SCELBAL, Scelbi books

From: Teo Zenios <teoz_at_neo.rr.com>
Date: Mon Feb 2 17:49:36 2004

----- Original Message -----
From: "O. Sharp" <ohh_at_drizzle.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: SCELBAL, Scelbi books


>
> Someone on the list, whose name I have chosen to remove, wrote (in part):
>
> > Yes... there is... now it's not very honest but it'll get ya the books.
> > If you think the price listed in the covers of the books is fair then
> > here is what you do. Go to the library and tell them you've lost the
> > books. [...]
>
> As someone who still actually _uses_ libraries for research, I can't even
> begin to express how barbaric I find this suggestion. "Not very honest"?
> Well, true, and if you don't have any qualms about slapping the face of
> _every other person_ who might want to do the same research for the rest
> of time... <grrrrrr!>
>
> > Another option (less likely to work) is to ask them if you can purchase
> > the books. Most times though they will say no.
>
> But at least this is an approach that doesn't deprive you of your honor,
> your honesty or your soul. :) Many libraries also have annual or
> semi-annual public sales, of both donated books and (occasionally) old
> stock of their own which has been duplicated or outlived its public
> usefulness, so that's another method that wouldn't taint your hands and
> rob your fellow-collectors. :)
>
> Returning to Chuck Swiger's original message:
>
> > Still, there must be some way I can purchase books that haven't been
> > checked out in over 20 years from an Institute of Technology library.
>
> If you're only after the information, the copies the library suggested
> would probably be adequate. But there is something nice about having an
> actual, honest-to-God book in your hands. :) Have you tried looking for
> the books elsewhere? Half.com, abebooks.com, alibris.com, powells.com,
> allbookstores.com and even amazon.com are all good sources for various
> old technology volumes. I've had good luck with most of them at one time
> or another. ePain - er, eBay also works, if you're willing to wait long
> enough and have a big enough checkbook. (I hesitate suggesting them; but I
> have been able to find two hysterically rare nonfiction volumes there, so
> I guess I can't gripe. <g>) If you live somewhere with a good variety of
> used bookstores, too, it could be worth your while to drop by some of them
> and see if they might be on a forgotten shelf there as well. Good used
> bookstores are full of surprises. :)
>
> ...Aiya! That other poster's suggestion just strikes me as scummy and
> invidious. Every time I go to the library, look for a particular volume
> and have the catalog tell me it's "missing from collection", I'm going to
> think of that unnamed poster and mutter a curse. :/
>
> ...And that'll be, on average, about three curses every time I research
> _any_thing... :(
>
> -O.-
> <muttering under breath about evil library-killers>
>
>

I agree people stealing from the library and paying back the original
purchased price for a book long out of print (that cant be replaced) is VERY
low in my opinion. If your looking for something technical and your local
library doesn't have it try hitting your local college. The school I
graduated from has an alumni program where for a few bucks a year you get
access to the school library (among other things) just like you did when you
were a student. I bet any donations would allow you to get the same
privileges even if you never attended the school in question. Any college
library will let you browse the books and magazines there, they just wont
let you walk out with them unless your a student and have a card. And yes
most libraries do have sales each year on books that are outdated or have
been replaced with new editions. I have quite a few technical (engineering)
books purchased for pennies on the dollar (from the old original price) from
such sales. I find books printed in the 1930's (when people started hitting
the theory of how allot of engineering things really worked like
thermodynamics etc) offer a perfect start to understanding a technical
subject because everything is spelled out step by step (including
experiments and raw data) since its fairly new to the people of the time
while new books (on old subjects) expect you to know allot about the
subject, math, and theory they skim over to get to their point.
Received on Mon Feb 02 2004 - 17:49:36 GMT