. . .was how they'd ALWAYS be missing a few books from any given series. Not because the books were checked out, the library just didn't own them. I could never figure that out. I'm sure some books were donated to the library, which would make haphazard collections understandable, but it happened way too often for me to believe all of those partial series were donated. And if they weren't, which librarian decided it would be a good idea to purchase books one, five, six and eight? If you're building a collection as funds allow, at least buy in order. I'm sure there's a logical reason to be found somewhere (lots of lost/stolen books, maybe?), but darned if I know what it is.
I think some of it comes from books that libraries donate to each other. Like, if the people working at one library know that they have a lot of patrons reading a particular series, they might get several copies of a new book when it comes out. Then a few months later demand drops off and they no longer need multiples, so they sell or give them to other libraries.
It is certainly annoying, but if you request the missing books the librarians will often be able to obtain them for you. They might buy them to fill in the gaps that they were probably not aware of, or at the very least they might be able to get a copy to you through an interlibrary loan.
This message last edited by ranagrande on 22/04/2011 at 04:09:37 AM
I hate to come back to that now-ubiquitous point of contention. . .
- 21/04/2011 08:53:52 AM
1290 Views
It costs a little over £6 at abebooks
- 21/04/2011 10:21:29 AM
969 Views
Why is it figuring pounds if it's from a seller in New Mexico?
- 21/04/2011 11:12:05 AM
917 Views
Because I use the British site
- 21/04/2011 11:33:50 AM
937 Views
That's where I found my hardcover edition of Là-bas by Huysmans.
- 21/04/2011 07:31:38 PM
945 Views
I'm looking for this book.
- 23/04/2011 05:14:41 AM
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Eh, I've been doing a bunch of ebook evangelizing, so what's one more post. 
- 21/04/2011 07:45:56 PM
1191 Views
- 21/04/2011 07:45:56 PM
1191 Views
You can save even more by not buying e-readers or books.
- 22/04/2011 01:37:38 AM
1008 Views
I love being limited in my reading selection!
- 22/04/2011 02:47:36 AM
897 Views
- 22/04/2011 02:47:36 AM
897 Views
I haven't been to a library in a long time, but the thing that used to irk me about them. . .
- 22/04/2011 03:49:56 AM
1101 Views
Yeah, I've noticed some of that too.
- 22/04/2011 04:09:02 AM
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No joke, dude. I've been going to the Uni library here a lot in the last year or two.
- 22/04/2011 07:30:53 AM
814 Views
I love Kindles.
- 22/04/2011 05:12:29 PM
856 Views
Other than their locked-down format support, Kindles are great, yeah. 
- 22/04/2011 05:41:31 PM
1114 Views
- 22/04/2011 05:41:31 PM
1114 Views
By the way. . .
- 21/04/2011 10:45:47 PM
838 Views
I felt the same way. . .
- 22/04/2011 09:20:29 PM
947 Views
