Awful Library Books

Sometimes, at the Reference desk, a person will ask for a good book about such and such a topic. If I am feeling especially witty and the person asking the question seems to have a sense of humor, I sometimes say "We only have good books." Then I proceed to really answer the question. I may have to modify my responce as I have come across a site called Awful Library Books. Among the esoteric volumes mentioned are How to Preserve Animal and other Specimens in Clear Plastic and Knitting with Dog Hair. The real point of the site, however, is that public libraries need to weed their collections regularly, so that they don't have ten year old books about how to use a computer, etc.

Ray Bradbury and Libraries

The front page of today’s New York Times features an article about Ray Bradbury’s fight to keep a California public library open. A number of the state’s public libraries may be forced to close because of the current fiscal crisis. Bradbury is focusing his efforts on the H. P Wright Library in Ventura County, which has been told that it must raise $280,000, or it will be forced to close.

When he was young, Bradbury, now 88 years old, could not afford to go to college, so he went to libraries three days a week for ten years. “I don’t believe in colleges and universities,” Bradbury says, “I believe in libraries.” Though the author of such books as Fahrenheit 451 and Something Wicked This Way Comes didn’t make our list of 10 Books to Read before You Die, we’ll have to give Bradbury an honorable mention for his support of libraries and reading. Here’s to you Ray!