I'm somewhat mortified by this news
Only a few weeks ago I got a demand from them
for a copy of a book published 6 years ago.
I'm sure I'd sent them it twice before
but it was easier to send them another
than to try and dig out proof.
Years ago they used to send out receipts
but don't seem to do so these days.
I still send copies to BL automatically
but these days I wait for A.T.Smails
to send their usual demand for 5 copies
before obliging them.
Does anyone have a direct URL for the article on
the Gaurdian online version?
yours
Gerald
Gerald, Christine & Craig England
New Hope International, Aabye's Baby,
Haiku Talk, Netmiser, Zimmerzine
http://www.nhi.clara.net/index.htm
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 15:37:18 +0100
From: Alan Halsey <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: scandal
Message-Id: <[log in to unmask]>
Publishers who are as dutiful as I am in supplying the BL with free
copies will be deeply interested in the article on page 9 of today's
Guardian headed 'British Library junks 80,000 books'. It appears that in
some cases these are recently-published books. The word 'junks' probably
means 'flogging' rather than 'pulping'; an example is cited of a vol
turning up second-hand with a 'British Library - withdrawn' stamp. I'm
sure this doesn't mean that the BL is making large sums of money by such
sales since as every second-hand book dealer knows librarians usually
underprice when offloading. What it does mean, though, is that the very
principle upon which the BL demands its free copies has been undermined.
AH
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