Today during my library chores I was asked to deshelf and discard old books. I cannnot explain the remorse and pangs of guilt I felt at carrying out this task.
Pulling out back page pockets and sleeves containing library codes, striking a pen through the bar code and stamping in big bold red ink DISCARD was a painstakingly long task. Would no one upbraid me for this sacrilegious crime?
Why were these books to be tossed aside and no longer given shelf space? Can one so easily discard a book that another took time to write and compile. Most of them did not show great signs of wear and tear it was more a "sign of the times" that led to their demise.
A lot were teacher reference books and seeing an entire set of books on how to use Cuisinarte logs took me back to Infants and the year of Tens and Units and made me realise there are some books that can no longer serve a purpose. These teachers aides are no longer on the classroom shelf or in use so why keep the books? Surely there is a collector out there somewhere who would like to add these to his "miscellaneous" section. Not me though as I barely have room for all the girls Series of Unfortunate Events and Sarah Dessen novels.
I do hope they will be given a reprieve and resurface for the 2nd hand book sale later in the school year.
In an ideal world there would be a Book Cemetary they could go to and live a life of Nirvana and tell one another tales.
Hope next week I am back to covering newly acquired literary tomes and can forget about the "retired books".
The End :)
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