Notes - Imperfections (590)
Any imperfections in a given copy which affect the printed matter are recorded in a 590 note. The “unsavory vocabulary” devised by Leon Nemoy, former head of rare book cataloging at Yale, is used in imperfect notes.
| Wormed | eaten by worms (round holes, or winding channels through the paper) |
| Chewed | nibbled at by mice or rats, irregular pieces gnawed at the edges* |
| Frayed | irregular damage to margins through frequent use and abuse, with paper thinned and brittle |
| Bled | text cut into, and some lost through trimming of edges with sharp knife or shears |
| Browned | paper turned brown through exposure to weather or dry heat |
| Mutilated | text lost |
| Rubbed | page abraded, with type rendered indistinct or altogether illegible |
| Faded | type discolored through sunlight or other causes, with reduced legibility |
| Damp-stained | page spots due to water or other liquids |
| Mildewed | rainbow-colored stains, usually with paper made brittle or flaky |
*”Chewed by bookworms” is somewhat of a strain on the imagination–if worms have teeth, they must be very tiny
When entire pages of text or illustration are wanting, this is noted as specifically as possible. Other imperfections may be noted in a more general way if it is not feasible to detail the extent of imperfection.
| 590 | ‡a BEIN 1999 580: Imperfect: plates and all before page 7 and after page 92 wanting; pages 31-32 mutilated; slightly wormed through page 38; many pages bled at top, bottom and/or fore-edge. |
When volumes from a multi-volume monograph work are wanting, make an imperfect note.
| 590 | ‡a BEIN 2021 333: Imperfect: volumes 3-4 wanting. |