Branka Tesla writes to let me know that Straight Outta Dublin by Eric Wagner with R. Michael Johnson, published by Hilaritas Press, is now available at the UC Berkeley library.
"I walked into their Main Library two weeks ago, had a pleasant conversation with the librarian and she handed me the Purchase Request Form and now Eric Wagner, Michael Johnson and Hilaritas Press are on the shelf.
"(I do not want to take all the credit for doing it. Maybe someone else also contributed.)"
This raises a couple of interesting points.
One, many libraries do allow patrons to request purchase of a title. I wanted to read the new Ada Palmer book, Inventing the Renaissance. It's kind of expensive and I filled out a form asking Cuyahoga County Public Library to buy it. The library purchased it and I am reading it now. Part of the reason I did that is that I want to support Ada Palmer, and now that the book is on the shelf (well, when I return it) other people can discover her. I'm guessing that Branka can in fact take credit.
Also, don't forget that libraries have limited space. All libraries, as they acquire new books, have to get rid of some of the old ones to free up shelf space. I assume that some of that can be done by getting rid of multiple copies of former bestsellers that are no longer hot, but single titles that haven't been checked out in a long time also are obvious candidates. So when you check out a book by a favorite author, you are helping to keep that person's book in circulation.
10 comments:
Thank you Tom!
To your point: yes, UC Berkeley Library is one of those libraries that encourages purchase recommendations. Anyone can recommend a book. It can be done online also. Here is the link for the future recommendations:
https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/help/purchase-request-form
I am glad Straight Outta Dublin is now available at the best public university in the world. Apparently also, the school is a hotbed of Joyce studies.
(I am glad my persistence and stubbornness paid off.)
So cool! Thank you, Branka. In a universe next door I studied musicology at UC Berkeley with Joseph Kerman in the 1980's.
I can't believe UC Berkeley has accepted anything from me intellectually. But I guess it's true. I done seen dat cattle-log entry fer th' book.
That's awesome!
Congratulations on spiking the UC Berkley punch bowl with this potent Eric Wagner/Michael Johnson contribution!
As an aside, for all the nerdy book lovers out there who also happen to have a library kink, I recommend immersing yourself in the 2017 Frederic Wiseman documentary Ex Libris, which spends 3h30 going around the New York Public Library, fly-on-the-wall style.
To extend Spookah's point: Frederick Wiseman did about a 4 hour doc set at UC Berkeley about 4 years before his Ex-Libris doc.
Eric,
Once you were a student at UC Berkeley, and now you are on the shelf as an author. Congratulations!
Michael,
You are right, your part of the book was more difficult to push through UC Berkeley. I had to exercise some of my KGB tactics and I admit I can be dangerously good at manipulating with people's brains. (I admit, I am the worst!)
Bobby and Spookah,
Thank you!
Alas, I never attended Berkeley. I often imagine what would have happened if I had chosen to study music there rather than to study math at Arizona State.
Eric,
With your last name (and first), anyone could believe you that you actually studied musicology at UCB. Have you lost all your masks?
I lost my mask in San Francisco.
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