mo2 Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 catalog for the subjects of paganism, wicca, and earth religions, I find NO books? Not one. :mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamjk Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Our library system is just as pitiful. I moved south from the northeast and I'm still in shock at how bad the two closest county library systems are. And one of them includes the state capitol! They have almost nothing on evolution, especially in the juvenile section, for example. I would say that I find less than 50% of the books that I need in either of the two local systems. The audio available is minimal and the larger of the two counties has exactly ZERO video. I feel your pain.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted May 8, 2008 Author Share Posted May 8, 2008 Thank you for sympathizing. I could hs SO much cheaper if I had a decent library nearby. I can't find half the books I want. When I look for alternatives, they are pitifully outdated. Not just those topics I mentioned above; those are just what I happened to be looking for today and couldn't hold my vent in any longer. It's sad how much of my money Amazon has been getting lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 The library seems to focus on recent or new bestsellers, to the exclusion of almost everything else. I haven't even been able to get the books I want from Interlibrary Loan lately. I have a long list of ones I've requested, some from January, that haven't shown up yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 catalog for the subjects of paganism, wicca, and earth religions, I find NO books? Not one. :mad: We actually have a fair number of them in the large county system next door, none in the one where we live. You may want to see if your library has a book suggestion option so that they can see that there is a demand for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in NH Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 It's sad how much of my money Amazon has been getting lately. :iagree: That has been my case too...I now have a whole list of books on a print out...I think there might be about 200 or so, that I would really like to get over the next 3 years..I am carrying this list with me everywhere! That way, if I end up at a second hand book store or a library book sale I can hopefully get a few good buys! I don't need new books, just specific ones! Our library is pitiful! Just being in the North East certainly doesn't help! maybe if we were in a city it might be better...who knows... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I'm a librarian, and here's my experience: Books on paganism/wicca or any of that stuff have a strong tendency to disappear. People steal them all the time. Also astrology and occult topics. A library with a small budget just won't keep replacing those books after a while--it's not worth the cost. Sex ed books diappear too, but they get replaced on the theory that they're more crucial to the public welfare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I've heard that too, about them getting stolen or not returned. Some libraries put them behind the counter for that reason. There isn't much at my library, but I found a few books on the Goddess(es) and mythology last time I went. The one specifically on pagan ritual that was listed as there wasn't, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I'm a librarian, and here's my experience: Books on paganism/wicca or any of that stuff have a strong tendency to disappear. People steal them all the time. Also astrology and occult topics. A library with a small budget just won't keep replacing those books after a while--it's not worth the cost. Sex ed books dis:thumbdown:appear too, but they get replaced on the theory that they're more crucial to the public welfare. That would probably be why they are so often listed as missing in the catalog. *Sigh* Around here I don't know if it's folks without a reasonable ethical compass who can't differentiate between the concept of "I want to" and "I can " or "I should", or some taking them because they think the books are in some way "dangerous" and they think they are protecting the public....though, come to think of it, those two groups are not all that different, are they? Neither one has a reasonable differentiation between public and private/personal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I'm a librarian, and here's my experience: Books on paganism/wicca or any of that stuff have a strong tendency to disappear. People steal them all the time. Also astrology and occult topics. A library with a small budget just won't keep replacing those books after a while--it's not worth the cost. Sex ed books diappear too, but they get replaced on the theory that they're more crucial to the public welfare. WHY?? And since the system keeps track of who last checked it out, can't they not get more books until they return it? I think our library won't let you check anything out with fines over a certain amount, and you'd think if something is, say, 6 months overdue, the borrower's account would be locked out. On the original topic, I've noticed more & more of this subject in my small-town library lately, and have wondered at the increase. Maybe just the preference of whoever is in charge of purchasing? We do have a suggestion box, so maybe they've been requested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 We do have a selection of wicca/pagan books at our library, which is nice of them, but what we don't have are CLASSICS! I kid you not - very little Plato, no Herodotus, no nothing! I thought there were some basic books every library had! It's been a frustrating year because I did not have the money to buy them and didn't figure out the interlibrary loan system for half the semester (my fault!). Next year will be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 WHY?? And since the system keeps track of who last checked it out, can't they not get more books until they return it? If a book is stolen, the library doesn't know who has it. It's not like library security systems are top-of-the-line or anything. As for why people steal them, IME it's younger people who think the topics are cool but don't want to buy the books. I don't want to say that teenagers are all criminals or anything--it only takes a few who aren't listening to their consciences. "Hey, the library is free and it belongs to everyone, right? So these books are mine!