30 May
2006
30 May
'06
12:59 a.m.
>I was told by two libaries that most of the
collection
>would be thrown out durring the sorting and the rest would most
>likely go in a year or two.
true of circulating libraries. These have limited space. While most librarians would like
to be able to keep
everything, you do that at the expense of patron's ease of use and
"relevancy" of the collection. If people walk into a
library and are confronted by scores of books that you are not at all interested in, they
tend to give up and leave.
What you want is an archival or academic library. The maintenance of a large collection is
integral to the operation of
these libraries, and they are unlikely to wantonly cull books.
All libraries have a focus. If you disregard the focus it is unlikely that they will be
very interested in your collection.
OTOH librarians are "information professionals" and recognize the value of
information. Ask (a MLS librarian)
and they will probably direct you somewhere where your collection will be used (provided
they aren't rushing
around - library directors are finding out that nondegreed paraprofessionals are cheaper,
leaving more work for the MLSes)
And not only that, but in many small communities in the
USA there
are movements afoot to merge the public library (as run by a city)
and the school district's library.
Key word is city. Larger county and multi-county systems are doing O.K. Not that long ago,
Washington had a proposition to
eliminate a library district (to "reduce taxes") go down in flames.
The sad fact is that in most places,
where they are funded by the local government, they are only open
now because it would be politically embarrasing not to have them,
And you discribe the reason for the existance of most government programs of any value.