Bonfire of the Dust Jackets

Should libraries keep dust jackets, or commit them to the flames? Many hardcover
books come wrapped in protective covers that include not just cover art, but also
information about the author and the book (such as the author’s biography and
picture with review quotes), and other material not found elsewhere. Some libraries
shelve their books fully intact, but many others (mostly ivory tower types) have
a tradition of disdain for book covers. Read on for a summary of the pros and
cons of hanging on to jackets, and what libraries can do with them.

Should libraries keep dust jackets, or commit them to the flames? Many hardcover
books come wrapped in protective covers that include not just cover art, but also
information about the author and the book (such as the author’s biography and
picture with review quotes), and other material not found elsewhere. Some libraries
shelve their books fully intact, but many others (mostly ivory tower types) have
a tradition of disdain for book covers. Read on for a summary of the pros and
cons of hanging on to jackets, and what libraries can do with them.

Disclaimer: I have no bindery experience beyond using brown paper bags to cover
school textbooks. The points below are based on a cursory survey of AUTOCAT,
LIBREF-L,
ACQNET,
and PADG.

Pro — Keeping dust jackets:

• preserves and protects the books (from bruises, light, and other elements);
• retains the (possibly unique) art and information printed on the jackets;
• makes books easier to remember and identify, and may encourage use.

Con — It’s not worth keeping jackets because:

• more staff time and cataloging materials are needed than when disposing of
  the jackets;
• the jackets can fall apart more easily, necessitating more time/materials/staff
  for repairs, and the jacket materials can become sticky — even mold and mildew
  can appear;
• it saves shelf space.

The aesthetic advantages of book jackets are up for grabs. Academic libraries
could claim that books without jackets look professional (apparently they would
admire the Spinal Tap album cover), but the visual appeal of diverse cover art
can be just as strong, especially within collections such as art and children’s
books. A few other points: larger books with loose jackets can be harder to handle;
book collectors certainly value editions with jackets intact; and jackets coated
with plastic can cause glare problems with self-checkout systems reading the UPC
bar code.

So what can be done with book jackets? Depending on the library, dust jackets
are:

• thrown in the recycle bin before they are ever seen by library users;
• displayed on bulletin boards in lieu of a new books shelf;
• kept loose and marked with a second spine label;
• attached to the cover with equipment such as mylar, book boards, and (presumably
  acid-free) tape.

The preferred cataloging policies recognize the need to follow these rules
on a case-by-case basis (e.g., What if the text refers to a graph on the dust
jacket? What if the jacket becomes mutilated? What if the source of catalog data
appears only on the jacket?). Sometimes portions of the jackets are attached to
the inside covers. A separate book jacket collection could even be formed for
special items.

Library users see cover images at bookstores, online booksellers, and now even
in library products such as WorldCat and Books In Print. It’s a shame that some
libraries partially demolish their acquisitions and don’t let their users see
the covers at all. A library’s mission to preserve entire books seems to
override concerns over shelf space or other surmountable obstacles. Dressing a
book in its chosen visual identity protects not only its physical properties,
but also preserves the cover’s power as a selling tool while the book is on the
shelf. Cutting corners by trashing part of a purchased book drastically sells
it short and is a disservice to its users.

If you’re aware of a library that discards their book jackets, ask the administration
why this is done. Mumbling something about the cost of stickers or that "we’ve
always done it that way" is no excuse.