Destruction of Knowledge: A Study of Journal Mutilation at a Large University Library

Constantia Constantinou

Book and journal mutilation is a problem for libraries. The rising cost of replacing mutilated books and journals and the availability of out-of-print materials concerns many librarians. This paper examines one type of mutilation-the removal of pages from journal titles at the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library of New York University. The study reviews the related lit­ erature; it discusses the methodology of the descriptive study on journal mutilation at Bobst Library; it analyzes and interprets the results of the study, makes suggestions that could help reduce the problem, and pro­ poses other topics for additional research.

ot long ago, an e-mail mes­ new publications, the cost of replac­ sage circulated among library ing older, heavily used material is a collection staff which dis­ real concern. As well, several of the cussed the increasing prob­ items are no longer in print and we lem of book and journal mutilation. The are unable to replace them. . . . I message outlining these issues read as fol­ would appreciate hearing any ideas lows: for preventing, minimizing or cop­ ing.with the situation.1 This past term our library staff no­ ticed an increase in the number of Review of Related Literature books and journal issues that are Libraries realize that book and journal being damaged, e.g., pictures ra­ mutilation is a growing problem that sim­ zor[ed] or torn out [and] entire con­ ply does not go away. It is costly and dis­ tents removed with only the covers ruptive for both libraries and library us­ left on the shelves or in nearby gar­ ers. Book theft and mutilation are cer­ bage cans. So far, we have not been tainly not new developments of our time. able to identify any particular sub­ Such acts can be traced as far back as 539 ject area or collection that has been B.C. in Egypt when the Persian conquer­ victimized more than another. In a ors removed rolls of papyri from the li­ time where our collections budget brary of Ramses II. Around 41 B.C. An­ cannot keep pace with purchasing thony, emperor of Rome, raided the

Constantia Constantinou is a recent graduate of the Library and Information Studies Program at Queens College of The City University of New York and is a Bibliographic Searcher at the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library at New York University; e-mail: [email protected].

497 498 College & Research Libraries November 1995

Pergamon Library and gave all its con­ discovered that hostility toward the li­ tents to Cleopatra. During the Middle brary played a significant role in the mu­ Ages, librarians chained library books in tilators' acts of vandalism. The miscon­ order to ensure that no one would steal ception that unbound journals are them. Later, during the Renaissance, Pope cheaper than books also contributed to Nicholas V issued a statute excommuni­ mutilation. In addition, the students' at­ cating anyone who did not return books titudes toward mutilation changed when belonging to the church. Unfortunately, they learned how difficult and costly it the problem of mutilation still exists. Ar­ was to replace pages. ticles and case studies are continually Academic pressure is a strong motive written that explore the psychological that can easily drive a person to misshelve and sociological aspects of the phenom­ books on purpose or to tear out pages. A enon of book and journal mutilation. student under pressure may hide the books and magazines in a particular area The Motive so that upon his or her return, he/ she can It has been documented that motives to locate the needed books or magazines perform library violations are commonly quickly. This escalating problem of muti­ attributed to sociological, psychological, lation, as it relates to academic pressure, and situational factors.2 Such library vio­ is also visible in professional schools. As lations by users include: one medical librarian stated, "The sur­ • eating and drinking inside the li­ geons of tomorrow are practicing their brary building, technique on our magazines today."5 • disfiguring text and illustrations, The results of Dana Weiss's study • purposely misshelving items in or­ showed that academic pressure motivates der to deny access to them by other li­ students to mutilate books and journals, brary users, and regardless of the quality of library ser­ • overborrowing library holdings. vices.6 Contrary to Hendrick and Mur­ The first step in attempting to under­ fin's findings, the Weiss study showed stand the nature and the magnitude of the that the attitudes of students toward li­ problem of book and journal mutilation brary services have no relation to book is to recognize these actions as acts of dis­ theft or journal mutilation. Weiss believes ruption and vandalism. that people who steal and mutilate library Clyde Hendrick, a professor of psy­ materials do so for sociological as well as chology, and Marjorie Murfin, a reference psychological reasons. She attributes librarian at Kent State University, ap­ mutilation to sociological factors such as proached the problem by studying their the environment: "Because this study was student population.3 The results of their done in an urban university library, it survey showed that fourteen (8.3%) of the could be said that the 'toughness' of the 168 students who participated in the sur­ city life causes the theft. However, I be­ vey admitted mutilating journals. Their lieve a case could be made for 'danger' statistical data showed no significant dif­ on a rural college campus.... " 7 ferences in the attitudes of mutilators and Conversely, Terri Pedersen showed nonmutilators. that "situational circumstances" led stu­ A year later, Hendrick and Murfin dents to mutilate and steaLB Mutilating published a study based on the interviews journals and stealing library books were that they conducted with the three indi­ not viewed as expressions of hostility to­ viduals who admitted having ripped out ward the library or the university. Instead, pages.4 The purpose of the interviews was such acts were viewed as inconsiderate to examine the reasons and motives that acts toward the needs of their fellow stu­ drove the students to mutilation. They dents: Destruction of Knowledge 499

