Comments on: A quick comment from the librarian…

By: A.

A. — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:01:38 +0000

Word. I do love old books–one of the gems of my personal collection is a hotel library catalog from…dang, it’s upstairs…I think 1904. An actual bound book, listing and giving a brief summary of all of the books you can borrow to read while you’re staying at the hotel. Completely useless, but when I saw it at a sale, I knew I had to have it. It also has an introduction that explains how the hotel library’s collection was chosen–why, for instance, they don’t have the complete works of Shakespeare, Dickens, and Twain (answer: because nobody would actually read them, and the hotel library is not a museum of great literature, and the hotel is better off using their limited funds and space for things people might actually want to borrow and read).

Similarly, the public libraries of today aren’t museums of quirky old books, and they don’t have room to keep everything–and even if shelf space was unlimited, you’d still have to move the old and quirky stuff out of the way so the stuff that people actually want can be found. No matter how much I love my 1904 hotel library catalog, it doesn’t belong in an actual public library’s catalog.

By: FutureAlien

FutureAlien — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:13:51 +0000

I can understand that people wuld want to update the collections in their libraries, but imagine what wonderful resources they will be for alien archaeologists who visit Earth in 3000 years! They will need to know about our “stag lines” and how teens cleaned their rooms, won’t they?

By: Forexabica

Forexabica — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:26:27 +0000

I think this is a cool blog so I finally decided to make a post.I thought about starting my own board but I‘m glad I found this one instead. Great Info!

By: Bryan C

Bryan C — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:24:04 +0000

I worked in a college library for a couple years, including helping to sort donations and with moving the entire collection to a new facility, so I am sympathetic. The problem, as I see it, is when one that assumes that newer = better.

Space exploration is a good example, since we’re upon 40th anniversary of Apollo 11. A kid browsing in a library would probably never see any of Willy Ley’s or Werner von Braun’s incredibly influential books from the 50’s or early 60’s. Or any contemporary materials from the Apollo era. Or even from the development of the Voyager program or the space shuttle in the 70’s and 80’s. They were removed long ago. Their library may even have tossed out Carl Sagan’s wonderful “Cosmos” series, probably on the grounds that the dated fashions and special effects were just too distracting. All that’s left is a bland and simplified recitation of selected facts. Hardly the stuff to inspire future generations. And. all in all, I think that’s a darn shame.

Librarians, being human, are as subject to the whims of fashion and politics as anyone else. It’s fine to say that we should consider removing these books from the shelves, but don’t be surprised or upset when someone pushes back.

By: karim

karim — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:47:17 +0000

Ahhh– but the real problem isn’t the jokey books you’re putting in here — it’s libraries that weed all books from, for example, first wave feminism because it’s old and dated — as if somehow feminism didn’t change the world, and as if one can really understand the concepts behind it from reading, say, Christina Hoff Summers. People use the basic philosophy of weeding to go well past CREW recommendations and strip their communities of valuable and persistently in-demand resources just because it’s more than 3 or 4 years old. I’m sure you wouldn’t do that — but it does happen, and it’s a poor value for taxpayers.

Removal of access to material based on an ideology by the government is the definition of censorship. What you’re highlighting here is for the most part, responsible professional practice. But it can, and does, go too far, and it’s because of the ideology that in non-fiction, only new is good.

And @basketcase, the tattiest books in your library are the most popular. Buy new if you can, always. But if there’s a serious case that users would prefer no copy of Diary of Young Girl to a worn (but complete) one, I have never heard it.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:21:37 +0000

Ah, these are >within< network ILLs? Okay, I take most of it back then.
I do still think having a book circulate recently would make it more likely for it to be kept. I too hope it is not the sole determining factor, but I think that in many libraries one way to determine likely candidates for weeding is running a report that lists, for example, no circs in the last 4 years. If they get checked out, then they might not end up on those lists, and would have to get noticed some other way. I hope this happens, but obviously it doesn't always!

By: Leah L.

Leah L. — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:06:00 +0000

If your academic library is like the one I work at, they do keep usage statistics on the periodicals even though they can not be checked out. I work in the Circulation area in our library and we account for every usage when we pick up a periodical on a table, find it in a book drop or touch it for any reason. They may not have barcodes, or be able to leave the building, but trust me…we keep a count. With the ever increasing cost of journals in the academic world, the usage numbers on our serials, journals and periodicals are some of the most important numbers we track! They determine which subscriptions can be renewed each year and which just simply aren’t worth the cost.

By: Leah L.

Leah L. — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:53:34 +0000

Well said comment about the site! We are undergoing a HUGE weeding project at our library this summer and are getting rid of a ton of books. Some are being shipped to other libraries, some are going in our book sale, and yes, some are (gasp!) being recycled. I once was of the notion that EVERYTHING EVER published was sacred and must be saved, no matter low usage, outdated information and space considerations. Work in a library for a while and you begin to change your tune. Our shelves will look better, be easier to navigate through and be visited much more often once this project is finished. I am excited for the students to return in the fall and see the fruits of our efforts. Now, back to work…

By: jennylu

jennylu — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:27:03 +0000

Love what you are doing here. I smile every time I open the site. We are weeding at the moment in my school library and keep finding worthy additions for you. Do you want us to send you fodder?

By: marykelly48

marykelly48 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:09:48 +0000

Andrea, I sincerely hope I am not making the situation worse! Hopefully, lending libraries are not just depending on circ as the sole determining factor. Our ILL process is pretty simple within our network. Frankly, I usually don’t have to go to far to find a “bad” book.