Chance for a Book Burning?
I help run a nonprofit that fights illiteracy, and one of the best things we've managed to do is put a bookmobile on the road. It goes to remote parts of the county, where people have transportation issues or don't have a branch of a public library there (amazing that those places still exist!). Because we run the mobile library ourselves, we have our own library software, and we have to catalogue all the books that are donated/purchased in the software, glue the cards in, etc. etc.
I never thought I'd want to "censor" books for people to check out, even when I had got my fill of the religious crap that was donated to us. I still stuck it on the shelves. However, we recently got one book that's absolutely driving me nuts. I haven't catalogued it yet, because I don't want to. It's called Courageous Souls: Do We Plan Our Life Challenges Before Birth?
This book is about how the "soul" you have planned its upcoming lifetimes, including deaths, accidents, relationships, etc. It plans its own accidents! Apparently 10 people share their stories through the collaboration with "gifted mediums and channels". I suppose it's one of those everything-happens-for-a-reason books.
Am I wrong to think this is utter crap and to quietly slide it under the rug somewhere?! I would've never imagined having such thoughts before, but this pulpy crap just made me snap.
On the other hand, having your own library is pretty cool. Someone donated a copy of the New Testatment to us. This is how I catalogued it in the software--just because I can:
Title: New Testament
Author: God
Genre: Fiction
:D
-- Virgil
posted by contemplator at Tuesday, July 03, 2007
6 Comments:
I've always wanted my own library. It's one of the reasons I buy so many books, and refuse to give them away.
One of these days, I'm going to have a room in my house devoted solely for the purpose of reading.
What would you do if someone gave you a book like the kamasuthra or something really sexual in nature out of curiosity?
Hmm. Kamasuthra would be OK with me, after all there's plenty of other Western books about better sex and better marriage already on the bookmobile. The only thing that gives me pause, though, are the works of the Marquis de Sade (most of which I've read) or Sadean style novels like The Story of O. We serve probably 75% children, and I think a kid would be pretty disturbed if s/he ran across Sade at, say, 12 years old.
Of course, I did, and I turned out fine. Oh, wait a minute...
But seriously. I guess since we serve all people with all age ranges, I'd lob it in with the adult stuff and let it go. Sexual stuff doesn't bother me. I guess the Soul book just seemed like a complete waste of pulp to me. A good tree used for nothing. But I have the same problem with Xian lit as well--I am so sick of churches donating books about how god will turn people's lives around. We're up to our ears in them. I stick them on the shelves, but I don't want to.
If I were a private sort of bookmobile, I wouldn't, though. I guess because it's public & open to everybody, I have to stick whatever I get on the shelves.
I wonder what we'll do if somebody bitches about a particular book? We never even really gave that a second thought.
LOL!!!!!!!!
I'm glad I found your blog! (Through Life With Heathens).
I'll have to come back when I'm not so tired an put some serious reading in....
Meanwhile, I may have to link ya!
(ok?)
:^)
I went to the Books A Million after class and saw the greatest thing.
In the fiction section, clear as day was Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species."
Clearly the Christian neo-con version of you is on the loose.
Helena: no problem. I enjoyed your site--you're very talented!
JP-- so did you reshelve the book or go up front and point it out? If not, what the hell weren't you thinking? We can't have an atheist conspiracy if people don't remember what they're supposed to do! Do you need debriefed again??
I'm sorry to say I didn't. I'm way too passive for that sort of thing.
I was also kind of impressed with the "up yours" attitude of whomever put it there. You have to be in awe of such proud ignorance.
"We're going to PROVE that even a supposed repository of knowledge like a bookstore can be run by dumbasses!"
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