Because Emporia is in a rural area, erence collections.16 It is recommended, the "toughness of the city life" is not however, that if losses are above eight a cause of mutilation and theft. The percent in any area of the collection, a full fault does not appear to lie with the inventory must be taken.17 library being unfriendly, cold, and anonymous. Students did not view The Elmer Bobst Study the theft and mutilation problem as The purpose of this study was to identify an expression of hostility toward the the extent and rate of mutilation at the institution but instead felt that their Elmer Holmes Bobst Library of New York fellow students were selfish and did University during the years 1990-1994. not consider the needs of others.9 The study also attempted to identify titles and subject areas of the collection that are Hendrick and Murfin suggest that li­ more vulnerable to mutilation than oth- braries eliminate frustrating situations that can lead library users to act desper­ Hendrick and Murfin suggest that ately. Theodore Hines, Thomas Atwood, libraries eliminate frustrating and Carol Wall entertained the same situations that can lead library users 10 11 theory. , Their studies showed that bro­ to act desperately. ken copy machines, confusion, lack of time or easy access, uncaring library staff, ers. In addition, the study investigated the lack of efficient directional signs, and possible relationship that exists between unfamiliarity with the library environ­ the availability of indexing and abstract­ ment and services generate frustration. ing services on CD-ROM and the changes Subsequently, anger builds up and library in the amount of journal mutilation. users take it out on library materials. The Elmer Holmes Bobst Library of New York University is located in Green­ Assessing Mutilation wich Village. It is New York University's Carroll Varner suggests that by measur­ main library. Bobst Library is the center­ ing journal mutilation, librarians are a piece of the New York University library step closer to preventing it.U Mutilation system that includes four other special­ can be detected in the circulation depart­ ized libraries which are located in the ment, the bindery (the University of Ne­ School of Law, the School of Medicine and braska at Omaha estimates that 50 per­ Dentistry, the Institute of Fine Arts, and cent of its mutilation is discovered from the Courant Institute of Mathematical the bindery department), or by library Science. New York University is also a users who report the incidents to the li­ member of the Research Library Associa­ brary staf£.13,14 At the Pullen Library of tion of South Manhattan, a consortium Georgia State University, the Serials and that includes libraries such as the Coo­ Acquisitions unit is responsible for keep­ per Union Library, the New School for So­ ing track of journals with missing pages.15 cial Research Library, and the Parsons Descriptive inventory is another School of Design Library. The students of highly methodical technique used to as­ the consortium libraries share the same sess mutilation. Descriptive inventory is online public catalog, circulation system, tedious and time-consuming but is one and other library resources. Bobst Library of the most systematic and reliable ways is fully automated and houses approxi­ to assess the full extent of mutilation. The mately 2,505,182 book volumes, 2,361,025 feat of conducting a descriptive inventory microfilm units, and 19,375 serial titles.18 for the entire collection is almost impos­ sible. Librarians prefer to examine desig­ Methodology nated areas of the collection, such as ref- At the Bobst Library, mutilated items are ------

