I'll get my librarian credentials yanked for admitting this in public, but the truth is libraries are continually getting rid of what any other person would call perfectly good books. There's only so much shelf space, and public libraries are not ever meant to be "keep everything forever historical archives." It's an easy concept when covers are shredded, pages are torn out or razored, magic markered, or if it's a 1960's book on STDs or even a 1980's book on famous Olympic athletes. People twitch, though, at many other decisions librarians have to make every day. Often it's because a book is simply no longer getting used (computers make that easy to track now).
Decent looking books get turned over to the Friends of the Library for sale at ridiculously low prices. Books that look a little groody, though, won't sell and so get sent ... yes... to landfills. There's not staff or even volunteers enough to sort out what might be given away (and taken to) nursing homes or the Boys and Girls Clubs. (BTW, this makes me f*ckin' nuts. I *HATE* the idea of any remotely-readable book taking up space in a bloody landfill.)
That all being said: it sounds like that's not nearly the extent of the problem with your friend's library. Mismanagement is a shame, because a decent head of state can at least wage a battle for the institution. Here in Phoenix, our circ is up somewhat and I recently read a surprising statistic that *library use* is up nationwide. Wasn't quite as surprised when it was clarified that they were counting remote use of computer databases and the like, but still...
Libraries and other publically-funded institutions are getting financially gutted, and here I run the risk of going off into my "what happened to civic duty" rant. We *are* in flux and must make changes. (OCLC did an interesting survey of library perception worldwide; ask if you want the link). But I'm sorry for your friend, and for your friend's community.
no subject
Decent looking books get turned over to the Friends of the Library for sale at ridiculously low prices. Books that look a little groody, though, won't sell and so get sent ... yes... to landfills. There's not staff or even volunteers enough to sort out what might be given away (and taken to) nursing homes or the Boys and Girls Clubs. (BTW, this makes me f*ckin' nuts. I *HATE* the idea of any remotely-readable book taking up space in a bloody landfill.)
That all being said: it sounds like that's not nearly the extent of the problem with your friend's library. Mismanagement is a shame, because a decent head of state can at least wage a battle for the institution. Here in Phoenix, our circ is up somewhat and I recently read a surprising statistic that *library use* is up nationwide. Wasn't quite as surprised when it was clarified that they were counting remote use of computer databases and the like, but still...
Libraries and other publically-funded institutions are getting financially gutted, and here I run the risk of going off into my "what happened to civic duty" rant. We *are* in flux and must make changes. (OCLC did an interesting survey of library perception worldwide; ask if you want the link). But I'm sorry for your friend, and for your friend's community.