I was horrified to read this article about how libraries in Fairfax, Virginia are culling classics to leave more room for trashy but popular novels. Anything that hasn't been checked out in two years is on the chopping block, including:
The Works of Aristotle, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy, For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak, and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.
Other selections expunged from various branch libraries are Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and Virgil's The Aeneid.
Among the more contemporary authors excluded from some libraries are the likes of Kate Millett, Jack Kerouac, and Maya Angelou.
They say patrons shouldn't worry because if a particular classic is absent from one branch it "might" still be available elsewhere in the system. The library's director has reponded on the library's blog, saying that it's not as bad as it sounds, but his proud assertion that circulation is up by 10% since the "weeding" started (yes, he really said "weeding") makes me think that cultural values are not foremost on his mind. You decide.
News article: Purging the Classics from the Local Library
Response: Classic Literature at the Fairfax County Public Library
via Rare Book News
UPDATE: There is another response from the library director on the official county website. I especially like this paragraph:
We use complex formulas, computer data and the expertise of librarians with decades of professional experience to decide which items to offer to the public. If you’re interested in understanding this very complex process, feel free to ask any of our branch managers.
Well, no wonder they are catering to the lowest common denominator—they think their patrons are idiots! It all makes sense now!
UPDATE II: Here's what the Fairfax County Library Director told the Washington Post: "We're being very ruthless." Perhaps Mr. Clay needs to consult a dictionary (if they still have them in his libraries) so he can learn that ruthlessness is actually a bad thing.
UPDATE III: As you might imagine, there has been quite a reaction to this story in the blogosphere. This is my favourite post so far, which also answers the question, "What would Proust blog?"
UPDATE IV: Last one, I promise! There is now a Save Classic Books Campaign that is encouraging all library patrons to check out any classic books that they think their library should stock. Even if you aren't going to read them right now, it might be a good idea to give the impression that they are in demand so that they will still be there when you (or future generations) want them. It's sad that we can no longer depend on librarians to preserve our literary heritage, but there it is. So go, put a hold on Virgil or Herodotus or Proust or Hemingway. It will be your good deed for the day.
And if you really want to be a rabble-rouser, you can e-mail the board of the Fairfax County Public Library and suggest that they find a new Director.
