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 p. 7 and after p. 92 wanting; p. 31-32 mutilated; slightly wormed through p. 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: v. 3-4 wanting. |