Best Practices for Commitments on Facsimiles for Shared Print Programs

While shared print often focuses on securing commitments on the physical artefacts, this may not always occur. Shared print commitments will occasionally be made on materials that are facsimiles. This can occur when programs do not require physical item validation or through cataloging information being incomplete. The best practice below outlines good, better, and best processes for shared print programs to follow when commitments on facsimiles are discovered by member libraries. 

Best Practice 

Each level presumes all checks of any/all preceding levels.

Good

• Program encourages libraries to report the discovery of facsimiles as part of program policies and practices. 
• Program tracks discovery of facsimiles via an internal process for future commitment or works with the member library to attempt to secure another commitment on an original artifactual (i.e. non-facsimile) circulating print copy from their collection.

Better

• Program secures replacement commitments from other member library’s collections to replace facsimile. 
• Because facsimiles are often included because of metadata errors, the program asks members to shift commitment to actual copy and not facsimile when possible. Members are also asked to update metadata for both titles to reflect facsimile copy. 

Best 

• MOU requires item validation as part of joining the shared print program and includes checking for facsimiles. See Best Practices for Inventory for Shared Print Programs for instructions on doing this. 
• Program establishes process to regularly secure replacement commitments from other member library’s collections to replace facsimiles. 
• If no print copies exist, the program asks member library to check for digital surrogates and record information following Best Practices for Digital Surrogates. 

	Good	Better	Best	Aspirational
Program encourages libraries to report the discovery of facsimiles as part of program promotion and practices.	x
Program tracks discovery of facsimiles via an internal process for future commitment or works with the member library to attempt to secure another commitment on an original artifactual (i.e. non-facsimile) circulating print copy from their collection.	x
Program secures replacement commitments from other member library’s collections to replace facsimile.		x
Program asks members to shift commitment to actual copy and not facsimile when possible.  Members are also asked to update metadata for both titles to reflect facsimile copy.		x
MOU requires item validation as part of joining the shared print program and includes checking for facsimiles. See Best Practices for Inventory for Shared Print Programs for instructions on doing this.			x
Program established process to regularly secure replacement commitments from other member library’s collections to replace facsimile.			x
If no print copies exist, the program asks member library to check for digital surrogates and record information following Best Practices for Digital Surrogates.			x

Last updated October 2021