500 College & Research Libraries November 1995 identified in several ways: by the circula­ were mutilated, 2,038 (9.6%) pages were tion department, the conservation labo­ ripped out, and 109 incidents of mutila­ ratory, and the library users themselves. tion occurred. In 1993, the numbers in When the mutilated journal titles reach volumes, pages, and incidents suddenly the collection services office, two employ­ increased: 102 titles suffered mutilation, ees assume responsibility for replacing 218 volumes were mutilated, 6,987 the missing pages. The two employees ex­ (33.1 %) pages were torn out, and 545 in­ amine each title using the method of cidents of mutilation occurred. In 1994 page-by-page count and record all the (January-October) the numbers slightly pages that are missing. In addition to decreased from the year before with missing pages, they also record biblio­ eighty-four titles suffering mutilation. In graphic information regarding the jour­ addition, 167 volumes were mutilated, nal title in a log. The bibliographic pro­ 5,256 (25%) pages were torn out, and 254 file contains information such as title, call incidents of mutilation occurred. number, year, volume, and issue number. Table 1 demonstrates and summarizes When the count is completed, the infor­ the mutilation history of the Bobst Library mation is transferred to an interlibrary at New York University for 1990-1994. It loan (ILL) request and submitted to the indicates the number of titles mutilated Interlibrary Loan Office. The journal is per year, as well as the number of vol­ then returned to the stacks with a note umes, pages, and incidents (number of that the missing pages are on order. As times that each title had to be requested the pages arrive from the Interlibrary from the Interlibrary Loan Office). Table Loan Office, the Collection Services em­ 1 indicates clearly that the heaviest muti­ ployees retrieve the journal volumes from lation occurred during 1993 since more the stacks, inspect the ILL pages for com­ titles, volumes, and pages were mutilated pleteness, photocopy the pages on acid­ in 1993 than any other year. The rate of free paper (double-sided), and send them mutilation was also the highest with 545 to the conservation lab to insert the pages incidents. in the bound volume. For the purpose of the study, the researcher collected all ILL Possible Reasons for the Increase in requests submitted by Collection Services Mutilation during 1993 over the past five years (1990-1994). The The heaviest mutilation in terms of num­ researcher arranged 1,264 requests in ber of volumes, pages, and incidents oc­ chronological order, first by year and then curred within the call number ranges by title. GV1580-GV1787 (Recreation, Leisure), HQ75 (Social Science: Sociology), and Findings and Analysis PN2 (English, American, and European The first group of data corresponding to Literature). The call number range the year 1990 revealed the following: 102 GV1580-GV1787 includes journals re­ titles suffered some type of mutilation, lated to the Dance Collection. Titles such 142 volumes of the journal titles suffered as Dance World, L' Avant Scene Ballet Danse, damage, 4,370 (20.8%) pages were torn Dance and Dancers, Dance Chronicle, Dance out, and 204 incidents of mutilation oc­ Life, Dancing Times, Ballet News, and Ballett curred. During 1991, the figures had International endured extensive mutila­ dropped significantly: mutilation affected tion. fifty-eight titles and one hundred vol­ Among the aforementioned titles, the umes, 2,410 (11.5%) pages were torn out, most heavily mutilated was Ballett Inter­ and the incidents of mutilation dropped national. Ten of its volumes suffered mu­ to 152. By 1992, fifty-five journal titles suf­ tilation during seventy-four incidents, fered mutilation, eighty-nine volumes and a total of 1,027 pages were torn out. Destruction of Knowledge 501

TABLEt Mutilation Per Year in Titles, Volumes, Pages, and Incidents

Year Number of Number of Number of Number of titles and% volumes and % pages and% incidents and % 1990 102 (25.4%) 142 (20%) 4,370 (20.8%) 204 (16.2%) 1991 58 (14.5%) 100 (14%) 2,410 (11.5%) 152 (12%) 1992 55 (13.7%) 89 (12.5%) 2,038 (9.6%) 109 (8.6%) 1993 102 (25.4%) 218 (30.5%) 6,987 (33.1 %) 545 (43.1 %) 1994 84 (21 %) 167 (23%) 5,256 (25%) 254 (20.1 %) Total 401 716 21,061 1,264

