blog/data/2012-10-03-libraries-cs.txt

   1 Title: Why is your local library collecting the "wrong" computer books?
   2 Tags: english
   3 Date: 2012-10-03 10:00
   4
   5 <p>I just read the blog post from Tim Retout
   6 <a href="http://retout.co.uk/blog/2012/10/02/the-library-challenge">about
   7 the computer science book collection available in his local
   8 library</a>, and just wanted to share my comment on his theory about
   9 computer books becoming obsolete so soon.  That is part of the reason
  10 why the selection is so sad in almost any local library (it is in mine
  11 too), but I believe the major contributing factor is that the people
  12 buying books to the library have no way to know a good and future
  13 computer classic from trash.  And they need to know which one will
  14 become a classic in the future, as they would normally buy one of the
  15 recently published books.</p>
  16
  17 <p>During my university years, I worked for a while at the university
  18 library, and even there the person in charge of buying computer
  19 related books (and in fact any natural science related book), did not
  20 know enough about computers to make a good educated guess.  Once, just
  21 before Christmas, they had some leftover money on the book budget and
  22 I was asked if I could pick out a lot of computer books in the
  23 university book store, for the library to buy for their collection.  I
  24 had a great time picking all the books I dreamt of buying and reading,
  25 and the books I knew were classics (like most of the
  26 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Richard_Stevens">Stevens
  27 collection</a>).  I picked several of the generic O'Reilly books (ie
  28 documenting protocols, formats and systems, not specific versions of
  29 products) and stayed away from the 'teach yourself X in N days' class.
  30 I had a great time, and probably picked out more than a hundred books
  31 for the library that evening.</p>
  32
  33 <p>The sad fact is that there is no way a overworked librarian is
  34 going to know that for example
  35 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Practice_of_Programming">The
  36 Practice of Programming</a> is a must-have in any computer library,
  37 and they will most of the time end up picking the wrong books to buy.
  38 Perhaps you can help your local library make better choices by giving
  39 the suggestions for books to get?  I know they would love to hear from
  40 you, even if their budget might block them from getting your favourite
  41 book right away.</p>