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Re: I'm guessing you must live in a larger city than my suburban (exurb?) town of 15K Stephen Send a noteboard - 23/11/2013 09:55:34 PM

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View original postThe local library is not typically a place in recent years where I've found a lot of the books that interest me




View original postThey appear to be another endangered species anyway (according to a recent US-Canadian study, the picture is bleak). Unless there's a major reversal of trends, small libraries are doomed to become extinct. Those that have been recently renovated or won't need to be for a few decades might endure longer, but there's already more and more opposition to awarding funds to libraries. Even now, the stats show that in many university libraries from 35 to up to 70% of purchases made since 1990 have never been borrowed, and it's higher still if you calculate only the 2005-2010 stats. Even Community libraries are more and more shifting toward making a majority of their acquisitions as digital books (and some are shifting to a "just in time" policy, buying a digital copy only if someone requests a book), which in time will make the brick and mortar library obsolete or at least make convincing communities and public organs to fund them or the preservation of their physical collections (often barely valuable, for small libraries, unlike Universities ones and such) harder and harder, when with far less money and resources you could offer a much wider range of digital services.


View original postAnyway, it's what the stats show in Canada and the US at the moment. The richest universities are building themselves high tech facilities to preserve their collections while at the same time reaching 50, 60, 70, 80% of new purchases made in the digital format, but everywhere else libraries in schools, universities and communities are in very sharp decline and for some most of their business is already done through websites.

My university built a new library last year. The local public library was also refurbished about five years back.

"I mean, if everyone had a soul, there would be no contrast by which we could appreciate it. For giving us this perspective, we thank you." - Nate
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To whom do you turn when you want to learn more about new books? - 10/11/2013 06:17:07 AM 1333 Views
This is the only place. - 10/11/2013 04:26:22 PM 1055 Views
Maybe, but I'm a bit skeptical - 11/11/2013 12:14:36 AM 983 Views
If you want to attract NEW readers, the site needs to be reworked from scratch - 13/11/2013 01:06:41 PM 944 Views
Preaching to the choir here - 14/11/2013 07:55:56 AM 1062 Views
Re: If you want to attract NEW readers, the site needs to be reworked from scratch - 21/11/2013 09:24:22 PM 991 Views
That might be swimming upstream against a strong current - 22/11/2013 08:41:15 AM 960 Views
Quite - 22/11/2013 03:34:50 PM 848 Views
io9 - 10/11/2013 07:32:41 PM 1264 Views
Locus Online also has good lists of upcoming/new SF/F releases - 11/11/2013 12:16:18 AM 961 Views
The Economist, NYT, and WSJ - 11/11/2013 01:05:36 PM 958 Views
Very true - 14/11/2013 07:57:14 AM 977 Views
I'm skeptical of the Economist. - 16/11/2013 05:02:47 PM 920 Views
Which books were those? - 19/11/2013 03:19:59 PM 930 Views
There were at least four or five bad reviews. - 30/11/2013 05:41:45 PM 960 Views
I remember reading that book. I don't recall being impressed by it. *NM* - 05/12/2013 03:37:59 PM 514 Views
I've essentially stopped reading - 11/11/2013 12:36:51 AM 1093 Views
I don't think very highly of the discussions on r/fantasy - 11/11/2013 08:25:54 AM 1119 Views
I've never even been to r/fantasy - 11/11/2013 08:31:11 AM 953 Views
I'd say this place is still the most influential for me. - 11/11/2013 10:29:19 AM 942 Views
For some odd reason, I distrust Goodreads - 14/11/2013 07:58:29 AM 1054 Views
"Distrust"? Interesting word choice. - 14/11/2013 09:32:35 PM 1051 Views
Call me old fashioned... - 11/11/2013 02:47:37 PM 904 Views
Old fashioned! - 14/11/2013 07:59:43 AM 929 Views
I second that suggestion. - 14/11/2013 09:35:51 PM 858 Views
Re: I second that suggestion. - 16/11/2013 02:10:10 AM 768 Views
Here mostly, Goodreads, io9 - 11/11/2013 09:40:41 PM 1011 Views
Interesting - 14/11/2013 08:01:05 AM 902 Views
Typically new is "New to me" - 14/11/2013 08:36:09 AM 1148 Views
Ah, I understand a bit more now. Thanks. - 22/11/2013 08:50:26 AM 887 Views
Here mostly too. And bookshops over here. - 12/11/2013 06:54:05 PM 900 Views
I have list of things to read longer than I have time to read - 13/11/2013 05:39:59 PM 875 Views
So true - 14/11/2013 08:03:16 AM 901 Views
here, mostly, but i also have less time to read (sort of) and a lot to read... - 19/11/2013 03:49:15 PM 829 Views
Quick, cozy comfort zone reads, more or less? - 22/11/2013 08:52:37 AM 759 Views
It depends on what is happening at the time - 30/11/2013 12:15:55 AM 724 Views
I don't really care to learn about new books. - 21/11/2013 08:58:44 PM 888 Views
I'm guessing you must live in a larger city than my suburban (exurb?) town of 15K - 22/11/2013 08:54:58 AM 858 Views
Slightly larger - 22/11/2013 08:30:34 PM 885 Views
Re: I'm guessing you must live in a larger city than my suburban (exurb?) town of 15K - 23/11/2013 06:17:03 PM 1066 Views
Re: I'm guessing you must live in a larger city than my suburban (exurb?) town of 15K - 23/11/2013 09:55:34 PM 983 Views
I'm all BELE - 29/11/2013 07:12:03 PM 840 Views
Book recommendations can come from the oddest places... - 07/12/2013 04:36:26 AM 856 Views

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