Our Public Library And Stamps

OK here in Curwensville, PA and nearby Clearfeild there is the public library system and I just found out that you can do an online query of philatelic materials! here is what they have on the shelves! I'll have to go check out the Civil war stamp history books real soon! - http://ccl.tlcdelivers.com/TLCScrip...c.dll?Search

I will have to give our new local one a check. Also a check of your local library for their
annual book sale may be beneficial to collectors.
I was fortunate and picked up a Scott's 2010 catalog for a buck and a complete set
of 2008 for $5. Not the most recent of course for stamp value but a heck of a nice
set for reference.

Chuck

You may be saddened to know that the libraries in Yorkshire are closing down. The young people here no longer read books. A shame as we sometimes used to meet in the library...
Ghu-YSC.

How sad. That's terrible actually what will become of the archives in them then?

Sad indeed.

The archives in one library here in Halifax, Canada, have been reduced by determining how many times someone accessed them. half gone now or more. Sold probably like the above mentioned sale.

The librarian I had asked where they had moved the stamp catalogues to told me they will never get rid of the stamp catalogues as they are looked at and the copies in the regular loaning shelves are always accessed or taken out.

I know they may need the space (? not really at this one as far as I can see) but there is the curve of access of virtual info and data (music, movies, books) that cost less to archive and that even if only one person looked at it in a year (or more) it is kept there.

The 80% of people access 20% of the books available idea shouldn't apply or be used in libraries. It seems we are moving to a case of private libraries as apposed to public ones because of all this virtual storage (as one factor involved anyway). Not that they virtually store anything well. As one example, DVDs that have been scratched or damaged are not replaced (at least I don't see them being replaced).

Digital media like DVDs last, on average, about 4 years before needing to be replaced, generally speaking.

Is all this coming down to the 20% of books that are read or accessed the most being kept while most others are discarded?

I say, lets wait until the worst solar flares that are increasing to a peak strength in approximately March 2013 have passed and see what is left over of digital media or at least what problems are encountered regards storage of data.

Stuff happens all the time. I threw out about 1000 paperbacks I had kept for years, years ago, and now wish I had them as my poor old memory is not what it used to be and I would like to refresh my memory again on some stuff, stories, novels, misc. data, everything.

Just because of the clutter-mania that is much tooted now, you still need to keep the info somewhere that survives over a longer period than 4 years or so.

With digital media also you have to keep upgrading to the newest technology and media or risk not being able to access what data you do have. Not everyone really wants to upgrade all the time, over and over.

We are amazed by a hand-written letter now but what will we have that is still readable in a hundred or more years? Not much I would think.

Puzzler,
Your clear out is very sad reading my friend.
What I did when I hit house capacity for my 'vital horde' was to acquire another shed!
I now have two sheds and a garage, and a porch on the back of the house. My missus says when I pass on, she is going to order three big skips and get rid of the lot!
Suffice to say she does not share my passion for collecting
Yuri-YSC.

Our public library in Westerville, Ohio, is a gem. Every year, they buy two complete sets of Scott Catalogs, one for reference, and one to loan out.

By the way, inquire about Interlibrary Loan, which is sometimes totally free to the borrower - get obscure philatelic references from other libraries for two weeks, postpaid. Or ANY books/media, for that matter.