Rick Brooks, one of the founders of LFLs, has said that, "Everybody asks, 'Aren't they going to steal the books?' But you can't steal a free book."
But considering that just yesterday, in a not-so-little but just-as-free library, someone threw a lit cigarette in the book drop and someone else wreaked havoc in the restroom by shoving an entire roll of tissue down the toilet, taking a giant dump on top of it, and then flushing, well...trust me, free book or not - they'll find a way.
8 comments:
Nice idea but any system that requires people to act right in order to work is doomed.
put that in any major U.S. city and see what it looks like in a few days....
That can be done in my house. I don't let in the type of miscreants that your public library does.
Private libraries rock.
+1 Alan, look up Tragedy of the commons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons
Public restrooms, be they the ones in a park or liberry, or at your company office always sucks...especially when it comes to the 30 grit toilet paper!
You're both right.
They can't "steal" the books, since they're free for the taking.
They can (and some jerk probably will) destroy or sabotage them, making them worthless.
RE Library Toilets: My branch on Lakeshore Drive has been keeping the Restrooms locked for the last several years because of those Barbarians. Kinda sad to be 53 and having to ask permission to use the Potty.
Related note: In the pilot of the new CBS TV Series "Person of Interest", The Hero, played by Jim Caviezel, is being taken to the Headquarters of his Boss, played by Michael Emerson. When they enter the Building, Jim says "What's this place?" Michael goes "The Decline of Western Civilization. A couple of years ago, the City of New York decided to cut the Budget, and closed down half the Libraries in the City. So I bought one." (Paraphrased, of Course). Good show. Good Gun stuff also. Check it out online.
But hey, who needs Libraries when one already KNOWS everything, and can protest the Fact that "Corporate America" isn't giving them a Free Lunch?
Keep that new LCP closeby.
We do that at work. Big shelf of books. Take one, leave one.
Our local library will be moving to an itty-bitty space while a multi-bazillion dollar remodel is done. Almost all public comment is along the line of "But where will the homeless people stay?"
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