When I was walking on South Bank a couple of weekends ago I came across this little photo mounted beside the sidewalk. It's by this street photographer, whose work I've also seen stuck to walls in Shoreditch, if I remember correctly. If that's truly a random street photo, the photographer was amazingly fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. It looks more like a staged fashion shoot, but even so, it's a fun image.
Yesterday was more library inventory. I finished the fiction, where we're missing 19 books -- not bad after a whole year of library use. I expected worse! And I think I know where two of them are. There's a particular student who still has a long-overdue book he checked out last fall. As a result, his library account is locked until he returns or pays for it. A few months ago, out of the goodness of my heart, I gave him the next two books in the same series -- and he hasn't returned those either. Now, the next two in the series are gone. Gee, I wonder who has them?
I also started on the nonfiction, which is organized using the Dewey decimal system, and finished all the 800s -- the poetry, plays and literature section. Nothing missing there. That whole section needs to be weeded in the worst way. Some of the books are ridiculously old. I like old books, but these things are decrepit.
For librarians, at least in a non-archival library like a school, the age of a collection is a reflection of its quality and currency. No one wants an extremely old collection. When I went to my library conference one of the librarians made a critical comment about a collection with an average publication date of 2006. Out of curiosity, I ran our statistics and found that the average age of our 800s section is 1993! And that's the average. Granted, it's poetry, which ages much better than, say, science (where our books are much newer). But it still needs updating. My next project!
This wallflower is growing in a planter atop a rubbish bin around the corner from the school. Look how prolifically it's blooming! It looks much better than ours. What's their secret?
Speaking of aged media, Dave and I watched a movie on Amazon Prime on Sunday called "The Christine Jorgensen Story," from 1970. It's about one of the first well-known transgender women in the United States, who went to Denmark for sex-change surgery way back in the 1950s, and became something of a celebrity as a result. I remember reading about Jorgensen and seeing her in magazines but I'd never seen this film. I wouldn't say it's great, but it was interesting as a product of its time. As a sympathetic portrayal of transgenderism, it probably played a significant role in introducing the concept to many people -- though I'm not sure how big its initial audience was. It's due to leave Prime soon so we caught it while we could.
Sidewalk is not very British. Poetry books don't date, one justs adds contemporary poetry to the collection.
ReplyDeleteThe content of the books doesn't date (mostly) but the books themselves become decrepit over time.
DeleteAs a librarian you may like to look at Michael Rosen's blog (michaelrosenblog.blogspot.com) where he gives lots of literature and poetry ideas for children. He was the Children's Laureate in Britain a few years ago. I follow his blog and although he does not take comments he does take email comments.
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of Rosen's books. I'll check out his blog. Thanks!
DeleteThe wallflower secret? More sunshine and warmth from the rocks.
ReplyDeleteI think those books need to be chased up and returned, perhaps a reminder letter to the parents?
Oh, that could be! I imagine it is warm atop that bin box.
DeleteWhy does a library need an inventory when libraries were invented a long time ago? The oldest library in the world that is still functioning and continuously operating is the al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morocco, founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri and part of the University of al-Qarawiyyin, the oldest continually operating university in the world.
ReplyDeleteYou were just dying to convey that little tidbit of trivia, weren't you? :)
DeleteYour photo of the photo is wonderful. You’ve got a great eye. Yeah, it does look staged to me, but it’s a great photo. I remember Christine Jorgensen from my childhood. She was on tv a lot. And it amazes me to look back at that and how much my mother admired her. Never a negative thing said.
ReplyDeleteThat's great, that your mom was so accepting. I think people used to be more tolerant than they are now. So many people see difference as threatening these days.
DeleteIt's good that you have progressed well with the book stock take.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching the Christine Jorgensen Story many years ago, and it was interesting.
It was interesting. Like I said, not great, but not terrible either.
DeleteLondon is definitely the place to capture interesting street scenes. I sort of miss it sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI used to get out and walk a lot more than I do now. I should do it more often!
