A different approach to overdue books

It seems a nationwide trend is emerging among public libraries as the economy forces them to reconsider their approach to charging and collecting overdue fines. Instead of charging tradition fixed rates, some libraries are now dealing with fees on an individual basis and negotiating directly with patrons. Other libraries have initiated programs to accept donated food, toiletries or clothing in exchange for waiving fees. These new methods for dealing with fines seem to have emerged from a growing recognition that people simply cannot afford to pay their debts, and are in turn deterred from returning books. Although the permanent loss of books is always expected, cash strapped libraries see fee forgiveness as a way to get some materials back on the shelves.  Good coverage of this story can be found here.

It is also interesting to note that some libraries take a more business-like approach to retrieving lost materials and unpaid fees. The Clark County Library of Las Vegas has employed a collection agency since 2000 in an attempt to eliminate losses. Over 10 years the agency has helped the library recover $4.6 million in lost materials and $3.48 million in fines. One of the services they provide is tracking down residents who may have moved and simply forgot to return books in the process, which seems to be common for the area. Because of the scale of their operations, it has become common for larger public library systems to hire collection agencies to aid in the process of locating and contacting people with missing items and overdue fees. Clark County posted a loss of $918,000 in 2009 from uncollected fees and lost items, and executive director Jeanne Goodrich says that their collection agency helps them handle such losses and eventually come out slightly better than breaking even.

So whether it’s forgiving debt in the hopes of recovering lost items, negotiating more reasonable fines that libraries can expect to collect on, or simply hiring outside agencies to manage larger operations, public libraries have taken many creative approaches to dealing with the inevitable loss of materials and collected fines. Shrinking acquisitions budgets brought on by economic woes may force others to follow such examples, or face the continued disappearance of books and patrons who can’t afford their overdue fees.

What circulates in Singapore?

I recently came across an interesting article detailing some of the more popular genres circulating in Singapore public libraries. What’s at the top of the list? Chick lit! Horror stories and film adaptations also top the list, and the article suggests that readers are primarily interested in books that help them escape from the harsh realities of everyday life. Unfortunately this article doesn’t discuss nonfiction titles.

How do Singaporeans measure up against US public library users? Many US libraries report crime and legal thrillers a la John Grisham in their top 10 lists, both in the fiction and nonfiction categories. Other popular genres include self-help (especially the How to Be Successful titles), healthy cookbooks and diet books, and triumph and celebrity memoirs. Perhaps our love of crime stories suggests escapism, but self-help and memoir circulation also points to a reading population interested in true life in many forms.

Weeding at home: knowing when it’s time to say goodbye

With the rise of the ebook and other digital media in our libraries and personal collections, it seems we sometimes forget what a trial it can be to simply manage a personal print library of books. Room for Debate, a NYTimes blog, has done a fun survey of 7 authors and booksellers to show just how varied and personal a process weeding can be. The title really says it all: “Books you can live without.”

As Billy Collins mentions, one common reason to keep print collections to a minimum is the need for mobility. Moving is definitely responsible for my lean collection of five or so shelves of books. Although I formerly loved the idea of retaining every title I ever read, moving five times in three years can change the perspective of even the most dedicated and organized collector. Books are heavy, they take up space, and you’re probably not ever going to get around to rereading most of them anyway. I concentrated on weeding out my 19th century novel collection, then I moved on to some of the more long-winded Henry James works, those Russian history monographs that really weren’t fascinating enough for a second read, yellowing paperbacks, lesser works from some of my favorite authors.

And there’s surely still work to be done, but I’m currently fortunate enough to have an apartment with built-in shelves. I suspect that next time around, though, that giant hardcover collected works of Shakespeare might be up on the chopping block. I don’t need everything Shakespeare ever wrote, right?

World’s most beautiful libraries

Following a tip from the Baltimore Sun, I’ve been marveling at the libraries featured in ODEE’s list of the top 20 most beautiful libraries in the world. There’s a good way to plan a vacation! And hooray for Baltimore making the cut. The Peabody Library really is stunning. I think my favorite is internet entrepreneur Jay Walker’s Private Library for its unconventional approach. You can read Wire’s coverage of it here.

Are there any major library beauties missing from the list?

Who owns the rights when books go digital?

Yesterday’s NY Times featured an article on the gray areas of author contracts with publishers when older titles go digital. Many authors and their families feel that the right to release older titles (covered by older contracts) in new formats should remain with the author. They reason that most older contracts grant publishers the right to titles in “book” forms, and that clearly e-books don’t fall into this category. They’re also dissatisfied with royalties agreements offered by publishers for electronic formats, arguing that they are especially unfair considering how much cheaper it is for publishers to produce them. Publishers, on the other hand, rely heavily on the revenue brought in from a strong backlist, and if they lose the rights to their titles in e-book form, they stand to lose out on a good deal of profits.

