Library discard: Blundering BPL almost tossed rare 1800 book worth $19G

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/05/library_discard_blundering_bpl_almost_tossed_rare_1800_book



DIRE ‘PROSPECT’: This historical pamphlet was given away, then returned to the BPL.

Library discard: Blundering BPL almost tossed rare 1800 book worth $19G
Jack Encarnacao, Matt Stout
Thursday, May 28, 2015

The blundering Boston Public Library — already under fire for lax security and two missing pieces of valuable art — discarded a rare 18th century book and only got it back after learning it was a prized political pamphlet, the Herald has learned.

Abbs said the work — published in 1800 — was flagged as a potential original of a title that was posted on an eBay auction for $19,500.

“It had been rebound by the library, as they typically are, but the text was the original, the original printing,” Abbs said. “We said, ‘Did you really mean to throw this one out?’ And they did an investigation and said ‘No, we’ll take that one back.’ ”

~snip~

News of tossing a rare book into the bargain bin comes a week after the library admitted two works of art — a 1504 engraving by Albrecht Durer worth $600,000 and a 1634 Rembrandt etching worth between $20,000 and $30,000 — are feared stolen. The FBI and the Boston police anti-corruption unit are investigating.

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The BPL has been down/dumb sizing everything for the last decade - I'm not surprised.