The life cycle of a library book

For most books at most public libraries in the US circa 2020, it generally goes something like this:

Selection – each library (or at least head library) has a librarian or librarians who pick new books. They keep up with the new books that are coming out, read journals like Booklist and Library Journal, read reviews online, even blogs! They are supposed to pick books that are of interest to their community, which is not necessarily a book they personally like.

Purchase – they buy books from distributors, like Baker & Taylor or Brodart, who specialize in this sort of thing.

Donation – not all books are purchased. Some are donated by kind souls. If a donated book is in bad shape (falling apart, marked up, smells mouldy, etc) or if the librarian does not think it is a good fit for the library’s collection, then it goes straight to the After Life (see below). Otherwise it advances to the next step along with the purchased books:

Processing – the book is entered into the catalogue and given all the things a library adds to a book: a good dust jacket, bar code, the library’s stamp, the label on the spine showing where it will be shelved, etc. Some of this might already have been done by the distributor (see Purchase above).

Circulation – the book is checked in and ready to be taken out! Sometimes it goes on the shelf for new books. Sometimes it is held – new books often already have a waiting list of people who want to read it. All the books you see at the library are in this stage of their life cycle.

Lost – some books are lost. Or even stolen. At this point their life as a library book ends. But most books are not and proceed to the next stage:

Weeding – this is what librarians call it. From time to time they get rid of books! In general, they get rid of books that are worn out, damaged, outdated or which are not getting checked out (borrowed) enough. Sometimes librarians will check out books just to keep them alive! But sooner or later most books reach this stage. This is the stage that fascinates me because books on my to-read list are disappearing! Those books that are weeded out go on to:

The After Life – this is determined by whether the book is in good shape or not:

• If the book is still in good shape it is given to the Friends of the Library. They either hold a book sale themselves, like at the library, or sell it to a used bookseller, or donate it, like to Better World Books. Money from the sale goes back to the library so they can buy new books.
• If the book is in bad shape then it is either thrown out (pictured above) or sent to a recycler where it joins the paper cycle of life and has a chance of becoming part of a new book. Most likely, though, it will just become office paper.

If the book was popular enough and is still in print, it is re-ordered.

– Abagond, 2021.

Source: mainly Book Riot (2019), St Vincent Review (image).

See also:

• books
  • Reading old books
  • How to find a good book: the 15 Year Rule
• library
  • Leah Price: Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books
  • Jefferson’s library – donated to the Library of Congress
  • Library of Alexandria – lost to the ages
  • The libraries of Timbuktu
  • library weeding
• Gerard of Cremona

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