Ballett International is a German publica­ where on the shelves close by, awaiting tion that consists of both articles and il­ discovery. lustrations. The type of mutilation regard­ The second category of journals that ing Ballett International involved tearing suffered extensive mutilation consisted of out illustrations and articles. two titles both in the field of Social Sci­ Dance and Dancers, Dancing Times, and ence, specifically in sociology, family, and Ballet News formed the next group to fall marriage (HQ75). The mutilated titles into the category of heavy mutilation. In were Christopher Street and Journal of Ho­ each title, mutilation occurred in approxi­ mosexuality. The Journal of Homosexuality mately ten volumes and affected 720 is a scholarly journal that contains only pages from each publication. The type of articles, as opposed to Christopher Street, mutilation was similar in all dance titles; which is a popular, highly illustrated jour­ vandals tore out illustrations, articles, nal that deals with homosexual issues. and advertisements indiscriminately. Eleven volumes from the Journal of Ho­ mosexuality suffered mutilation and 170 Observations and Interpretations pages were torn out. This type of mutila­ New York University has a large depart­ tion consisted of entire articles being ment in performing arts that supports ripped out. Eleven volumes from Chris­ both the undergraduate and graduate topher Street suffered mutilation, with 488 programs in dance, theater, and perform­ pages being torn out. The pattern of ing arts. Consequently, the dance collec­ mutilation showed that the majority of the tion is used heavily by a large popula­ pages torn out contained illustrations, tion of students. However, close exami­ nation of the physical volumes revealed However, close examination of the that an individual or a small group of in­ physical volumes revealed that an dividuals caused the mutilation of the individual or a small group of dance collection. This speculation is based individuals caused the mutilation of on the following findings: 1) the mutila­ the dance collection. tion occurred within a period of six months, which is a very short time for a including the front covers of magazine mutilation of this magnitude to take place issues. In addition, the researcher discov­ unless someone systematically and con­ ered defaced pages with ink writings. tinuously mutilated the journals; and 2) During the summer of 1993, New York pages were simply torn out (including University offered a class through the articles, advertisements, and illustrations) program of Social Work that required and left either inside the journal or some- writing papers based on extensive read- 502 College & Research Libraries November 1995 ings from the Journal of Homosexuality. At mutilated pages per category, the percent­ the same time, many students com­ age of page mutilation, the number of plained to librarians at the Social Science incidents per subject category, and the reference desk after discovering entire corresponding percentages. articles torn out of the Journal of Homo­ Table 2lists the affected subject catego­ sexuality. It might have been possible that ries. The five most affected categories their fellow classmates mutilated the jour­ were History, Recreation and Leisure, So­ nal or it might just have been a coinci­ cial Science and Economics, Social Science dence that they discovered the mutilation and Sociology, and General English, during the semester that they were en­ American and European Literature. The rolled in the course. In the case of the Jour­ area of History (D) suffered the heaviest nal of Homosexuality, the library purchased mutilation in terms of number of pages, a copy of the title on microform and re­ with 3,918 pages torn out and 138 ILL tained the print version on the shelf. requests submitted during the past five As for Christopher Street, two types of years (1990-1994). The researcher de­ mutilation occurred. The first type of tected a significant portion of the mutila­ mutilation involved tearing out pages tion in this area, specifically in the titles and covers whose content consisted Orbis, Past and Present and Journal of Con­ mostly of illustrations and photographs. temporary History. The second type of mutilation involved In the area of Recreation and Leisure alternating the text and illustrations. Ap­ (GR-GV) 3,790 pages were torn out and parently, individual(s) decided to deface 288 incidents of mutilation occurred. As some of the journal's pages as a way of discussed earlier, the titles that suffered expressing his or her personal beliefs on most of the mutilation in the Dance Col­ homosexuality. The person(s) quoted pas­ lection were Ballett International, Dance and sages from Christian books condemning Dancers, Dancing Time, and Ballet News. homosexuality. Even though the defaced Social Science and Economics (H-HJ) con­ pages were not ripped out, the collection tained 3,311 mutilated pages with 192 services staff had to replace them with incidents of mutilation. Damaged titles photocopied ones. that contributed to this area's mutilation were the Journal of Public Economics, Poli­ Mutilation by Subject Classification tics and Society, and Review of Economic In order to analyze the data by classifica­ Studies. Social Science and Sociology tion categories, the researcher divided (HM-HX) was the fourth highest affected titles into subject categories using the Li­ area with 2,445 mutilated pages and 197 brary of Congress Classification Sched­ incidents of mutilation. Christopher Street, ules as a consulting tool, and grouped all Journal of Homosexuality, and Children To­ mutilated titles into twenty-four classifi­ day sustained the most mutilation in this cation categories. Table 2 indicates the category. The fifth group of journals that Library of Congress Classification Num­ falls into the heavy mutilation category ber (LCCN) for each subject category, the is the classification area of General En­ different classification categories that glish, American and European Literature were affected by mutilation (in certain (PN-PS). The researcher discovered 1,666 subject categories where mutilation was mutilated pages and counted eighty­ heavily detected, the categories break seven incidents of mutilation. Among the down to smaller subdivisions), the num­ titles most affected were Boundry 2, Lit­ ber of volumes affected by mutilation for erature Film Quarterly, and Wide Angle. each of the classification categories, the percentage of the mutilated volumes for Rate of Mutilation each of the subject areas, the number of As seen in the analysis of table 2, the TABLE2 Subject Categories, 1990-1994 LCCN Subject Volumes %of All Vol. Pages % of All Pages Incidents % of All Incidents

