A book copy has missing pages. What is the best course of action?

A book copy has missing pages. What is the best course of action?

• A. Type copies of the missing pages from another volume and insert them.
• B. Replace with a different edition
• C. Ignore missing pages
• D. Notify supervisor

Answer: (A)

When a book copy has missing pages, the goal is to restore the item so readers can access the full text without altering the edition. Copying the exact missing pages from a reliable source and inserting them preserves the book’s original content, sequence, and pagination. This approach keeps the item faithful to the edition and avoids the problems that come with swapping in a different edition, such as altered wording, different pagination, or mismatched illustrations. Leaving gaps or trying to handle it casually would leave the work incomplete and confusing for users. This repair should be done under proper policy guidelines and with appropriate documentation, so future staff know what was added and where it came from. Notifying a supervisor is an important step in the process, but reproducing and inserting the missing pages is the action that actually restores the book for patron use.

When a book copy has missing pages, the goal is to restore the item so readers can access the full text without altering the edition. Copying the exact missing pages from a reliable source and inserting them preserves the book’s original content, sequence, and pagination. This approach keeps the item faithful to the edition and avoids the problems that come with swapping in a different edition, such as altered wording, different pagination, or mismatched illustrations. Leaving gaps or trying to handle it casually would leave the work incomplete and confusing for users. This repair should be done under proper policy guidelines and with appropriate documentation, so future staff know what was added and where it came from. Notifying a supervisor is an important step in the process, but reproducing and inserting the missing pages is the action that actually restores the book for patron use.