Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series

Today in the life of a traditional library worker, I continued my work discarding all 149 volumes of Contemporary Authors (New Revision Series), call number PN 771 .C5833. (Manhandling books and pushing around carts seems so traditional, like I am living out the stereotype of librarians the world over; if only the traditionalist knew what we're really doing with these carts of books...)

As a last hurrah, and ahead of discarding the original Contemporary Authors series next week, I utilized the trusty print index volume and looked up Joyce Carol Oates (for Randy) and Norman Rush (for me). They were in volumes 129 and 130, respectively. A little sentimentality tugged at my heart, as we as a "developed society" draw nearer to the abolition of print indices.

At this point, absence is more startling than action: the dusty, empty black shelves are growing disturbingly sparse in the PN section...

I must also wring my hands this week about what's becoming of these series in the name of practicality. It takes space to store books while we wait for folks to claim them; it takes time to wait for folks to claim them; it takes money to ship these heavy tomes across the country. Apparently my library has little of all these things. Once Better World Books passes, they go straight in the recycling dumpster. One librarian opined: Craigslist? Would it be better to put the books on the curb with an anonymous "free" posting on Craigslist? Do I dare step into the political vortex that is summoned once one brings up such matters?