A General Works 10 1.40 316 1.50 11 0.87 B-BF Philosophy /Psychology 47 6.56 1,014 4.81 51 4.03 BJ Psychology-Ethics 1 0.14 25 0.12 1 0.08 BL Religion 9 1.26 108 0.51 13 1.03 c Auxiliary Science 5 0.70 115 0.55 5 0.40 D History 81 11.31 3,918 18.60 138 10.92 E-F History (American) 29 4.05 647 3.07 35 2.77 G-GR Geography-Anthropology 30 4.19 439 2.08 27 2.14 GR-GV Recreation, Leisure 73 10.20 3,790 18.00 288 22.78 H-HJ Social Science: Economic 128 17.88 3,311 15.72 192 15.19 HM-HX Social Science: Sociology 73 10.20 2,445 11.61 197 15.59 J Political Science 13 1.82 335 1.59 19 1.50 L Education 26 3.63 712 3.38 34 2.69 M Music 17 2.37 335 1.59 22 1.74 N Fine Arts 14 1.96 131 0.62 17 0 1.34 ~ P-PA Gen. Philology & Linguist. 19 2.65 471 2.24 26 2.06 r./J.... PB-PJ Modern Euro. & Orient. Lang. 10 1.40 212 1.01 12 0.95 a .....~ PN-PS General Literature 68 9.50 1,666 7.91 87 6.88 0

Q Science 6 0.84 136 0.65 7 0.55 =0 R Medicine 34 4.75 766 3.64 41 3.24 '""'~ T Technology 17 2.37 115 0.55 35 2.77 =0 u Military Science 1 0.14 11 0.05 1 0.08 ! ~ v Naval Science 1 0.14 7 0.03 1 0.08 0. Otl z Bibliography, Library Science 4 0.56 35 0.17 4 0.32 ~ VI Total 716 21,060 1,264 0 t.IJ 504 College & Research Libraries November 1995 mutilation of pages is not always analo­ trations, especially color ones, turn titles gous to the rate of mutilation incidents. into prime targets for mutilation. Table 3lists the top four classification cat­ As stated above, the area of History egories based on the number of incidents suffered the heaviest mutilation with arranged in descending order. Even 3,918 pages missing, even though the rate though the category of Recreation and of incidents (138) is the lowest. This type Leisure (GR-GV) ranked second in terms of asymmetry can be attributed to muti­ of number of mutilated pages (3,790), it lation of titles such as Orbis (1,740 pages still had the highest rate of mutilation in­ missing), Journal of Contemporary History cidents with 22.78 percent. The Social Sci­ (618 pages missing), and New York His­ ence and Sociology (HM-HX) category tory (177 pages missing) that contain ranked fourth in terms of smallest num­ lengthy articles and no illustrations. Thus ber of mutilated pages, but in terms of the the person(s) who mutilated these jour­ rate of mutilation, it ranked second with nals ripped out long articles, which in­ 15.59 percent. The number of mutilated creased the number of pages torn out. pages paralleled the rate of mutilation in the area of Social Science and Economics. Relationship Between the Availability In terms of pages and incidents, this cat­ of CD-ROM Indexing Services and egory ranked third with 15.72 percent of the Changes in Mutilation mutilated pages and 15.19 percent of in­ In order to find out if a relationship be­ cidents. The last category, History (D), tween the availability of indexing services ranked fourth in number of incidents. on CD-ROM databases and the changes Even though History had the highest in the amount of mutilation at the Elmer number of mutilated pages (3,918), the Holmes Bobst Library exists, the re­ rate of mutilation was only 10.92 per­ searcher organized the data in the follow­ cent. ing manner: titles with 500 or more miss­ Possible reasons for this high rate of ing pages (Christopher Street included mutilation in the categories of Recreation with 488 missing pages) and organized and Leisure (GR-GV) and Sociology (HM­ the raw data in a table. In this way, the HX) may stern from the nature of some researcher could establish whether highly of these journal titles. Titles from the GR­ mutilated titles are affected by title avail­ GV classification category, such as Ballett ability on a CD-ROM database (see table International, Dance and Dancers, Dancing 4). Table 4 indicates the classification Times, Ballet News, and Christopher Street number of the mutilated title, the journal (HQ) are highly illustrated journals. illus- title, the number of missing pages for each

