Marginalia and other crimes - Case 7 - Physical damage

How the UL responds to the damage

ACCIDENTS

Books damaged by accident are replaced with the same edition. The reader is charged the replacement price plus an administration charge. The damaged copy is stored at "Class Z". Some readers ask to have the damaged copy but it is not permitted. The new copy is put at the same location, with the same classmark, that the damaged copy originally had.

DEFACEMENT

Books damaged deliberately are replaced with the same edition. The reader is charged the replacement price plus an administration charge. The Library Syndicate levies a fine of up to ��175, depending on the circumstances. On the first offence, once all fines are paid, the reader usually retains their privilege of using UL. We have not had a case of a second offence. These matters are usually settled in-house. But replacement costs quickly accumulate into large sums. One case cost the reader ��2,500 in total.

The original damaged copy is stored at "Class Z". But under these circumstances the replacement copy will be given a new classmark to ensure it is stored at a higher level of security. We assume that if one reader desires to damage the text then other readers may share that desire too. Typically, open shelf books we will be replaced with copies kept in closed stacks. Damage to closed-stack copies results in their replacements being classed as Rare Books or reference only copies.

ABSTRACTION

Ripping pages from texts is regarded as theft. The police may be involved and readers who are successfully prosecuted lose all their privileges to use UL forever. Texts are replaced and stored at higher levels of security. The original copy is retained at Class Z.

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