Why are libraries biased against SF?

[Stormbringer]

I've noticed that public libraries tend to have awful science fiction collections. They'll have a few Trek and Wars books, some old beaten up classics and some cheap crap. And the same goes for fantasy. Nothing short of a phenomenal best seller is bought. Yet they have mountains of the worst crap ever turned out by mainstream authors.

Why?

[Sea Skimmer]

I've noticed that public libraries tend to have awful science fiction collections. They'll have a few Trek and Wars books, some old beaten up classics and some cheap crap. And the same goes for fantasy. Nothing short of a phenomenal best seller is bought. Yet they have mountains of the worst crap ever turned out by mainstream authors.

Why?

Because the morons in charge are in there seventies and think Romeo and Juliet was the best thing ever written.

[Mr Bean]

Why?

I asume its because Public Librarys are run by idiots, Finding evidance to the countrary is a daunting task

[Master of Ossus]

Sci-Fi is really a niche market. Older authors, like Steve King and Tom Clancy, repeatedly sell more copies, even when their work is mediocre. More importantly, the sheer volume of science fiction on the market makes differentiating between the good and the bad much more difficult. For libraries with limited resources, it is difficult to have someone read the books and determine which are worth investing in (in terms of both money and shelf-space) for the library. Since repeated best-selling authors are almost always going to be in demand, it is a better bet for them to purchase more main-stream books.

[Evil Sadistic Bastard]

Why?

I asume its because Public Librarys are run by idiots, Finding evidance to the countrary is a daunting task

School libraries are run by idiots.
Why should public libraries be any different?

[Master of Ossus]

Why?

I asume its because Public Librarys are run by idiots, Finding evidance to the countrary is a daunting task

School libraries are run by idiots.
Why should public libraries be any different?

I've actually worked in a school. You don't know how true that is.

[Sea Skimmer]

I asume its because Public Librarys are run by idiots, Finding evidance to the countrary is a daunting task

School libraries are run by idiots.
Why should public libraries be any different?

I've actually worked in a school. You don't know how true that is.

The people directly in charge might be okay in Schools, but generally you have a school board of morons overseeing things with various personal agendas to push in terms of content.

[Evil Sadistic Bastard]

I've actually worked in a school. You don't know how true that is.

A pair of hags run my school library. They seem to enjoy picking fights with us and running to the principal whenever any of us looks like they might put up resistance.

[The Dark]

Our college library is pretty bad (actually, I think they only starting purchasing fiction this year), but the public libraries are decent. The sci-fi/fantasy section is about a third the size of the general fiction by the college, and half the size by my parents' house (two different counties).

[Stormbringer]

Our college library is pretty bad (actually, I think they only starting purchasing fiction this year), but the public libraries are decent. The sci-fi/fantasy section is about a third the size of the general fiction by the college, and half the size by my parents' house (two different counties).

Then you've got rare good luck. Only the old semi-private libaray back home has a decent science fiction selection. Most libraries I've been to have smallish sections and very little good SF.

[Master of Ossus]

I've actually worked in a school. You don't know how true that is.

A pair of hags run my school library. They seem to enjoy picking fights with us and running to the principal whenever any of us looks like they might put up resistance.

Where I used to teach, the librarian would arbitrarily ban books that she didn't like. She went so far as to ban every single book describing itself as a history of warfare, because she felt that those were too violent for High Schoolers. She also banned such "nonsense" as Slaughterhouse 5 and I had to go to the administration repeatedly to prevent her from yanking The Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye from the shelves. It got so bad that some of my colleagues had to ask students to buy their own books, so they could teach them in class.

[Evil Sadistic Bastard]

I've actually worked in a school. You don't know how true that is.

A pair of hags run my school library. They seem to enjoy picking fights with us and running to the principal whenever any of us looks like they might put up resistance.

Where I used to teach, the librarian would arbitrarily ban books that she didn't like. She went so far as to ban every single book describing itself as a history of warfare, because she felt that those were too violent for High Schoolers. She also banned such "nonsense" as Slaughterhouse 5 and I had to go to the administration repeatedly to prevent her from yanking The Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye from the shelves. It got so bad that some of my colleagues had to ask students to buy their own books, so they could teach them in class.

So the Master of ossus is a teacher (Or was a teacher.) Hmmm...

[Master of Ossus]

So the Master of ossus is a teacher (Or was a teacher.) Hmmm...

I know. I discussed this extensively in a thread about my background, after I was made a moderator. Now I'm an editor for a newspaper, but I was an English teacher/professor for a number of years.

