Damaged Books Reborn as Art

Snave says:

Re:Librarians do what?
You are insulting library staff everywhere, who work very hard to keep ALL their books and materials intact. If you think that it is “easy” to replace books, you’ve never worked in a library. The sheer cost of labor in replacing a book (assuming you can get a replacement copy) is staggering. There is the actual cost of the book and shipping, plus finding, ordering, paying and receiving the book, not to mention the processing costs of cataloging it, creating an item record, putting library material on it, etc. Library budgets are stretched as it is. Replacing vandalized materials represents a substantial commitment to keeping the title available, not a cavalier disregard for those who want to use it.

Yeah, my circulation staff handle a lot of books. What makes you think that a person vandalizing books is checking them out first? A lot of books get vandalized in the stacks, and no one knows about it until long after the fact, when someone tries to use it and brings it to our attention. Most libraries provide ample hidden spaces, including bathrooms, for someone to vandalize materials in privacy. Again, most libraries simply do not have the budget for sophisticated security systems or round-the-clock patrols of the stacks (and there is still the bathroom — are you suggesting cameras or an attendant the entire time the library is open, for every bathroom? Scissors, swiss army knives, nail clippers, and sharp-edged rulers confiscated at the doors via body searches?). If there is a persistant target, every library will try to address the problem. However, there is simply not enough staff and money to be sure of being successful because vandalism is, unfortunately, easy in an environment that depends on the easy access to shared materials.

Of course, every public library could just become a closed-stack library, which presents a multitude of other problems. But it is the most effective way to deal with vandals.