DeleteThat is a lovely 'Bowles' wall flower, it's early enthusiastic flowering made me sad though;) remembering the old one I used to cultivate. Snatch a cutting why don't you.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's an idea. We have one that I like but it's nowhere near as prolific.
DeleteOld books have a value all their own, even old non-fiction. Schools should have up-to-date non-fiction, of course, but these days so much can be found on the internet. Checking its validity is another matter entirely.
ReplyDeleteThe wallflower is beautiful.
Our non-fiction books get used a lot less than they used to, because kids do so much of their research online now. Sometimes teachers will require that a certain number of sources come from books, to get kids used to using them too.
DeleteI too like stock taking. There is something strangely soothing about it. Yesterday was my herbs and spices cupboard's turn. As it happens I am currently weeding my own book shelves. It's anathema to me to bin books. Yet, charity shops are increasingly reluctant to accept books. My local library used to take proper unblemished hardbacks off me. That was satisfying for me because whilst those books had outlived their life with me they were there for the many to enjoy. Now? Forget it. Have books really become just a commodity dispensed with without a second thought? Any ideas? I tried prisons, homeless and women's shelters, halfway houses - why do they make it so difficult? Or maybe I am just palming off the "throwing away" bit to them. Should you know of an American school in London which not only accepts books in English but other languages do let me know. We'll climb the hurdle of transport when we come to the bridge.
ReplyDeleteYour book "thief" made me smile. Little did he reckon on your Sherlock.
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Oxfam has shops dedicated specifically to books, including one in the St. John's Wood high street. You might try there? We actually don't accept public donations at our library because we wind up with SO much stuff. We often have trouble finding a second home for our discarded books, too.
DeleteEven rubbish bins look wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSometimes!
DeleteI love the flower hat on the rubbish bin! I think I commented last year that I would really enjoy doing inventory too - such a satisfactory task, even if there are missing books. It's why my favorite accounting class in college was auditing.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a surprise to see what the result is going to be -- what will have gone missing. It's like a game.
DeleteI think that photo was staged. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's a good one. I remember Christine Jorgensen. Did Life do an article on her?
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your inventorying!
Yes, I think Life did do something on her. I think she's in one of my Life photo books.
DeleteI have memories of checking out library books in high school that had my parent's name on the checkout card meaning they were that old, and that few of people checked them out between them and myself. Needless to say, there weren't many who utilized the library because as you say, the currency had long ago been spent.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you gotta keep some fresh stock flowing in! (And ideally, old stock flowing out.)
DeleteThat is a wonderful wallflower, great picture.
ReplyDeleteOur city library, my second home, is closed for one entire month while they change their catalogue system. I managed to take out as much as could carry in real books and a selection of audio/ebooks. They promise that with the new system, we can get loans of podcasts and seeds! An online movie/TV series library has been in operation for a year and it's fabulous, not mainstream netflix stuff more cinematic, arts stuff but great selection. Apparently, seed libraríes are the latest big thing. You take out a packet of seeds, grow your stuff, harvest seeds and return them.
I have never heard of a seed library that functions like that. What an interesting idea!
DeleteYour library posts always remind me of the days I worked in libraries and knew all of the Dewey numbers! I was always able to help the students find exactly what section the book they wanted might be in. It felt like magic! Don't you just love to do that?
ReplyDeleteThe kids are always amazed when I know right where something is. But when you work in a place long enough you develop pretty good sense for that kind of thing! I can also often tell when something is out of place.
DeleteThat is a great photo. It has to be staged though. Looks too 'clean' to be serendipitous. And the wall flower is magnificent. Some things just like certain spots.
ReplyDeleteI agree -- it seems too perfect not to be staged.
DeleteThe wallflower is outstanding. Maybe a good fertilizer made it bloom prolifically.
ReplyDeleteOur public library is constantly updating their collection. In addition to serving the community, they serve both Concord Academy and the Middlesex School. The public can submit book recommendations, and the library leadership meets regularly to determine new purchases.
