Artifact, Preservation, and Access: UNM's Editorial Botas Book Covers Collection.

The University of New Mexico General Libraries recently acquired an archival collection of 147 paperback books published in Mexico by Editorial Botas from the 1920s to the 1950s. The historical and artistic significance of the cover illustrations, combined with the relatively intact condition of the books, made this an attractive acquisition for the library. The books were cataloged and preserved, then placed in a special collection. All covers were digitally scanned while maintaining the integrity of the physical objects. A searchable database containing a brief bibliographic description and an image of each cover was produced with the eventual goal of mounting it to a web site. Design and execution of the electronic pathfinder proved challenging and educational for the librarian and technicians involved. The development and results of this process provides an encouraging model for both preservation of and access to fragile materials. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]