A tech/business lending library in Kingston?

[Aside: Yes, my blog has been inactive a while - far longer than three days. I'll speak to that another time.]

So – it started with me cleaning out my office. I found a number (20 or so) of books (Mostly tech/business books) that I wasn’t using any more. Some of them were programming references (HTML, JavaScript, CSS, AJAX, Actionscript and so on), others were business novels (Trust Agents, Six Pixels, Wikinomics) and others were just general reading.

While I could have sold them, given them away or donated them to a thrift store, an idea struck me – particularly for the tech/business books – I’d donate them to the library. After all, the techy/geeky section of the library (Actually, most any library I’ve been in) is always outdated. The books are teaching languages and principals not used since (sometimes) the mid-90s, and the books are often in horrendous shape.

But they didn’t wan’t my books. I was told that all books donated are given to the Friends of the Library, regardless of whether or not they appear in the library, fill a void or could help an aging collection. The FOTL sells the book, then uses the money to help the library. It seems like a great plan, most of the time.

I’ve been told (by the library) that they used to receive over 500 books/week and that the volume, combined with the levels of staff, simply made accepting books impossible. In addition, a great number of those books are in bad shape, are missing pages, are torn or written in. I understand that – and can appreciate how the library needed to take a step back from accepting books – particularly as the city (And, therefore, it’s library) grew.

But this policy, and how it’s implemented leaves me with a pair of questions:

1. Knowing that the Friends of the Library is a volunteer-driven group – why doesn’t the FOTL make a judgement call on if a book is fitting for the collection? This keeps this decision off of the shoulders of the KFPL up front, and the KFPL only sees the book if it passes the FOTL level and meets expectations (Condition, topic, need, whether or not the library already owns a copy).

And more importantly:

2. Why can’t we – the community I was originally trying to support – bypass the library and build or own de-centralized lending library for technology and business books? Books contributed to the library reside at members homes until the next person wants it – then it changes hands and stays at the new location until the next person wants it (After, say, a three week minimum).

I’m interested in thoughts. I’ll be speaking with the library again later this week and making a decision on where my books go. The goal of the donation was to help the other geeks, tech folk and businessy folk in the community – so you, the local community, should dictate where my books go and what I do.

So – what’s the thought, feeling and consensus on this?