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 They've all been purposefully stolen from our library system.... So have all the books relating to Satan, Magic, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CookieMonster Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I'm a librarian, and here's my experience: Books on paganism/wicca or any of that stuff have a strong tendency to disappear. People steal them all the time. Also astrology and occult topics. A library with a small budget just won't keep replacing those books after a while--it's not worth the cost. I have never heard of people stealing books from libraries. :svengo: I have just had my quaint little bubble popped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 If a book is stolen, the library doesn't know who has it. It's not like library security systems are top-of-the-line or anything. Oh. I was thinking "stolen" meant someone would check it out and never return it - it never occurred to me that they might not check it out! :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Our library system is just as pitiful. They have almost nothing on evolution, especially in the juvenile section, for example. : I about flipped when I checked out some juvenile books on evolution and found that someone had taken it on themselves to go through and "correct" it according to their own beliefs. Pegasus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happygrrl Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 They've all been purposefully stolen from our library system.... So have all the books relating to Satan, Magic, etc. I have it on authority from our 'Christian' librarian that there was a local Church that advocated making (and made specific plans to make) certain books disappear from the library. I am a Christian, and was terribly embarrassed and saddened by this. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 At our library if a book isn't checked out then you will beep leaving the building. I thought most libraries that this technology now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay in Cal Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 OK, so I checked... a couple hundred titles here in the Los Angeles public library system. 84 on Wicca, 158 on paganism, 45 on neopaganism, 21 on earth religions. These are different titles, there may be multiple copies of some. For comparison: Christianity ... 10126 Judaism ... 3810 Buddhism ... 2991 Islam ... 2821 Bahai ... 167 Shinto ... 123 Scientology ... 115 Mormonism ... 105 Sikhism ... 97 Jainism ... 48 Different search terms would probably turn up more, but I thought it was interesting, anyhow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 At our library if a book isn't checked out then you will beep leaving the building. I thought most libraries that this technology now. Ours does, but for some reason, they can't make it not beep if you have legitimately checked out a book on tape/cd or a movie (it may just be with cassettes and VHS and issues of demagnetization, not sure as we get both). So hearing a beep as someone leaves is really not something that I think actually attracts the attention it was designed to do. Also, this only works in our library if you leave out the main door. The branch of the larger library system in the next county that we go to used to have this, but since they redid the entryway, there is no longer anything that beeps that I know of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Hmmm, I've never heard ours beep. Maybe it's just for show. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 At our library if a book isn't checked out then you will beep leaving the building. I thought most libraries that this technology now.Yes, most do. Evidently people figure out ways to get around it, though. We recently had to move all the DVDs behind the desk, because they were getting stolen. Why anyone would want to steal our DVDs, which are all donations and not exactly recent releases, I do not know. Easier than Blockbuster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Our library doesn't have a beeper. We've just upgraded from the card catalog:001_smile: which is still there with a nice little sign that says it's not being updated anymore. I don't know if books go missing or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted May 9, 2008 Author Share Posted May 9, 2008 Ours doesn't have a beeper either. But anyway, it's not just the wicca books that they don't have; that was just what I happened to be looking for today. They DO have the classics, but as for the SOTW reading list---They have all of about 2 of the recommended books. I also carry a list of books I want with me just in case I run into a good deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 At our library if a book isn't checked out then you will beep leaving the building. I thought most libraries that this technology now. I think most libraries do. The two little libraries closest to me aren't there yet. We still have an actual card catalog. