Translate[Archived] Question # 23: What is the cost of making the books in the Watson Reading Room available for borrowing in the Alexandria Library System?
Question:
What is the cost of making the books in the Watson Reading Room available for borrowing in the Alexandria Library System? (Councilman Chapman)
Response:
In conversation with the Alexandria Black History Museum (ABHM) Director, Audrey Davis, and Office of Historic Alexandria Director, Gretchen Bulova, it was determined that ABHM would prefer to keep the material in the Watson Reading Room as non-circulating. Many of the items in the collection are out of print and irreplaceable. If a patron were to check them out and not return them, it would be a permanent loss to the collection.
If the ABHM wants to improve the visibility and awareness of the collection it is recommended that a vision and strategic plan for the Watson Reading Room first be established. However, if the current collection was to be integrated into the Alexandria Library public online catalog and listed as “reference” or “non-circulating” like the materials in the Law Library and Local History /Special Collections branch, the following costs would be associated:
