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r/Libraries•
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Anyone stumble upon any rare or valuable books in your collection?

Hey all, I'm doing some midwinter weeding and stumbled across a first edition book from the 1900s that would be worth several hundred dollars (if it were in better condition of course). This particular item hasn't circulated in over 5 years so it definitely qualifies as one to weed but it feels like a bummer to just get rid of it.

Have you ever stumbled on anything like this hiding in your collection? Did you do anything with it? Kinda looking for advice and but equally looking for cool stories about rare or valuable treasures in your Libraries.

Posted Jan 18, 2019, 6:25 PM UTC

46
princess-smartypants•

found a book wrapped in tin foil in a box of basement donations. Turned out to be an Isaiah Thomas dictionary from the late 1700's. Leather binding, cotton paper. If it hadn't been in foil, it might have been thrown out with the rest of the smelly, turdy, dead buggy books.

4
SourLace•

Look for Special Collections that might want it. You said it’s a first edition- by whom? See if there is a repository or academic library that collects titles by that author. Is it a specific kind of literature? There are collections that collect based on genre and time period as well. Another route is to see if it has ties to a specific place and see if the library/archives in that city or town collects things like that or if would want it.

Also, even though it might be worth money if it were in better condition, see if it is available digitally (Internet Archive/Hathitrust etc.). If no other collection is interested in it, the reason to save the book at this point would be mainly to preserve the information rather than because it is valuable as an artifact. If that is the case, you might feel better about weeding it knowing that since it has no monetary value and the informational value is secure, it really does belong in the garbage.

FYI- I have my MLS in Archives Management from Simmons, with coursework specifically in appraisal and I graduated in May. I also work in a public library and have interned at several archives/special collections. I say this to help you evaluate my advice. Good luck with whatever you choose!

EDIT: I didn’t mean to come off as condescending or dismissive of the find, if that is what the downvote was for... otherwise, anyone care to explain what was off-putting about my comment?

4
huhwhat90•

Someone donated some books (to be sold by the Friends) that were worth over $100 a piece, still wrapped in plastic and never even read.

I did some research and let them know, so they decided to sell them for $15 instead of $1.00! To my knowledge, they still haven't sold after two years.

3
hopping_hessian•

We have a book that was written in by Abraham Lincoln. Here's the write-up: https://herald-review.com/news/local/state-and-regional/inscription-in-book-is-lincoln-s/article_fdbe848c-7856-5961-90f8-6afa67b27d35.html

3
Fido_Mom•

I haven’t been that lucky...yet. I hope one day.

2
Puckohue•

I once noticed a large weeded book in the trashcan and discovered it was a 19th century illustrated book on fish, highly valued by collectors. I returned it to the weeders and said it was a rarity, but I don't know what they ended up doing with it.

At home I once found a thin book which turned out was on the National Library's desiderata list. I hope i sent it there, but I honestly can't remember, and I have no idea where it is now.

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