tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post116795907130945258..comments2023-08-18T04:37:47.001-04:00Comments on Byzantium's Shores: chronicling the misadventures of an overalls-clad hippie: Can't someone invent shelves with infinite space for books?Kelly Sedingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10704114189919711467noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-1168430318815282222007-01-10T06:58:00.000-05:002007-01-10T06:58:00.000-05:00At least as far back as the late 80s/early 90s, wh...At least as far back as the late 80s/early 90s, when I was in library school, poor circulation was one of the main criteria for weeding books. Shelf space is just too limited in most public libraries to be able to indefinitely store books that nobody is checking out and still serve the completely reasonable public demand for new books. <BR/><BR/>Every few years some outraged columnist or blogger realizes that his or her library is about to remove the dog-eared copy of <I>Pilgrim's Progress</I> that was last checked out in 1979 and has a fit about it. This trend will probably continue until books are obsolete and libraries have become nothing but kiosks containing the sum of human knowledge, in searchable full text. :-) The complaining columnists always seem to think the librarians are just being big meanies, but in my experience, the librarians are usually the most likely people to have actually READ the poorly circulating books, and the saddest to see them go.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-1168085589716578472007-01-06T07:13:00.000-05:002007-01-06T07:13:00.000-05:00I showed the WSJ article to one of my colleagues a...I showed the WSJ article to one of my colleagues and she was LIVID at the elitist tone of the piece, as though popularity were the sole criterion. That said, there uiis a balancing act that libraries are always doing. Who's to say Harry Potter (to pick one current popular book) won't be considered a "classic" in 20 years?Roger Owen Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05298172138307632062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-1168057679775013302007-01-05T23:27:00.000-05:002007-01-05T23:27:00.000-05:00I think it was Mark Twain who said "Classics are b...I think it was Mark Twain who said "Classics are books every wants to have read, but nobody wants to read." Unfortunatly this appears to be true. It's a shame that libraries are throwing out the older books to replace them with 'newer, more popular' books. I thought libraries were a little more respectable than that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-1168030006557297612007-01-05T15:46:00.000-05:002007-01-05T15:46:00.000-05:00What libraries should do is advertise the great cl...What libraries should do is advertise the great classics remind them that they too are on the shelves and are a good read. <BR/><BR/>Speaking of magic bookshelves. I want a bookshelf that can some how fit three rows of books that can rotate so I can see the books one row back with jsut a press of a button.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-1168019559380719182007-01-05T12:52:00.000-05:002007-01-05T12:52:00.000-05:00What I love about my library system is that I CAN ...What I love about my library system is that I CAN use it like Amazon - oder on-line any book in the 30+ library system and it's delivered right to my local library. Brilliant!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338557.post-1168001848261118262007-01-05T07:57:00.000-05:002007-01-05T07:57:00.000-05:00I blogged about this too and then sent the link on...I blogged about this too and then sent the link on to my library friends who left comments on what they thought...All Things Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09356153780672927550noreply@blogger.com