I was wondering just that... I'm talking mostly about university libraries, but feel free to expand. The thing is, I can understand books related to certain subjects actually taught in the university entering the library - it's common sense to have them there. But what about literature of any kind? I've search the Concordia library for science fiction books - what a shock, eh?! - and I found out that they have NO OSC book, only a few Frank Herbert ones (but not even the whole Dune cycle), more A.C. Clarke ones - I've already read I think 4 or 5 of them these last weeks, including the very interesting autobiographic "A View from Serendip" -, many Asimov items - admitedly, many of them might be scientific articles... -, and also only a few Ph.K. Dick.
So, my question is: how do they choose what gets in? By popularity? Don't think so, otherwise the Dune cycle would be there, and not just the first book. Do they have to have the accord of the author? Don't think that either... Or do they have to wait for a certain time to pass from the first edition of the book in order to include it in the library for public acces? Hmm... Thinking of it, it must be a pretty hard job to find the books worth buying for a library...
Posted by RRR (Member # 6601) on :
quote: How do books enter the library?
Through the door, I'd imagine.
Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :
I think they tend to order them in bulk, without particular notice of titles. At least, that's how my middle school library functioned.
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
For RRR: I shall write a petition for the "punch that guy" smiley from Yahoo!Messenger to be added to the current list...
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
Anthro, so who decides what goes into the bulk, then?! I mean somewhere on that chain there must be someone who says: "Yeah, this should really go in". Aren't the librarians looking for specific books, or if a book is in the library and is part of a series, for the rest of that series?!
Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :
It was publisher's surplus. Got it cheap.
Posted by Zevlag (Member # 1405) on :
By request, and by donation.
I've asked for specific books a number of times and the librarians will purchase them.
Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :
At my university (Texas Woman's U.) faculty, graduate students and staff can request titles for the library to purchase. Twice a year they send out notices to all of us that it's time to make requests. All my wishes have been granted thus far, so I think it's worth a shot to request the books.
If undergrad students want to request titles, they usually have to have some substantive reason other than, "I think he's a cool author"
It would be worth asking at your library if there is a way to request titles for your library.
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
Well, I'm not gonna bother going through all of the stuff in order to get some other books in the library as I'm only here as an exchange student for four months...
Anyway... You mean that grad students can only go and ask for a book? Even if it's not in their area of study?! I think your library has too much money... Oh, wait, I just reread your post... They ASK you to give them your requests?! Wow, that's nice!
---
I think it's as good a time as any to read something other then SF, so I'll probably try some of the "classics", since they're probably better represented in the library. And I also have friends both at Universite de Montreal and at McGill, so if I really want to, I can search there too.
Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :
You might want to check and see if your university has an agreement of some sort with the local public library. One school I attended didn't have much pleasure reading materials since students could use the local library.
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
No, they don't. I know this 'cause I attended a workshop during the first days in which they talked about this, among other things. But you can ask for books from other university libraries and they'll give you a special library card, but with more limited use - time & number. So I decided that if I want to, I can always ask my friends to pick some for me - since the one at McGill can borrow up to 40 books at a time, and I think at Univ. de Montreal they can borrow 20.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
The Public Library near me has a science fiction section. A collection. Tomorrow I intend to visit this collection and browse.
The University of Toronto Library is absolutely huge. It's like a massive warren of geometric caves that someone decided to stack books in. I could wander in there for hours. I could live there, and no one would ever know.
I should check their science fiction section. .
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
Hmm... I suppose I could read the books in the library - they all must have special areas dedicated to this - but I usually like to read on the metro from and to the university, or at night in my room, so...
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
my university has very few "pleasure reading" books (well, what I think of as 'very few' for a library).
I generally go to the public library for books. They generally will buy books that people ask for...and will take donations.
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
Considering my father was the head librarian of Acadia University for many years I'm rather disappointed with myself for not knowing the answer to this question. Mom would know though, maybe I'll E-mail her and ask what's what.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
The librarians pick the books, with the help of the Board members...at least that is how the books in my home town were picked in the 1980's. I was friends with the old librarian lady, and she told me about the book procurement policies because she wanted my input. They often ask their regular visitors about making recommendations, and as someone else mentioned the requests usually are at least considered.
Local libraries all have procedures for people to request future purchases...but a lot depends on the area. City libraries often have more room and funding than smaller ones, so are more likely to have the "non-essentials" such as sci-fi and fantasy...often times their collection will be a bit out of date, but they may have loan procedures for loaning books from other libraries in the area.
