libraries cleared out, too

[pianistimo]

As much as I am all for clearing clutter - this doesn't seem proper.  In Fairfax County, VA, library officials used computer software to aggressively weed out books not checked out for two years or more.  Budget cuts are said to make shelf space precious - but what happens to the old books?  Just wondering.  Do they scan them and digitize them -or are they obliterated?  Gone to antique bookstores or something?

[ahinton]

As much as I am all for clearing clutter - this doesn't seem proper.

Not according to your thread on the subject - other than in your dreams, it seems...

In Fairfax County, VA, library officials used computer software to aggressively weed out books not checked out for two years or more.  Budget cuts are said to make shelf space precious - but what happens to the old books?  Just wondering.  Do they scan them and digitize them -or are they obliterated?  Gone to antique bookstores or something?

Why not ask them? They are surely more likely to have the answer than anyone her on this forum...

Best,

Alistair

[pianistimo]

Alistair!  I don't dream of cleaning.  Whatever gave you that idea?  However, lately i have had a couple of strange dreams - like these choices.  I don't remember what they were about - but i remember having to make a choice about something.  Dreams have to be written down right away, or else you forget them entirely.

Reader's digest is where I read about the library thing.  You know - you call the library and then suddenly you're a patron and they send you envelopes to mail as well as expect the usual donation every year.  I'm interested - but I don't live there - so I'm thinking maybe just putting it on the internet so that someone who lives there will find out if it's so and rescue the books much like animals are rescued and put into a good home.  We don't want the books thrown out - but maybe an antique bookstore or something?  There are plenty of old, musty books in philly libraries, too.  They're interesting for a time - but hopelessly out-of-date - so more for historical purposes.  I understand that.  It used to be that budgets were never a reason for eliminating books, though - so the underlying fear here is that some kind of agenda is being promoted and it's not just old books - but possibly sick books, too.

[ahinton]

Alistair!  I don't dream of cleaning.  Whatever gave you that idea?

Nothing - and I wasn't suggesting that you were; my intended meaning was to draw an appropriate distinction between unreality and reality (you should perhaps try it some time!) ...

However, lately i have had a couple of strange dreams - like these choices.  I don't remember what they were about - but i remember having to make a choice about something.

Well, I'll lay thirty pieces of silver to a shekel that it wasn't whether or not to continue to believe literally in the Bible, was it?!...

Dreams have to be written down right away, or else you forget them entirely.

I wonder if that was borne in mind by some of the Biblical authors?...

Reader's digest is where I read about the library thing.  You know - you call the library and then suddenly you're a patron and they send you envelopes to mail as well as expect the usual donation every year.

Yes, they get you all ways, don't they?!...

I'm interested - but I don't live there - so I'm thinking maybe just putting it on the internet so that someone who lives there will find out if it's so and rescue the books much like animals are rescued and put into a good home.  We don't want the books thrown out - but maybe an antique bookstore or something?  There are plenty of old, musty books in philly libraries, too.  They're interesting for a time - but hopelessly out-of-date - so more for historical purposes.  I understand that.  It used to be that budgets were never a reason for eliminating books, though - so the underlying fear here is that some kind of agenda is being promoted and it's not just old books - but possibly sick books, too.

Money woes affect almost everyone and every organisation to some degree at times; I would imagine that libraries that are forced to dispose of stock will know what to do with it, from antiquarian book dealers (for the more valuable things) to charity bookshops and the like.

Best,

Alistair

[lisztisforkids]

There is actually a discard table in my library, anybody can go up and grab the books. Its pretty cool..

[Bob]

Yes, free stuff.  Sometimes they throw out things that really shouldn't be thrown out.