The book was described by auctioneers as being a "good example of an extremely scarce first edition first issue" with light wear and tear. It was one of the 300 library editions as it has a library stamp on its title page and signs of a previous library slip card... Upon its release, publishers produced only a small number of copies because of uncertainty about whether or not the book would prove popular.
I was concerned that perhaps the book had been stolen from a library, but the BBC report indicates that the sale was by a reputable auction firm, so presumably the provenance/ownership had been verified. But I remember reading in the past about valuable maps being razored out of library books (thus escaping detectors at doors). John Farrier, if you are still visiting, is theft from libraries a cause for concern nowadays? Or perhaps other librarians can comment.
Embedded image cropped for size from the original at the BBC.
I appreciate the shoutout.
ReplyDeleteThe theft of test prep books (e.g. CDL exam, NCLEX) can be a problem. Otherwise, not really.
I recently discovered that we have a rare book on our shelves that normally goes for about $500 on eBay.
As another public librarian, theft is not a huge concern. It does happen sometimes, but since there are no fines for late books we usually get things back eventually.
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