Also, if a lot of people request a specific book or author, either for transfers from other libraries or on purchase request forms, the library is a lot more likely to buy those in the future.
Also, location matters in other ways as well. Collage (and other school) libraries all have a strong focus on reference materials and non-fiction, and other times the fiction is more geared to classics than contemporary stories.
Hope than helps!
Kwea
[ September 27, 2004, 01:19 AM: Message edited by: Kwea ]
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
Thank you all. Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Most "Collections" are groups of books that are donated to the school by some individual. If you love your library, and your own book collection, put it in your will to donate that collection to the library. Add some cash to cover expenses of actually getting it to the library.
If there are any rare or 1st editions, you can give them to me. I'm nice and hardly ever bite.
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
My parents donated most of the books I had as a child to the kindergarten I went to once I switched from them to other types of books. We have a pretty extensive SF collection right now, but since it's in Romania and I'm travelling around the world with my studies I can't bring with me all the books I want to. I've read most of them anyway... I haven't really thought what will happen to them... In fact, I haven't really thought what will happen to me! So until that's solved, the books stay at home - and anyway, my father likes SF almost as much as we do (me and my brother) and he's only read some of them...
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
I know how this works here, because I've been a part of the process a few times.
Basically, each department gets a budget based around a number of factors, primarily what they've gotten in the past, and spends that as they will.
They determine how to spend it by three methods: heavily checked out/damaged items, requests, and catalogue-flipping (usually by librarians). New books coming out are made available in two or three major catalogues, and a few minor ones, along with things such as ratings by librarian organizations. The first is pretty self-explanatory. The second is because each request means at least ten or twenty people want to read the book. And the third is how the bulk of books are purchased, on the idea that what sounds good (as described by a relatively impartial source) is likely going to be good, at least to somebody.
Oh, and certain purchases are pretty much automatic -- continuations of series, updated versions of reference works (the library typically has a policy on how up to date they keep their references), works by known-popular authors, that sort of thing. Also, its not uncommon for libraries to indentify a short list of currently popular themes/subjects, particularly for nonfiction works, and try to improve their collections in those areas.
Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
if the library doesn't have the book you want, and especially if you have a time constraint, ask about inter-library loan. They should be able to borrow the book from another library for your use. You will have to wait for it to be shipped, but that's not as long as a wait for books to be ordered. Then you return it to the library from which you got it.
I've done this in our local community college, so I speak from experience. Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
If it's a public library, they will work on requests and by donation. I have donated books to my public libraries.
School libraries will either leave the individual selections up to the librarian (rare) or they will purchase in bulk at the district level.
However, at our school, we have a fundraiser each year that raises money specifically for the library, and they use that money to purchase additional books, beyond what they get from the school board. So our school librarian can select books individually from that source of money.
When I get a job as a school librarian (God willing) I plan to make sure Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are in the collection, even if I have to purchase them myself. I think they are wonderful books for young people to read.
I will of course make certain there is adequate amounts of Tolkien as well.
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
I work in a school library, and will sure buy some OSC books in the following months (there are none now, can you believe that ?)
[ September 28, 2004, 04:57 PM: Message edited by: Anna ]
Posted by Audeo (Member # 5130) on :
I've noticed that a lot of college libraries have very dry, research only, type books, with only a few fiction of any sort mixed in. Those fiction books they get are usually part of a specific bequest.
We have, in an absolutely huge buildings full of books, exactly one shelf of fiction published after 1980. Most of which is Grisham, with a few others like Anne McCaffrey mixed in. There's one Card book, I think it's one of the Genesis books. However searching the literature section, I was able to find some of the 'pulp' fiction from way back. I checked out a book that hadn't been checked out in 30 years, and was surprisingly good, as far as fluff goes. I also discovered that we have all of the "Year's Best Science Fiction" anthologies. So if you really want something to read for fun, and you're in a 'research' library, Congressional records, and copies of Wuthering Heights, I suggest you just adventure a little.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
- and I found out that they have NO OSC book, only a few Frank Herbert ones (but not even the whole Dune cycle), more A.C. Clarke ones - I've already read I think 4 or 5 of them these last weeks, including the very interesting autobiographic "A View from Serendip" -, many Asimov items - admitedly, many of them might be scientific articles... -, and also only a few Ph.K. Dick.![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Oh, wait, I just reread your post... They ASK you to give them your requests?! Wow, that's nice!![[Hat]](graemlins/hat.gif)