Year End 2012

Yesterday we closed the year at the Meals on Wheels Cheyenne book room. We cleaned up, discarded unsellable books, and took the monthly physical inventory.

During 2012, we received 55,212 book donations. We sold 27,603 books. On the average almost exactly 50% of the donations are sold. We discarded 26,655. A certain number are in no condition to sell. Most are on the shelves for a period of time and do not sell. I hate tossing books but (1) we only have so much space, and (2) people do not like looking through books that no one wants. The latter I know from many years experience.

Book room volunteers donated a total of 753.50 hours. So for every 37 books sold there has been one hour of volunteer time.

Book room volunteers also donated 2,066 miles of vehicle usage.

David Sneed

Expurgation

Many types of books come in to the Meals on Wheels Book Room. If books are unsellable due to damage, missing covers, or whatever, they are discarded. Also Reader's Digest condensed books and old textbooks. No one buys them anywhere. But what about censorship? What should we do if we find books that may be objectionable for whatever reason? The Book Room volunteers have adopted the American Library Association interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. See below for text.

Plain and simple, if a book is potentially marketable it goes on the shelf. It does not mean that Meals on Wheels or any staff or volunteers endorse the book.

That leaves removal for lack of sales. Every library, book store, and thrift store only has room for so many books. If books do not sell after a period of time they are removed.

 We are open to any other ideas or comments?

David Sneed

Expurgation of Library Materials

An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

Expurgating library materials is a violation of the Library Bill of Rights. Expurgation as defined by this interpretation includes any deletion, excision, alteration, editing, or obliteration of any part(s) of books or other library resources by the library, its agent, or its parent institution (if any). By such expurgation, the library is in effect denying access to the complete work and the entire spectrum of ideas that the work intended to express. Such action stands in violation of Articles I, II, and III of the Library Bill of Rights, which state that "Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation," that "Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval," and that "Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment."

The act of expurgation has serious implications. It involves a determination that it is necessary to restrict access to the complete work. This is censorship. When a work is expurgated, under the assumption that certain portions of that work would be harmful to minors, the situation is no less serious.

Expurgation of any books or other library resources imposes a restriction, without regard to the rights and desires of all library users, by limiting access to ideas and information. (See also other Interpretations to the Library Bill of Rights, including Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks and Free Access to Libraries for Minors.)

Further, expurgation without written permission from the holder of the copyright on the material may violate the copyright provisions of the United States Code.

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Adopted February 2, 1973, by the ALA Council; amended July 1, 1981; January 10, 1990.

[ISBN 8389-5419-7]

Related Files

Expurgation of Library Materials (PDF File)