>The next was: In the course of cutting *useless* holdings, did the
library
>get rid of *these* kinds of books by minor authors?
It's not a matter of "useless" books so much as finding books that fit
the needs of the library patrons. For example, if a librarian notices
that the minor 19th-century author's books haven't been checked out for
forty years and that field isn't supported within the curriculum at a
research level, they might decide that shelf space is better devoted to
a more recent book or one in a new area. Preferably, that wouldn't be
the only aspect of that decision, and other collections would be
examined to find if they have that book as well.
Having looked around in WorldCat at Brodie-Innes' fiction, however, I'd
say the most likely explanation is that failure to collect him at the
time. There's still a strong sentiment against just removing books, so
I'd expect to find him in many more libraries if he had been a
collection staple. As most libraries don't buy used books, poor
Brodie-Innes has never had a chance to recover.
Thus, it's important to figure out what librarian oversees your area and
let them know what you want or need.
>But I also fear that the intolerance of all things even vaguely
*occult*
>may be spreading even to academic librarians.
From my experience, it's diminishing, if anything. In the age of Google
and mass media, librarians are finding themselves having to adapt or
die, and some have simply chosen death (in terms of not helping
patrons). Those who make it through the next few years will likely be
better about these things, though that won't eliminate these situations.
Dan Harms
Coordinator of Instruction Librarian
SUNY Cortland Memorial Library
P. O. Box 2000
Cortland, NY 13045
(607) 753-4042
-----Original Message-----
From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of kaligrafr
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 8:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Machen, et alia
Aloha,
On 11/14/2007 at 12:33 PM Thomas K. Johnson wrote:
>At one point in my researches, I was seeking out novels that were
>specifically from the late nineteenth century and that had occult
themes.
>Specifically, I was looking for the author J. W. Brodie-Innes. When I
>asked the librarian here at UW why there was nothing in the
cardcatalogue,
>she stated that *those* kinds of books wouldn't be something the
library
>would be interested in acquiring.
[Let me put this info right at the beginning of my post--Some of
Brodie-Inness'
novels seem to be available as e-books on the internet. Google turns
them
up.
Amazon turns up some high-priced used copies.]
I wonder what that librarian really meant by *those* kinds of books...?
Was it the *occult* character of the books? Or the *minor* literary
status
of the
author and his novels?
I don't mean to sound flip here.
I believe that university libraries ought to provide a vast range of
resources
to support the studies and researches of its community of scholars.
Certainly
to provide a comprehensive representation of works of English
literature,
its
history, and its critical appreciation.
That sort of broad sample would, if possible, include some, if not all,
of
the
works of Brodie-Innes.
What first crossed my mind as I read this post is: What kind of a
Literature
complex does UW support? Could there be some a sort of unkind judgement
against late 19th/early 29th C. minor English novels?
The next was: In the course of cutting *useless* holdings, did the
library
get rid of *these* kinds of books by minor authors?
The next was: How likely would it be for a librarian to know the novels
of
a minor English novelist well enough to put them down for *that* occulty
quality? Bulwer-Lytton, sure. But Brodie-Innes?
Could the comment have been directed at the genre more, the occulty
author
less? The comment, after all, smacks a bit of fannish disdain. (Or maybe
disdain
for the professor who inflicted such minor novels on an honors
literature
class.
I cannot to this day stand to read the authors we had to vivisect under
the
critical boot of my *honors* English professor...)
>Granted, there are limited budgets for book acquisition, and I
understand
>this. But the disdain this librarian showed for either the topic or the
>author was, I thought, odd. Is this a common phenomenon in academic
>institutions, or is it more localized?
Honestly, I've never had anything like this happen to me at any library,
no matter what book I was looking for. The academic librarians that I've
met hold it a professional responsibility to do their best to provide
the
resources their patrons desire to read. Even minor English novels.
But I also fear that the intolerance of all things even vaguely *occult*
may be spreading even to academic librarians.
Musing Dangerous Reading! Rose,
Pitch
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