Comments on: What To Do With Used Books http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2006/10/16/what-to-do-with-used-books/ or, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Fear and Loathing at a Public Library Reference Desk Sat, 18 May 2013 18:29:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Liz http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2006/10/16/what-to-do-with-used-books/#comment-16 Liz Wed, 18 Oct 2006 03:23:32 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=7#comment-16 Wow, that’s incredible–and sad. I’ve never been able to throw away/recycle a book in my life. It seems sacreligious or something somehow.

And you never know what crazy book someone will think is great. Like your medical directory–someone who graduated from med school or started their practice in 1969 might love it. And anyone who has worked an antique market or a garage sale can attest that some people will pay good money for stuff you’d be ashamed to throw away at home.

]]> By: herzogbr http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2006/10/16/what-to-do-with-used-books/#comment-15 herzogbr Tue, 17 Oct 2006 22:17:25 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=7#comment-15 Liz: I think there’s a lot of different things done with books that don’t sell, depending on the library – either they get donated to Goodwill, thrown away (hopefully recycled), saved for next year, passed off to other libraries, etc. But yeah, the sad truth is that libraries withdraw/discard readable books from the collection, as well as donated books, all the time – and too often, just on the basis of lack of space or low circulation.

Kate: It’s hard to know what someone might want – we have people that take home all of our old discarded Value Line booklets – outdated financial data is kind of right up there with outdated medical information. But librarians can’t make judgments like that – “every book its reader,” you know. Besides, I don’t think BookProspector.com cares about judgments, either – if they think they can sell it, I’m sure they’ll try.

]]> By: Kate http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2006/10/16/what-to-do-with-used-books/#comment-14 Kate Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:26:21 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=7#comment-14 Wow, that’s a lot of money from a booksale!

I doubt Book Prospector would want our cast-offs (I can’t imagine anyone would – medical directory from 1969 anyone?), but I will have to check it out.

]]> By: Liz http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2006/10/16/what-to-do-with-used-books/#comment-13 Liz Tue, 17 Oct 2006 04:48:05 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=7#comment-13 That never occurred to me–what typically happens to the books that don’t sell? Do they donate them to a charity, or put them on one of the sites mentioned, or (*shudder*) throw them away? Are librarians actually capable of disposing of readable books?

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