The ohio state university libraries' utilization of general bookbinding company's automated binding records system

Abstract

Campbell is Head of Collection Maintenance and Bindery Preparation at the Ohio State University Libraries in Columbus. Boomgaarden is the Preservation Officer at the Ohio State University Libraries in Columbus. At the Ohio State University (OSU) Libraries in Columbus, routine first-time binding and rebinding of selected serials and monographs are considered an essential part of preservation and collection management functions. In fact, as in most libraries, contractual binding is currently the single largest line item in the libraries' preservation budget. Because of this considerable cost in providing primary protection for identified portions of the collections, efforts have been made at the OSUL to improve the physical structure of the finished product and control the cost per unit through the use of appropriately written and monitored binding specifications that assure a permanent, durable binding structure. Simultaneously, and no less importantly, there have been continuing efforts to increase the efficiency and productivity of the binding preparation unit, and to improve the management of that operation. This has been accomplished in large part through the installation of an automated binding records control system supplied by the libraries' binder, the General Bookbinding Company (GBC) of Chesterland, Ohio. This article is a review of the OSU Libraries' early experience with that automated system, which has been dubbed by GBC as GOLD/BACS--General's On-Line Dynamic Binding Administration and Control System. The Bindery Preparation Division at the OSUL is presently administratively part of the Preservation Office as a comprehensive preservation program is being established in the Libraries. The unit is managed by the Head of Collection Maintenance and Bindery Preparation, who reports to the Preservation Officer. Bindery preparation is centralized