Maybe folks are buying occult books and not checking them out of libraries
for such reasons?
In the late 90's I worked for Border's Books and Music in the Chicagoland
area, and the number one selling section in the entire store was the
Metaphysical/Magic/Divination/Etc. Section (Midwest book stores).
I shelved this "occult" section and we went through literally tons of books,
sure most of it was crap, but I found the sales information surprising (and
was surprised at the number of everyday adult folk who purchased such books,
i.e. not just goth teens) Llewelyn publishing apparently replaced all their
original dark cover art with bright "normal looking" teens based partly on
market research of who was buying their books. We sold out of such "spell
books" daily.
I would assume that in the decade since working there that Harry Potter
popularity, and Oprah pushing books/DVDs like "The Secret", and puritan
librarians, continue to make the occult section the most popular seller (not
the Christian section).
James John Bell
http://www.smartmeme.org
On 11/14/07 3:29 PM, "Ty Falk" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Land of the free unless you aren't Christian, eh?
>
> On Nov 14, 2007 5:47 PM, Harry Roth <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> Ty Falk wrote:
>>
>>> I Think that the disdain is a little more universal. I know I've gone
>>> to my libraray to obtain even vaguely occult related books and have
>>> been met with similar reactions.
>>>
>>
>> I have had the same experience at my local library. I was shocked that
>> the cross-wearing librarians there felt free to comment negatively on
>> occult books I got on interlibrary loan. One of them insisted on wishing
>> me "Merry Christmas," literally jumping out from behind her desk and
>> blocking the door so she could do this. One would deliberately not help
>> me at the desk; another would help me but keep her lips pressed firmly
>> together, like she was in the presence of a bad smell. And no, I am not
>> being paranoid. I should say that I thought this was not just due to my
>> book choices but to my appearance--I have long hair and am a scruffy,
>> odd dresser. Funny, when I was a professor that was almost the uniform.
>> I wrote a long letter to the head library about it, including my library
>> card cut up and ending with, "Next time you want funding, go ask a
>> church." The head library actually got mad about it herself and did an
>> educational thing about it for the others, but I never went back to that
>> library again. I felt humiliated.
>>
>> Since then I moved and got a card at another library in the tri-county
>> system. Recently I was taking out a book and the librarian was puzzled
>> to see that I had been "banned" from that other library by one of the
>> librarians there. She removed this ban. Can you believe it?
>>
>> Every time I go in this new library now I am waiting for the other shoe
>> to drop.
>>
>> Harry Roth
>>
>
>
|