Altbestandsrevison an der Herzog August Bibliothek -- ein Erfahrungsbericht.

As in many libraries with rare books in the Duke August Library uncertainty prevailed about the condition of their valuable holdings. Accidental negative feedback resulting from requests to the stacks alerted the responsible staff and fostered the feeling that one should examine more thoroughly. Is the security of the holdings still given? Are there volumes misplaced? Is the catalogue reliable? These and other reasons induced the Duke August Library to carry out a general stack review of its rare book holdings. This paper will discuss very briefly the theoretical background and then report in more detail about the preparation, the process and the results of the rare book stack review at the Duke August Library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]