This dispute is further complicated by the presence of a third-party – newly emerged companies that specialize in marketing and selling electronic formats, including e-books. These companies don’t mess around, either. Open Road Integrated Media, noted in the article for poaching William Styron’s works from Random House, was founded by Jane Friedman, former President and Chief Executive Officer of HarperCollins, and Jeffrey Sharp, successful film producer. Obviously they have strategy and new media in mind, with their top four board members representing a 50/50 mix of traditional publishing experience and entertainment industry expertise.

But who is in the right, the authors and their third-party partners, or the publishing companies that originally represented them? I initially feel compelled to support the original publishing company, based on years of what would seem to be a successful working relationship that served both parties well enough. However, publishers should have seen the potential issues arising from a migration to electronic format years ago, and been prepared to deal with it accordingly. If they’re not offering comparatively favorable royalties for e-book versions of their titles, and if their preexisting contracts don’t explicitly cover e-books, then authors are totally justified in seeking outside offers. Traditional publishers should be taking a lesson from these new media companies. If they can’t evolve with changing formats and a new marketplace, they’re going to lose more than the rights to their backlist. So it goes.

Kirkus Reviews closing

It was announced on Thursday that Kirkus Reviews, a prepublication review journal used by libraries and bookstores to aid in the selection process and readers’ advisory services, will be closing. As a NY Times article points out, however, this is both bad and not so bad news. For many, the Kirkus failed to evolve with the rest of the media marketplace, and had ceased to be a useful tool in predicting the influence or success of a particular title.

However, the loss of a review publication means one less source to consult. The NY Times quotes Nan Graham of Scribner as saying, “It wasn’t just broad, it was rigorous, curmudgeonly, and it was often a dissenting or idiosyncratic voice.” The review world also loses Kirkus’s much-needed coverage of small presses, which rely heavily on libraries for their business.

It will be interesting to see if the other major review publications like Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly plan on filling any of the gaps left open by the closure of Kirkus Reviews. And how they’ll continue to manage financially in this unfriendly economy.

Young Adult Friction

I think I’ve encountered a very rare instance of the word “microfiche” used as a song lyric! Here’s a snippet of the song lyrics from The Pain of Being Pure at Heart’s song, “Young Adult Friction” (haha) -

Between the stacks in the library
Not like anyone stopped to see
We came they went our bodies spent
Among the dust and the microfiche
Dark winters wear you down
Up again to see the dawn
In your worn sweat shirt
And your mothers old skirt
It’s enough to turn my studies down

Yet another fantasy of mischief in the stacks. Still, a cute song, with a fun Super 8 music video to accompany it.

The Society of Book Lovers

While I was perusing the selection of winter apparel at our local army/navy surplus store, I noticed a tin labeled “Russian Pins” on a nearby counter. I suspected that I knew what they were instantly, and upon closer inspection I found I was correct. The tin contained an assortment of Soviet-era commemorative pins, or znatchki, which have lately become kitschy collectors items. I have a small collection myself, with pins illustrating portraits of Chekhov and Pushkin, an image of the Kremlin, and a popular fairy tale character Snegurochka, to name a few. They really are quite fascinating as cultural markers and from a design perspective.

Getting back to the army/navy store, I started digging through their collection to see if they had anything of interest. I was quite excited when I came upon this:

It translates as The Society of Book Lovers (or Bibliophiles, if you will). I did a little searching, and I was able to find the following website: http://www.knigoluby.ru (which you can run through Google Translate). It sounds like the Society organized many book events, ranging from literary gatherings and discussions, readers’ conferences, book exhibitions and thematic exhibitions of rare books, book festivals, and book premiers. Although the name of the organization has changed a number of times over the years, it seems they are still active in one capacity or another.

So there you go. A lesson on international book clubs for you, and an awesome addition to my znachki collection for me.

Library-themed holiday gift idea

In an attempt to get into the holiday spirit, why not highlight some cute holiday gift items that target the bookish, library-loving among us? I stumbled upon this item from Anthropologie, which not only features a mock classification scheme (click image for a larger view), but also takes its inspiration from tea, another weakness of mine.

This new line of fragrances is called “A Rather Novel Collection,” with six different fragrances, each inspired by a different flavor of tea and its respective place of origin. I have yet to smell any of them, but what a clever packaging+marketing idea!

Prison Library Project in the news

Today’s L.A. Times features a story on the Prison Library Project, part of a nonprofit organization from Claremont, CA called the Claremont Forum. Philadelphia has its own organization with similar goals, called Books Through Bars, although it seems the Prison Library Project is much more active in communicating directly with individual prisoners.

If anyone ever has books to donate, especially those old college textbooks you’ve been meaning to get rid of, organizations like these are great places to go. You can find a program near you here.