Ny post.

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