[DCRM-L] DCRM-L Digest, Vol 230, Issue 8

Thu Apr 17 11:33:48 MDT 2025

Hi Allison,

Thanks for your message! I was following that conversation as it happened and just double-checked the DCRM-L archive but do not see any information specific to catalogers and their physical handling of materials. I am grateful for those discussions about description and access related to public use, however, I would love to hear from people that have developed policies about physical handling with a cataloger's health in mind.

Many thanks!

Jaime

Jaime Groetsema Saifi
Assistant Librarian, Rare Materials Cataloging Unit Head Spencer Research Library University of Kansas Libraries

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Today's Topics:

   1. Safe Cataloging Arsenic and Heavy Metals Books
      (Groetsema Saifi, Jaime)
   2. Re: Safe Cataloging Arsenic and Heavy Metals Books (Rich, Allison)

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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2025 18:30:32 +0000
From: "Groetsema Saifi, Jaime" <jgroetsemasaifi at ku.edu>
To: "dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu" <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Subject: [DCRM-L] Safe Cataloging Arsenic and Heavy Metals Books
Message-ID:
        <SN6PR01MB4782D65980F039E66BDB5129D1BD2 at SN6PR01MB4782.prod.exchangelabs.com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Dear All,

Our Conservation department is currently developing policies around testing for and handling books with arsenic and other heavy metals. I have been enjoying seeing the discussions here about description of and access to similar materials which have given us some guideposts for when we embark upon our own large-scale cataloging projects.

One question that has continued to come up: what does a safe cataloging workflow look like? There is a wide range of opinions as to what "safe" means and quite a difference in individual cataloger comfortability in working on these materials. (I know that many of us will have encountered these materials already and to different degrees, but as we learn more about particular health impacts, etc., I am keeping an open mind as to the responses and concerns of my team).

To that end, I am wondering if anyone out there has experience writing a procedure for the safe practice of cataloging materials with arsenic and heavy metals? Or, even those that have thought about it or discussed it at their home institutions, I would be grateful to hear your thoughts!

Thanks in advance!

Jaime
Jaime Groetsema Saifi
Assistant Librarian, Rare Materials Cataloging Unit Head Spencer Research Library University of Kansas Libraries

Jaime Groetsema Saifi (Jaime/Jaimes)
Assistant Librarian, Rare Materials Cataloging Unit Head Spencer Research Library University of Kansas Libraries jgroetsemasaifi at ku.edu<mailto:jgroetsemasaifi at ku.edu>
+1 785 864 0886

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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2025 13:04:26 -0400
From: "Rich, Allison" <allison_rich at brown.edu>
To: "DCRM Users' Group" <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Safe Cataloging Arsenic and Heavy Metals Books
Message-ID:
        <CABUt1Fg=CW4cfsX+DLTiktbjgARX5vNvfE_oJ9Ee0rmz-gmr3w at mail.gmail.com>
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Hi Jaime:

There was an extensive thread here starting on February 6 called "poison books" which went into this in detail.
Maybe that will be hlepful for you to read.

Best,
Allison

On Wed, Apr 16, 2025 at 2:30?PM Groetsema Saifi, Jaime via DCRM-L < dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu> wrote:

> Dear All,
>
>
>
> Our Conservation department is currently developing policies around
> testing for and handling books with arsenic and other heavy metals. I
> have been enjoying seeing the discussions here about description of
> and access to similar materials which have given us some guideposts
> for when we embark upon our own large-scale cataloging projects.
>
>
>
> One question that has continued to come up: what does a safe
> cataloging workflow look like? There is a wide range of opinions as to what ?safe?
> means and quite a difference in individual cataloger comfortability in
> working on these materials. (I know that many of us will have
> encountered these materials already and to different degrees, but as
> we learn more about particular health impacts, etc., I am keeping an
> open mind as to the responses and concerns of my team).
>
>
>
> To that end, I am wondering if anyone out there has experience writing
> a procedure for the safe practice of cataloging materials with arsenic
> and heavy metals? Or, even those that have thought about it or
> discussed it at their home institutions, I would be grateful to hear your thoughts!
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
>
>
> Jaime
>
> *Jaime Groetsema Saifi *
>
> Assistant Librarian, Rare Materials Cataloging Unit Head
>
> Spencer Research Library
>
> University of Kansas Libraries
>
>
>
>
>
> *Jaime Groetsema Saifi *(Jaime/Jaimes)
>
> Assistant Librarian, Rare Materials Cataloging Unit Head
>
> Spencer Research Library
>
> University of Kansas Libraries
>
> jgroetsemasaifi at ku.edu
>
> +1 785 864 0886
>
>
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--
********************************
"Outside of a dog,
a book is probably man's best friend,
and inside of a dog,
it's too dark to read.
- Groucho Marx"

Allison Rich
Head of Cataloguing and Technical Services ESTC and NACO Coordinator John Carter Brown Library Providence, Rhode Island Allison_Rich at brown.edu
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