Marks of ownership

All library and archive materials should be clearly identified with a mark of ownership. This ownership mark not only identifies artifacts as the property of the library, but also discourages theft, especially if the mark is not readily removable. Indelible marks are especially important, since staff commit most thefts from rare book and manuscript collections.

Marks of ownership should be made with a prominent and permanent ink stamp on an inseparable portion of the artifact. Generally the stamp should be small (no more than 2 centimeters), and the ink made from a nongreasy, nonoily substance. In books the mark is typically placed on the verso (back) of the title page. Bookplates, perforated stamps, and pressure stamps can easily be removed and are not effective. The mark should clearly state the name and general address of the library owning the artifact.

If a tasteful, appropriate stamp is used, and applied in a way that does not disfigure the artifact, the mark can be considered an important piece of provenance. For this reason, dealers likely to be offered a stolen item bearing the mark must be made aware of its existence and meaning.

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