TABLE3 Rate of Mutilation

LCCN Subject Pages %of Incidents %of pages incidents GR-GV Recreation 3,790 18.00 288 22.78 Leisure HM-HX Social Science: 2,445 11.61 197 15.59 Sociology H-HJ Social Science: 3,311 15.72 192 15.19 Economics D History 3,918 18.60 138 10.92 Destruction of Knowledge 505 of the titles, the CD-ROM indexing data­ ROM databases and the changes in the base for each of the corresponding titles amount of mutilation at the Elmer available at Bobst, the starting year of the Holmes Bobst Library. CD-ROM database coverage for each of the titles, the year that each of the CD­ Conclusions and Recommendations ROM databases became available to Bobst Frances Meals said that it is a real chal­ Library users, the year in which mutila­ lenge for libraries to be able to give the tion occurred, and the number of miss­ user the best possible service. Such ser­ ing pages from the volumes whose years vice involves preserving the collection so were covered by a CD-ROM database. that what the user wants is always there and is conveniently available for use for Analysis and Interpretation as long as he/she needs it.19 1t is clear that As seen in table 4, three out of the eight journal mutilation affects students' edu­ journals are indexed by a CD-ROM data­ cation. Students cannot use the library's base available to Bobst Library users. resources to their fullest because they can­ These titles are Orbis (ranked first in terms not find articles in mutilated journals. of number of pages missing with 1,740), They often have to wait for days to get World Politics (ranked third with 1,010 replacement pages through ILL services. missing pages), and Journal of Contempo­ The findings of this case study indi­ rary History (ranked seventh with 618 cate that the problem of journal mutila­ missing pages). The other five journals­ tion is disruptive to the library and its Hallett International, Dance and Dancers, users. Although book and journal muti­ Dancing Times, Ballet News, and Christo­ lation continues to be a problem, it is not pher Street-were either not indexed by a an incurable one. In fact, public cam­ CD-ROM database or, if they were, the paigns have proven effective in combat­ database was not available at the Bobst ing book and journal mutilation. Such Library at the time that the library staff campaigns emphasize educating users on detected the mutilation. the difficulties of obtaining replacements. In the case of Orbis, which is the most These antimutilation campaigns also can heavily mutilated title, the library staff involve: discovered the mutilation in 1994, a year • Posting signs with the warning that when Periodical Abstracts, Predicasts, and mutilation is a punishable crime. PAIS were available on CD-ROM. The 453 • Creating awareness of the problem missing pages were detected in volumes by utilizing the campus newspaper and from 1976 to 1982. Periodical Abstracts and media outlets. Predicasts began their CD-ROM coverage • Providing an adequate number of in 1989 and 1991, respectively. The only photocopiers, change machines, and ven­ CD-ROM indexing source that covers mu­ dor card machines to dissuade users from tilation of volumes from 1976 to 1982 is mutilation. PAIS, which began its coverage in 1976. • Announcing the closing times in or­ It is possible that the 453 missing pages der to give students a chance to complete from Orbis (out of a total number of 1,740 their photocopying. pages) is a result of the availability of the • Encouraging faculty to place an CD-ROM indexing database. In all the adequate number of required readings on other titles, the library staff discovered the reserve, especially during exam periods. mutilation in the volumes not included • Encouraging users to report imme­ in the years the CD-ROM databases cover. diately any missing pages from the stacks. It is clearly shown in table 4 that no rela­ • Involving librarians more in main­ tionship exists between the availability of taining and reviewing the physical con­ indexing and abstracting services on CD- dition of titles.

