[CALIBK12] National Geographics

[Mark Williams]

I once read an article (in the Journal of Irreproducible Results) 
that offered evidence based on the weight of NG issues that the 
center of North America was slowly sinking, and that by 2012, all 
rivers would be reversing their directions so that they would all 
flow inwards and form one vast inland lake, all due the accumulated 
weight of saved National Geographics stored in libraries and 
household basements and attics. :-)

Seriously though, I inherited a collection of bound NG, going back to 
1928.  They were fun to look at from my point of view, but they were 
NEVER called for.  No one ever used them in the library, even though 
we made it clear they were available.  At most, the current year or 
so's issues might be looked at or used for a project of some 
sort.  As I was desperately short on shelf space for things that were 
farm more pertinent and useful to the curriculum.  So, out they 
went.  I offered them to other libraries and individuals, with no 
takers.  Eventually, they went to recycle heaven.  The unbound ones I 
donated to several local nursing homes and senior centers.  I had a 
few twinges, I admit.  However, I remembered my weeding mantra.... 
The School Library Is Not An Archival Institution  (repeat).

Since they are available on line and in disc form now, there is even 
less reason to keep them.   I DO admit to having saved all the issues 
with articles about the space program.  I imagine my successor has 
tossed them, wondering at my selective habits! :-)  We did keep five 
years of back issues of all our hard copy periodical subscriptions, 
but after 1999, we began thinning the herd, keeping only leisure 
reading titles and some news magazines and newspapers in hard copy 
and relying on on-line database/periodical subscriptions for reference work.

Hope this helps.


At 04:11 PM 1/7/2008, you wrote:
>How many previous years of periodicals to you keep in your school 
>libraries?  Do you keep more of National Geographic than other titles?
>
>No one actually uses ours and we are running out of storage space, 
>but it seems un-librarianish to toss them!
>
>Sandy Rowland, MLIS
>Teacher Librarian
>Daniel Lewis Middle School
>Paso Robles, CA
>
>
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Mark Williams
Consulting Librarian
Professional Services for Conferences, Districts, Workshops
markwilliams at makaw.net
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"The closest thing you will find to an orderly universe is a good 
library"  Ashleigh Brilliant  
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