The Preservation Standing Commitee's 2014 Worst Book Contest Winner is University of Colorado Law School, William A. Wise Law Library. Their entry, Dissertationum juris controversi, tam in hispalensi, quam granatensi senatu... (1675) by José Vela, was submitted by Georgia Briscoe, Associate Director & Head of Technical Services.
Georgia writes "I don't know the story behind this book but I came across it when I moved the books in our rare book room. I'm assuming this book came to America on a ship and some worms enjoyed eating the velum which created the holes in the spine. I would love to win the contest and use the prize money to purchase a water alarm for the rare book room which houses this book in the basement of our library. A basement which has flooded in the past!"
Other 2014 Entries
Scroll down to see the other 2014 contest entries from:
- North Carolina Central University School of Law Library (2 entries)
- Sacramento County Public Law Library
- University of the District of Columbia Mason Law Library
- Berks County Law Library
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Library
- University of Florida Levin College of Law Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center
- Nevada Supreme Court Library
North Carolina Central University School of Law Library (1st entry) – Submitted by Adrienne DeWitt, Reference Librarian
Reynolds on Evidence; it’s dated 1893, and as you can see, it’s falling apart. I was walking through the stacks when I saw it next to the Nutshells. As far as I know, there was no accident or direct causation – it’s just old and falling apart.
North Carolina Central University School of Law Library (2nd entry) – Submitted by Adrienne DeWitt, Reference Librarian
The second is Copyright Reporter. It’s a supplement, so it’s softcover. Again, I found it when I was walking thought the stacks, and I think that it’s just old.
Sacramento County Public Law Library – Submitted by Jean L. Willis, Assistant Director for Support Services
Sacramento County Public Law Library staff discovered what was left of a copy of How to find Out Anything - From Extreme Google Searches to Scouring Government Documents, a Guide to Uncovering Anything About Everyone and Everything, by Don MacLeod. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 2012.
I guess one of our patrons really wanted to find everything in that book, since everything between the very first and very last page was ripped out and taken away. They must have found and removed the tattle tape before taking it out of the Library. The tattered remains were found about 6 months ago during a routine shelf reading. It has been a useful book for our patrons, so we bought a replacement copy, which is still intact right now!
University of the District of Columbia Mason Law Library – Submitted by Yasmin Morais, Cataloging Librarian
The copyright is 1912.
Berks County Law Library – Submitted by Catrina L. Mackes, Law Library Assistant
I have attached some photos of a very sorry looking book in our collection. It is volume 1 of the Federal Cases, but the entire set is in need of some TLC. I believe the copyright date is 1894. The photos attached are of the same book, and then the last shot is the rest of the family.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Library – Submitted by Kathryn C. Fitzhugh, Interim Law Library Director
United States. Congress. Congressional Globe (Permanent ed.). Title: The Congressional Globe. Washington: Blair and Rives. 1871.
This book has a worn, discolored and detached paper binding in worn quarter leather with red rot. No spine. Adhesive spine label attached to spine and back cover. The book is tied with white rope. All edges have protruding, brittle pages. There are dangling spine threads on the spine. It cannot be effectively handled without gloves.
University of Florida Levin College of Law Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center – Submitted by Patricia Morgan, Head of Access & Outreach
The book is Commentaries on the Laws of England. Book the Fourth, by William Blackstone, Esq. (the seventh edition). Oxford, at the Clarendon Press, MDCCLXXV. Printed for William Straham, Thomas Cadell, and Daniel Prince.
The University of Florida often receives donations from attorneys. This book came from an attorney’s office in Fernandina Beach, Florida. The book was signed on the inside cover by a “John Friend” – attorney, Cleveland 1862. This book has been in our rare book room – held together by string. It will be digitized in the future.
Nevada Supreme Court Library – Submitted by Paula Doty, Assistant Law Librarian
[This submission] is a twofer, featuring regrettable-repairs of book tape and clear packing tape and yet still has a broken binding and loose folios.
