...I don't think you are like most librarians either. I've overheard and even participated in some duesy politically minded conversations between librarians and they make you appear like an Independent sitting dead center of the fence.

The library is not a democratic institution. It serves the public but the volumes within are not voted on and the public only indirectly can influence content via donations, requests and by checking out books they like. My library has one librarian who is a real hatchet person. The book sale paperback stands always looks like the reading room at the Nixon Library. Trust me...It's not a coincidence. The content is way too political and I've yet to obtain a 25c copy of It Takes a Village by Hillary Clinton or any Al Franken book. Someone is actively filtering out conservative content.

SO a good library will have balanced folks who follow the rules and a bad library will have someone who bends the rules to suit their own agenda. If you're the junior librarian and the 15 year veteran is a "pit bull with lipstick" who feels she practically owns the place, and she is the one with the agenda you have a bit of a problem.

Unfortunately, public libraries are bureacratic institutions and such folks never get pushed out until they retire with pension. And let's be honest - if someone makes a big deal out of any particular content - and subsequently makes more hassle and work for the librarian(s) - the librarian(s) will tend to be even more intractable and you just make the problem worse or "better" for a very short while and then way worse later.

I know this library is an exception to the rule, because I have been to many libraries and most all book sale content favors obsolete stuff which as time passes is always plentiful. But even in the obsolete stuff there is usually a pattern because librarians tend to discard based upon the "least value" measure and so certain categories get culled more often than others.

I appreciate your advice, not that I intend to heed it. I like most of the librarians a lot and don't intend to give them any headaches. Most of them may be left of Robert by one football field, but they are nice, well-meaning people and that is all that really matters.

My point was that there is no such thing as "sanctity" of a libraries content. Each library has their own patron saints that donate sets or special collections of books. (And if they also contribute sizable sums of money those books will remain for as long as the patron is still alive.)

I apologize for appearing to be taking a swipe at you. That was not my intention. To be honest, I really wished you worked at my library. I'm sure our children's section would be far more hands-on and the activity schedule would pick up.

As an aside, I miss the small one room library of my old, small town. That library was the first I ever visited and the books were packed tightly in the shelves (probably too tightly for the books' well being) but that slight extra tug was charming and as I look back indicated just how much they treasured each volume. My 1st grade class had a field trip to this library and the librarian explained the Dewey Decimal System, how to find books and then proceeded to read a story.

That library couldn't have had more than 800 square feet, but if libraries were like Linus' Pumpkin Patch, chosen by possessing humble virtue and ever clear nobility of purpose - that library would surely have been a top contender for a visit by the "Great Librarian." It's gone over 25 years now, replaced by a much bigger, suitable library with space for displays, art, more parking, etc.

I still miss it though.

Thanks for listening MA,

;-)