[Sea Skimmer]

I've actually worked in a school. You don't know how true that is.

A pair of hags run my school library. They seem to enjoy picking fights with us and running to the principal whenever any of us looks like they might put up resistance.

Where I used to teach, the librarian would arbitrarily ban books that she didn't like. She went so far as to ban every single book describing itself as a history of warfare, because she felt that those were too violent for High Schoolers. She also banned such "nonsense" as Slaughterhouse 5 and I had to go to the administration repeatedly to prevent her from yanking The Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye from the shelves. It got so bad that some of my colleagues had to ask students to buy their own books, so they could teach them in class.

There was a time when we could have shot such a person..

[Alyeska]

Our college library is pretty bad (actually, I think they only starting purchasing fiction this year), but the public libraries are decent. The sci-fi/fantasy section is about a third the size of the general fiction by the college, and half the size by my parents' house (two different counties).

Then you've got rare good luck. Only the old semi-private libaray back home has a decent science fiction selection. Most libraries I've been to have smallish sections and very little good SF.

I have to say that my Library is pretty damned good as well. They make a point if trying to buy most new Sci-fi books as they come out. They might only get a single copy, but they are trying to get books for people to read. There is a decent sized science fiction section and it has most Star Trek and Star Wars books along with a large collection from other authors like Anne McAffrey.

[Evil Sadistic Bastard]

Our college library is pretty bad (actually, I think they only starting purchasing fiction this year), but the public libraries are decent. The sci-fi/fantasy section is about a third the size of the general fiction by the college, and half the size by my parents' house (two different counties).

Then you've got rare good luck. Only the old semi-private libaray back home has a decent science fiction selection. Most libraries I've been to have smallish sections and very little good SF.

I have to say that my Library is pretty damned good as well. They make a point if trying to buy most new Sci-fi books as they come out. They might only get a single copy, but they are trying to get books for people to read. There is a decent sized science fiction section and it has most Star Trek and Star Wars books along with a large collection from other authors like Anne McAffrey.

Sounds like a good library to me. You lucky bastard...

[Ghost Rider]

I only get that type of diversity in either the main library or in the LoC...any other and I have to search a little too hard.

As for a reason I swear it's basically the same reason why the SF community raised their noses at Gaiman when he won...arrogance and ignorance.

[Evil Sadistic Bastard]

Speaking of Gaiman... How good is he? I found his Sandman series to be very though-provoking and would be worth the cash.

Which reminds me, must see if I can rip it off Kazaa...

[Ghost Rider]

Very good...he does have a nice sense of drama and humor.

The only thing is he trul;y prefers a more fantasy setting then he does hard sci-fi setting, but all in all he's one I can recommend without any reservations.

[Evil Sadistic Bastard]

Hmmm. I see.
And I can't rip Sandman off. Damn.

[Ghost Rider]

I think that is stemmed from his association with Peter David but more importantly Ellison.

Ellison is now on some new craze to destroy all illegal writing(copied/ripped books) on the internet.

He basically looks out for chums along those lines...and DC owning Sandman probably dissuades a few as well(given the parent corporation of Time/Warner)

[Stormbringer]

Ellison is now on some new craze to destroy all illegal writing(copied/ripped books) on the internet.

Why shouldn't he? You're stealing from him and have no right to. And Harlan's not the kind of guy to take anything lying down.

[Ghost Rider]

Actually that's not my problem...it's he's on the craze after his property got hit, but when it was someone else's he was that little voice screaming "You bad guys you...(shaking fist)!!!"

That is what I found a little too hypocritical...I mean in theory it loked if they never touched his stuff(because PD complained/and won some by having website take his stuff off long before Ellison even began this crusade), he wouldn't have done a damn thing.

Now he's the big advocate...sorry it just seems wrong to be up in arms about all ripped publication when YOURS gets hit, but when others it was just a bad thing.

[Stormbringer]

It's only natural that he would be more worked up over his own things. And he has always gotten pissed at those kind of people. Harlan's never stood for people ripping others off.

[tharkûn]

Damn I'm lucky. My librarian pre-orders Orson Scott Card, Mercedes Lackey, Anne McCaffery, C.J. Cheryth, C.S. Friedman, Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, Timothy Zhan, Marion Zimmer Bradley, David Eddings, L.E. Modestit, Weis and Hickman ... Hell the sci fi/fantasy section is the fastest growing section in the library. It's rare we don't have an order in for a good scifi book before it hits the shelves.

Of course having the librarian head the sci fi/fantasy book club helps loads