_Order_Template.xls. Once you have enough materials measured to fill a spreadsheet, send the list to the Library Assistant to get the boxes ordered.

Instructions for assembling CMI enclosures are included in each order of boxes and a copy is also kept in the end processing area on the fourth floor.

We also use CMI boxes for processing bulk serials. This includes boxing up past years' runs of currently received serials as well as housing runs of antiquarian/discontinued periodicals as they are received. These projects are ongoing.

Once assembled, each CMI box should get a barcode label on upper-left front corner. For monographs, the end processor should write the title along the top of the front cover of the CMI. For serials, the processor should give the boxes to the cataloger unlabeled (with just the barcode). The cataloger will write the correct title and holdings information on the front.

For spine labels, we use a program developed by Harvard Libraries to create labels for our CMI boxes: https://booklabeler.lib.harvard.edu/. Spine labels are added after cataloging (in case any title information changes during that process). The spine label should match what appears on the front of CMI box.

Custom Enclosures

Some materials will need specialized housing not accounted for in elsewhere on this page, such as custom mylar sleeves for delicate single-sheet items or bespoke enclosures for unusually sized/shaped items. These should be brought to the conservation/preservation team for review and advisement.

Notes on Supplies

Those staff involved in end processing are responsible for keeping an eye on supply levels, including stock of ziplock bags and stiffeners, envelopes, pamphlet binders, CoLibri covers, and mylar. If anything is running low, please let the Library Assistant know so the supplies can be ordered. As a rule, there should be at least one back-up package of every supply on hand at all times. For more information about the supplies used in the department, see this link on the Schlesinger Published Materials Sharepoint site: Current Supplies Used