6 Reasons We're In Another 'Book-Burning' Period in History

[Cyberman tM]

On topic: If that article is to be trusted, sad story. Too bad people aren't sensible enough to allow other options.
(The example with the retention-flags. If that idiot professor didn't ruin it, perhaps all libraries could do something like that. I *think* libraries here do it similar to that - put old books in a grab basket and let people rummage through it. Of course, we're not talking about 100k of books.)

Originally Posted by xg4bx

cracked has a shocking amount of fascinating and informative articles on science and history. last week they had one about how the food industry is filling food with wood pulp.

Please tell me you're being sarcastic?

I saw that article too and started to read it - about halfway I decided the author is a loon who doesn't know anything.
I doubt that processed food in America is that much different from here.

As has been said on the comments there - the so-called "wood pulp" is actually cellulose - and that is neither harmful nor useless.
It may be questionable if it's used instead of real stuff, but I don't think you can prove that.

I remember reading - perhaps it was on that site too - that someone wondered why there is SUGAR in a can of lentil soup.
If that question would have been in a different context, I'd have applauded it, because the question itself is worthy of thought.
But as it was, it was merely a display of ignorance and paranoia.
(i.e. sugar is in there because it makes the food taste better. Blame our currupted taste buds, if you want. But that sugar and salt are often used to improve taste isn't new. Salt is in chocolate too, for that same reason, not because the big bad companies want to poison us.)

WRT to paranoia: Traces of food additive E160a have been found in pre-prepared carrot salad! Quite often accompanied by additive E260!
The former can cause skin coloration, while the latter is inflamable.

Horrible, isn't it?
Too bad beta-carotine and acetic acid are always in carrots and vinegar...


Here's another good ammonia-related incident: E503(ii). When heated, it "converts" to ammonia, water and CO2.
That's what is often used in gingerbread, as leavening agent.
Of course, in ye olde days they wouldn't have used that, they'd used all-natural "salts of hartshorn".

(Too bad the main ingredient in salts of hartshorn IS the stuff also called E503.)

[DMB]

Shakespeare was quite popular in the 18th century. So there ought to be quite a few 18th-century printings floating around. I've bought even 16th-century books for a song, and of course they often have writing in them from the original owners.

As regards books in general, surely there's a huge amount of junk in circulation.

[HappyMartin]

Its just stuff and the desire to keep it all forever is just nostalgia gone mad.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm not sure, but I think this thread may have Godwin-ed itself before it even started. Is that legal?
...

This.

I don't think we're in a book-burning time, but we are in a time of change wrt books - they are becoming digital.

I've been throwing a bunch of out-of-date technical books out recently and will continue to do so, I'll hang on to many, as well as many fiction and non-fiction books, but I suspect their time is numbered as well as my ebook library grows and replaces them.

I can only speak for my local library and area. A twice per year sale of books no longer wanted on the shelves of the local library is the main mechanism for raising funds for our Friends of the Library organization. It costs the library nothing as we just use the large multi-use room on the top floor and the cashiers tables are manned by volunteers. We also take in books donated by individuals in the community. We gladly accept anything that is in good enough shape that it does not belong in a paper recycle bin, except no textbooks. Set prices are cheap, $0.10 for paperbacks and $1.00 for hardcover, and we generally sell out everything.

Those Cracked.com articles tend to be a germ of truth with a whole lot of exaggeration and humor thrown in.

[taustin]

Originally Posted by JD Gumby

Cracked articles are generally adequately sourced enough to be credible information on whatever the topic of the article is.

That actually has not been my experience, on topics I know a lot about. They are prone to accepting even ridiculous urbran legends at face value, even ones that haven thoroughly debunked. And they will always choose the most entertaining interpretation of available facts, not matter how sketchy.

[Shimarenda]

Here is a better article, prompted by the Cracked article but less sensational. He even talked to a librarian: http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2...-destroy-books

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Shimarenda

Here is a better article, prompted by the Cracked article but less sensational. He even talked to a librarian: http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2...-destroy-books

wait, this is a blog called monkeysee??

[speakingtohe]

Academic libraries do not exist to preserve artifacts

Most libraries do not exist to preserve artifacts athough there are some that do.

These days most libraries and librarians are not intellectual preservers of lost or rare books, but more akin to stores store clerks. It is a job and they do what they are told. Who can blame them.

If the library doesn't acquire a book through regular channels it goes on the sale rack. If a book is deteroriating in physical quality it goes in the sales bin or is turfed even if it is the last copy in existence.

How could the branch librarian know it is rare or unique without being given the time and motivation to check on these things.

Helen

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by kennyc

This.

I don't think we're in a book-burning time, but we are in a time of change wrt books - they are becoming digital.

I've been throwing a bunch of out-of-date technical books out recently and will continue to do so, I'll hang on to many, as well as many fiction and non-fiction books, but I suspect their time is numbered as well as my ebook library grows and replaces them.

Shouldn't we be recycling our obsolete reference manuals? Although burning them for warmth is fine. I would suggest taking any general fiction/nonfiction and leaving it in public spaces for the public to peruse at their leisure.

[kennyc]

Winter is coming, I could us them in the fireplace.

I really don't know for sure, but some say recycling books/paper takes more energy and/or more environmental damage than growing new trees.

[RichL]

My local library funds their e-book program by cutting a hole in the center of the old hardbounds then sells them for e-book reader holders.

[ilovepurple2234]

Originally Posted by RichL

My local library funds their e-book program by cutting a hole in the center of the old hardbounds then sells them for e-book reader holders.

I really really hope you are joking.

Some of us still like normal books (I like them because they smell, as Giles said in Buffy) and they could always sell those and buy ebooks with the money.

[SleepyBob]

Originally Posted by ilovepurple2234

I really really hope you are joking.

Some of us still like normal books (I like them because they smell, as Giles said in Buffy) and they could always sell those and buy ebooks with the money.

How much could they sell them for? $0.25, $1.00, $2.00? I'm betting they earn more than that as cases.

[wvcherrybomb]

@ the red tape fiasco!

I speak from experience when I say that books don't burn easily. We spent an entire winter once trying to burn a set of encyclopedias (mildew.) No amount of accelerant would speed up the process. It became a neighborhood project that was largely unsuccessful. Eventually, the remains had to be bagged and hauled to the dump.

My personal library has went from a wall of shelves, to a single bookshelf, to a pie safe, and now is contained within a single kitchen sized cabinet. I anticipate it being reduced to a few choice books eventually as I am able to part with them. Times change.