You might want to recall the three most common reasons why books get thrown
out.

1. They become obsolete (i.e. a science textbook from the 1970's or earlier)
or as the news story pointed out, a book on how to comply with a law that's
no longer on the books.

2. They fall apart due to age and use. Or they may get damaged.

3. Nobody's interested in them anymore and they haven't been checked out in
ages.

The e.e. cummings book obviously doesn't fit the first one because poetry
doesn't become obsolete. But how certain are you that it didn't fit the
second? Or even possibly the third, sad as that is to contemplate, since I'm
also an e.e. cummings fan?

Any chance you might be a little too quick to condemn here? Do you really
think librarians, of all people, are going to throw away books that are
still usable and wanted?

Also, a key point from that FOX 9 story that some of the MPL-bashers seem to
have missed is the following:

"Problem is, the library can't even give them away because under state law:
"if the library board decides not to sell or donate materials to another
public (body), then a public sale is required." no freebies allowed."

So if you want to get peeved at somebody because books were thrown away, get
peeved at whoever came up with the state law, not the Minneapolis Public
Library. And then consider paying a visit to the Friends of the Library book
store. Apparently, they have some good deals there...

Mark Snyder
Windom Park

On 5/26/05 5:06 PM, "Dorie Rae Gallagher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> To see the type of books that were discarded makes one really think about
> who makes policies and what do they
> get paid.       EE Cummings happens
> to be one of my favorite poets and I would have gladly given money for that
> book along with several others
> mentioned on  Fox 9.
> 
> Because someone, somewhere...made a policy that it would be a unforgivable
> sin  for the Minneapolis Public
> Library to give a book away to a child is beyond comprehension! I believe
> our intellectuals at the Library can
> conciliate a favorable policy other than exacerbate an already sensitive
> issue. Same amount of time to weed... as
> to give away and plant a seed.
> 
> Dorie Rae Gallagher
> Nokomis
>> 
>> http://www.kmsp.com/search/story.asp?1645730 

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