It seems that with e-readers and other such technological advances in the literary world, the good ol’ fashioned book may be going the way of the dodo. Are books becoming obsolete, or something to be undervalued? Virginia Woolf didn’t seem to see any lasting value in them:
“Books ought to be so cheap that we can throw them away if we do not like them, or give them away if we do. Moreover, it is absurd to print every book as if it were fated to last a hundred years. The life of the average book is perhaps three months. Why not face this fact? Why not print the first edition on some perishable material which would crumble to a little heap of perfectly clean dust in about six months time? If a second edition were needed, this could be printed on good paper and well bound. Thus by far the greater number of books would die a natural death in three months or so. No space would be wasted and no dirt would be collected.” [From a BBC radio debate with her husband (and publisher) Leonard Woolf, titled “Are Too Many Books Written and Published?”]
But sur
ely not everyone is so dismissive of books. I, for one, tend to hoard the volumes I’ve read (and even those I have not). Like author Jerry Stern of Florida State University’s English department, I love books, and do everything I can to keep mine in pristine condition. Yes, I may mark in them here or there to highlight a passage that I found particularly meaningful, but I never dog-ear corners and am loath to let the covers get bumped or scuffed. [Via BookLove]What about you? How do you handle your books? Do you buy throw-away copies or invest in long-term residents of a more permanent collection?
For people interested in more serious book preservation and conservation, the Library of Congress offers a Book Conservation Internship. [Via Library of Congress]
For a more do-it-yourself approach, check out the Alaska Historical Library’s Conservation Book Repair Training Manual.
Photo courtesy Alaska Historical Library
--Rachel Frier
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