No Love?
Another interesting repurcussion of the recent fire at the Chicago Public Library's Merlo Branch: this post from Chicago Tribune blogger and columnist Eric Zorn about people hoping to donate books to replace the torched parts of the collection and the fact that the Chicago Public Library doesn't want books. The "rejection" was met with outrage by Chicago Free Press columnist Paul Varnell, who called it "unbelievably arrogant and dismissive of the generous spirit of the very Chicagoans the library is intended to serve." Zorn tries to heal the wounds a bit by helping Library spokeswoman Maggie Killackey explain library procedure. The reason CPL doesn't want book donations is fairly simple: it would take extra time and personnel to catalog the books. According to Killackey, it's far more economical for CPL to spend some of its acquisitions budget to buy books that are pre-cataloged (that is, cataloged by the vendor). Still, the situation points out yet another example of a library failing to meet its patrons on their own terms (in this case, the desire to help right a wrong). Comments added to Zorn's post point out that potential good samaritans could donate money, rather than books. Which is true. But Varnell counters that some of the books at Merlo were unique to that branch, and some of them are now out of print. Of course, while we're looking at options, let's not forget that Chicago has its own lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender information resource and archives, the Gerber/Hart Library. I suspect Gerber/Hart would accept donations (and frankly, I doubt CPL's collection could ever rival theirs). But the point here is that, apparently, people were banging down the door offering to help the Merlo branch, motivated no doubt by all sorts of things: concern about the possibility of hate crimes, desire to insure that these books will stay in circulation, pure volunteerism, &c. How do libraries tap into this (probably brief) outpouring of love and appreciation when it's offered?
posted by andystardust at 6/26/2006 09:39:00 AM
4 Comments:
I understand why the library doesn't want donations of just any book. Show me a library where space isn't at a premium, and I'll show you a library that keeps everything! Although I can't say for sure that that's the case here, librarians are responsible for getting the best of any given subject within space and budget constraints. If they accept, catalog, and shelve book donations from one person, they will have to do so from all, at least in a high-profile case such as this, where people might later check for "their" book. What to do with that book that is outside the collection boundaries, but so well-loved by a kind-hearted soul?
Perhaps the best way to have dealt with this situation would have been to print a list of the books destroyed, followed as soon as possible with a list of desired books to be substituted for out-of-print ones. Then the library could either accept a book off of the list, or, explaining that ordering it themselves would save cataloging time (and possibly money), accept a donation covering a title of the donor's choosing. And that list of destroyed books should be complete, b/c somone might have one of the out-of-print books on his shelf, or be motivated to find one in good condition.
Rachel,
I think most library school students will instinctively understand why CPL wouldn't want book donations. We know how the library works and we've seen the problems inherent in maximizing staff efficiency. But patrons don't know that. My point is, it's a shame that CPL hasn't (to my knowledge) reacted to this outpouring of support and concern by helping patrons find ways that they CAN be helpful.
Rachel,
Thanks for commenting, by the way.
Hi Annie.
One of the interesting things about this story is how incendiary (so to speak) it became so quickly. I am really amazed to see that the Chicago Police Department was right all along not jumping to the conclusion that this situation was a hate crime. Likewise, we as librarians should be sensitive to the desire of the public (and the librarians) to help ... and also quell the temptation to be reactionary.
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