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Ours doesn't have a beeper either. But anyway, it's not just the wicca books that they don't have; that was just what I happened to be looking for today. They DO have the classics, but as for the SOTW reading list---They have all of about 2 of the recommended books. I also carry a list of books I want with me just in case I run into a good deal. Does there happen to be a university or college nearby? I know that our public library is constantly rotating stock due to limited shelf space and leans more heavily to bestsellers, etc, but our local state university library is more of a repository, so they keep things pretty much forever. It also has an education program, so that it has a lot of children's material for the kid's lit classes, etc. We can get a community borrower's card for about $35 a year that lets us check out like a student. Unfortunately not all university libraries will do this however. There are two private ones in the area that will not allow community borrowing. Are you familiar with http://www.paperbackswap.com? I have found some stuff there as well. I also keep a list of the books I want in my purse, both for myself and my daughter, as we love to haunt used bookstores and thrift stores. Used curriculum sales can also be a good source for reading books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Not at all what you were thinking of, lol, but when we were living in a small suburb in the US I donated some books on Islam to our itty bitty local library.. the librarian was very happy to receive them (at least, she acted like it, lol).. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 but what we don't have are CLASSICS! I kid you not - very little Plato, no Herodotus, no nothing! I thought there were some basic books every library had! It's been a frustrating year because I did not have the money to buy them and didn't figure out the interlibrary loan system for half the semester (my fault!). Next year will be better. I use two major county systems, one of which serves all of Fulton co. as well as the City of Atlanta, and it is shameful how few of the classics you can find. We often have to request books whether they be new or classics that I feel any major metro library system should have. :banghead::smash: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andie Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I have it on authority from our 'Christian' librarian that there was a local Church that advocated making (and made specific plans to make) certain books disappear from the library. I am a Christian, and was terribly embarrassed and saddened by this. :confused: Catholic books in our library often have evangelical tracts in them, and one book had passages blacked out and "corrected". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Catholic books in our library often have evangelical tracts in them, and one book had passages blacked out and "corrected". I don't care what it is or what it says, you don't write in a library book! I don't think most of the books in our library are good enough to deserve even having been printed, much less purchased with my tax dollars, but... you don't write in a library book! Grrrr.... What bugs me the most, though, is that all of the really good books that I want my dc to read are being purged from the libraries because not enough people are checking them out. That's great when I can find them at library sales, but it doesn't help the next mom looking for something better than Captain Underpants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra314 Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 When I cannot find a book in our library, I request it through the interlibrary program. If not, I get the book at paperbackswap.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Yes, I absolutely believe this is what's happening here with these sorts of books. It's also occurring with books covering gnostic gospels and other things that some consider heresy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 What bugs me the most, though, is that all of the really good books that I want my dc to read are being purged from the libraries because not enough people are checking them out. That's great when I can find them at library sales, but it doesn't help the next mom looking for something better than Captain Underpants. I've noticed this too. Our kids' nonfiction section just got MUCH smaller (and ancient/medieval history only had one 3' shelf to begin with!), to make room for more picture books. My kids do like keeping that pigeon from driving the bus, but I'd like them to be able to find actual facts too! :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamagistra Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Catholic books in our library often have evangelical tracts in them, and one book had passages blacked out and "corrected". :eek: What is WITH people?! :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erica471 Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I'm a librarian, and here's my experience: Books on paganism/wicca or any of that stuff have a strong tendency to disappear. People steal them all the time. Also astrology and occult topics. A library with a small budget just won't keep replacing those books after a while--it's not worth the cost. Sex ed books diappear too, but they get replaced on the theory that they're more crucial to the public welfare. I work in a public library and this is so true. Though, I work in a large library system which still buys books on this topic they are almost always checked out. Ditto on astrology books and GED books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 catalog for the subjects of paganism, wicca, and earth religions, I find NO books? Not one. :mad: I'm not surprised. I am a librarian and we all complain about how those books are the most oft "lost" and defaced books in many libraries' collections. There are many people who have an agenda to eliminate them from circulation, but most of those people are not the librarians. I would suggest making some requests from Interlibrary loan. You might have some luck there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Amy in MS Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I'm from a small ranching town on the border of Utah. My father was on the library board. There were a large number of books they had to keep ordering because someone kept stealing them. A couple on prostitution in the Old West and a couple on The Mountain Meadows Massacre. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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