Missing Materials Beta Procedure

The working group developed "proof-of-concept" policies and procedures to experiment using network effects of WorldCat.org to broadcast centralized information about missing and stolen unique and rare materials.

Rare book and special collections communities--including both institutions and the trade--enthusiastically endorse complete transparency concerning loss and theft of valuable rare books and special collections. The Missing Materials project has evolved to develop a 'beta' procedure for cultural heritage institutions to demonstrate their commitment to transparency about stolen and missing materials.

In order to deter thieves, prevent inadvertent purchases and recover valuable stolen cultural materials, OCLC Research, the RLG Partnership, the RBMS Security Committee and the ABAA convened members of the cultural heritage collecting community to explore strategies for sharing reliable information about missing rare books and other materials. The goal was to surface current policies and procedures and discuss what's lacking in current practice for dissemination of information about missing materials.

The WorldCat bibliographic database was suggested as the center for collecting and broadcasting this information. The group quickly agreed that widespread support and community participation will be essential to the success of such a program.

We explored the following questions as first steps toward defining functional components for attaching information about missing materials to WorldCat records:

1. What are the necessary elements of a process that would be implemented by trusted special collections booksellers and librarians and could also be made available to a network of interested parties?

2. How should information about stolen materials be broadcast and accessed?

3. What metrics should be gathered (i.e., how many items have been listed, how many inquiries have been made, how many stolen materials have been recovered)?

4. How can we minimize overhead, reduce obstacles, eliminate bottlenecks and ensure that only minimal costs are associated with participation?

What types of materials should be included? Should this procedure be used only for rare books?

The blog is available now at missingmaterials.org. It includes instructions for “tagging” stolen and missing rare books and archives in WorldCat.org.

• Jennifer Schaffner and Eric Childress (lead)

• Kenneth Karmiole, Bookseller, Inc., ABAA
• David Szewczyk, Philadelphia Rare Books and Manuscripts, ABAA
• Richard Oram (Chair, RBMS Security Committee) and Ryan Hildebrand, Ransom Center, UT Austin
• Detectives Don Hrycyk and Stephanie Lazarus, Los Angeles Police Department
• Susan Allen and Andra Darlington, Getty Research Institute
• Susan Pyzynski, Houghton Library, Harvard
• E.C. Schroeder and Ellen Ellickson, Beinecke Library, Yale
• Laura Stalker, Dorothy Auyong and David Zeidberg, Huntington Library

ResearchWorks

This activity is part of ResearchWorks. Use of our prototypes is subject to OCLC's terms and conditions. By continuing past this point, you agree to abide by these terms.

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This beta procedure "tags" records in WorldCat.org that automatically fed to the missingmaterials.org blog. Simultaneously, holdings are set in WorldCat to provide centralized, highly visible exposure of "missing materials" to help identify stolen materials, alert prospective buyers and sellers, recover missing items and deter future crimes. 

Project lead: Jennifer Schaffner and Eric Childress

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