Your book audit is going well. You likely know more about the collection than most and could recommend books for purchase.
Oh, I do recommend purchases or replacements! Interesting that your public library serves two schools as well.
DeleteI remember seeing that movie many years ago.
ReplyDeleteI agree about that photo, it does look staged but it is a great photo. That plant on top of the bin is beautiful. It looks very happy there.
Doesn't it?! I think River is right (above) -- it probably has something to do with sun and warmth.
DeleteI remember Christine Jorgensen! I wouldn't think poetry books go out of date. I could see weeding out poor physical copies, but I'd only add to the collection with newer poets rather than removing older ones.
ReplyDeletePoor copies is basically what we're going for. Or books that just haven't proven useful for a very, very long time.
DeleteThat wallflower is a beauty! I wonder why they refer to people who are sitting out a dance (or don't dance at all) as wallflowers? I do remember Christine Jorgensen. Well done on dealing with the books. I understand part of the current book situation but some things -- classics, poetry, etc. -- does it really matter?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wonder what the origin of the term "wallflower" is. I always thought it was because people who weren't participating were standing against the wall. As a matter of fact, I wonder if wallflowers (the plant) are so named because they grow well against walls...?
DeleteI think the wallflower is thriving because it's ignored:) My theory anyway.
ReplyDeleteI've never had to do inventory, but when accreditation rolls around, I'm you're woman. I will look through all of our stock for out of date supplies, even checking individual needles. Very satisfying.
Well, it's not too ignored. There are annuals around its base (which you can't even see from this side because the plant obscures them) and someone is maintaining those. Maybe it's actually thriving because it's NOT ignored...?
DeleteThere's wonderful poetry being written every day, so I'm sure there'll be no problem in finding modern books to update the collection and bring up the average age.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I never realized there was an actual plant called wallflower. The only way I ever heard it used was in the sense of people on the sidelines of a dance.
We've bought poetry books in recent years, so we have newer ones. We just need to get rid of some of the old ones.
DeleteI don't know that I knew of Christine Jorgenson, but her story is quite fascinating, mostly that she was fearless about living her life in her own way. She was certainly beautiful, though. As is that wall flower. I'd be looking for an opportunity to talk to the person who gardens there.
ReplyDeleteIt took real courage for her to do what she did back in that conformist era!
DeleteThat photo by a "street photographer"(?) is an "Ode to Joy"! I hope you don't weed the fiction back too far. I'm finding much joy in works written in the 19th and 20th Century by writers now mostly forgotten. And that flowering plant is a true "Ode to Joy"!
ReplyDeleteOh, we keep lots of classics, don't worry! In fact I'm sometimes defending them against others who want to get rid of them. (My boss is a fan of much more contemporary fiction.)
DeleteI just couldn't figure out what I was seeing in your first picture, I saw the photograph on the right but kept thinking 'but what about the pic on the left'? I finally realized that the photograph is 'on the wall' next to the sidewalk, not on the ground or some other pavement or, as I thought at first, another picture altogether ... duhhh.
ReplyDeleteOh, funny! It's interesting to read how you were seeing it at first -- and I can understand how you'd be unsure about that.
DeleteI think libraries are the repositories of our past and as such, will always trend older. New pop fiction belongs but not the majority of it since it's so transitory. I remember Christine Jorgenson and thinking how brave she was. No one really thought much about transgenderism then; now it's a hot button issue in the U.S. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteIt's remarkable how ahead of her time she was.
DeleteI remember the big magazine stories about Christine Jorgensen, and how kindly she was treated as just a person with an interesting story. I never noticed any hostility then. Interesting because homophobia was raging, so some gender/sexual situations were okay when others were targeted.
ReplyDeleteI love the scent of wallflower. It came rushing back when you mentioned them.
I wonder if the fact that she was SO unusual actually protected her. People seem more threatened now because transgenderism -- and its ramifications, real or perceived -- is more common.
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