Destruction of Knowledge 507 if it found a correlation between mutila­ seek them, the conscientious librarian has tion in the monograph collection and the to make a choice: he or she can chose to journal collection in similar subject areas. work in silence or to protect the library A study needs to be undertaken that examines the areas of a library's collec­ Research has shown that the tion that were subject to budgetary cuts, problem of book and journal and then investigates mutilation to see if mutilation does not have a perma­ a relationship exists between such cuts nent solution, but ignoring the issue and the amount of mutilation. Research is certainly not the answer. has shown that the problem of book and journal mutilation does not have a per­ manent solution, but ignoring the issue collection from mutilators, thieves, and is certainly not the answer. For the sake vandals by confronting the problem of of knowledge, truth, and the people who mutilation and actively reacting to it.

Notes 1. Susan Bolton, "Dealing with Increase in Willful Destruction," Library Collection Develop­ ment List, no. 284, COLLDVL®USVM.BITNET (Jan. 1994). 2. Sharon Mast, "Ripping Off and Ripping Out: Book Theft and Mutilation from Academic Libraries," Library & Archival Security 5 (winter 1983): 39. 3. Clyde Hendrick and Marjorie E. Murfin, "Project Library Ripoff: A Study of Periodical Mutilation in a University Library," College & Research Libraries 35 (Nov. 1974): 402-11. 4. --, "Ripoffs Tell Their Story: Interviews with Mutilators in a University Library," Jour­ nal of Academic Librarianship 1 (May 1975): 8-12 5. Carroll Varner, "The Causes, Measurement, and Prevention of Journal Mutilation in an Academic Library," ERIC Document Reproduction Service, no. ED 234817 (1983): 77. 6. Dana Weiss, "Book Theft and Book Mutilation in a Large University Library," College & Research Libraries 42 (July 1981): 345. 7.1bid. 8. Terri Petersen, "Theft and Mutilation of Library Materials," College & Research Libraries 51 (Mar. 1990): 128 9.1bid. 10. Theodore Hines, "Theft, Mutilation and the Loss-to-Use Ratio," Library Security Newslet­ ter 1, no. 3 (May/June 1975): 1-4. 11. Thomas Atwood and Carol Wall, "A Case Study of Periodical Mutilation in a University Serials Collection," Library & Archival Security 10, no. 1 (1990): 35-41. 12. Carroll Varner, "The Causes, Measurement, and Prevention of Journal Mutilation," 78. 13. 1bid. 14. Carroll Varner, "Journal Mutilation in Academic Libraries," Library & Archival Security 5 (winter 1983): 20 15. Joan M. Luke, "The Mutilation of Periodicals in a Mid-Size University Library," The Serials Librarian 20 (1991): 95-109. 16. Jeannette Bobeen, "Mutilation of Library Resources: Containing a Study of Mutilation of the Reference Collection of the Undergraduate Library, Ellis Library, University of Missouri­ Columbia" (M.A Thesis, Department of Library Scien·ce, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1974). 17. Carol Wall, "Inventory What You Might Expect to Be Missing," Library & Archival Security 7 (summer 1985): 27. 18. Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, New York University Libraries Fact Sheet (New York: New York University, fall1993). 19. Frances Meals and W. J. Johnson, "We Choose Microfilm," College & Research Libraries 21 (Jan. 1973): 223-26. ------

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