Why are libraries destroying books? (2002)

Libraries throw away tons of books and stuff. If a man-made object is degraded to the point where it's garbage, why not? Sure, some of these tomes may have been recoverable, but if they aren't historically valuable for some reason, why save it? Same thing with any "historical" object, do you imagine that we'll want to save a copy of "Getting done in my butt by my butt" when it's old and yellowing just because it's old?

Of course, that's not the point of the article, the article's point is that they recorded it on microfilm and now that's going bad, too. The headline here is awful, as any library worker will tell you libraries destroy books all the time for really good reasons.

>If a man-made object is degraded to the point where it's garbage, why not? Sure, some of these tomes may have been recoverable

Or hasn't been checked out in years, or is grossly outdated then why waste physical space to preserve it. Sure, some patrons might find novelty in there being a book that mentions all 48 states of the U.S. bbbbuutttt there's 50 now. Or 'hey we've got 12 copies of The Da Vinci Code, no one has checked it out in 3 months... perhaps we should get rid of 11 of them'.

In a private collection, sure. In a library, ehhhhh a public library's mission isn't to preserve a given work in perpetuity.

Also in my experience libraries will attempt to sell the books first at fairly regular sales (I used to horde allowance and paper route money to go buy tons of science fiction and fantasy paperbacks when I was a kid for 10-50 cents a pop, it's how I discovered Stephen R. Donaldson and the Thomas Covenant books, I thought the paperback cover of Lord Foul's Bane looked evil and creepy. How I discovered Heinlein too) then only throw away what is truly damaged or didn't sell to make space for newer texts.

At public library where I worked as a youth we also end up getting rid of most of the "donations", keeping the occasional worthwhile book that seemed like it might actually fetch a buck at the annual book sale.

They should’ve been donating the books to less fortunate libraries or education institutions.