I've never been daring enough to do it, but it was intriguing to see it recommended for hardback books, too.
And the second part to this post also features a book-related theme; or, rather, a library-related theme, with this campaigning poster:
I'd be more sympathetic if public libraries hadn't spent the last couple of decades throwing out the hard-core self-improvement stuff, only to replace it with multiple copies of best-selling romantic novels (to enable pensioners to pass the time of day) and filling the open-plan spaces with loudly idiotic story-tellers and ill-behaved, shouty and generally unhygienic children.
Still, in general we're better off having them than not.
3 comments:
I think the last book I borrowed from a library was a biography of the American actor Montgomery Clift years and years ago.
Our libraries today seem little more than community centres. A story in my local newspaper mentioned that a library had reopened after a refit. Computers, a children's area, youth zone and community space were 'exciting' additions. Sadly no mention of books. They seem to be trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator instead of their intended function.
My library has had the dopey idea of issuing "Loyalty Cards". They "entitle visitors who make five trips to one of the borough's libraries - to borrow a book, film or CD - to claim a free loan of their favourite film or tune." A truly unbelievable waste of my taxes.
My local library some time ago more or less gave up holding books altogether. I recently went there asking to consult a standard reference work: not available; "we might be able to find it for you on line" (I'd not have gone there, if it were).
So what does it have?
Books in foreign minority languages (in my part of the world, Gujrati, Polish and Brasilian Portuguese) - not a lot. Trashy romantic novels - not a lot more. Books for the current school syllabus - some.
DvDs, CDs, computer games - heaps.
An internet cafe. Piped background music (everywhere!).
A "one-stop-shop" in which people can try to sort out their local-authority related problems, speaking only of course to non-specialists who mostly don't understand the question, let alone the way to the answer.
Shut the b****y thing! It's no use to man or beast.
That's about it.
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