Holly, Author at Awful Library Books

More Pyramid Power

February 1, 2021 Holly Unexplained and Just Plain Crazy 7 comments

The Secret Power of the Pyramid
Akins
1980

Submitter: Yes, the hit author of ESP: Your Psychic Powers and How to Test Them is back to tell you the truth about pyramids, who built them, and their mysterious powers.

Any 40-year-old book that hasn’t been checked out since well before any of my students were even born deserves to be weeded, but this “non-fiction” book is a prime example of pseudoscience. It tells the reader about the “true” history of pyramids and how they were really built by either the gods, aliens, or Atlanteans. Certainly not a bunch of “primitive people” from Africa, don’t be ridiculous!

Offbeat Careers

January 29, 2021 Holly Working 9-5 6 comments

Offbeat Careers: The Directory of Unusual Work
Sacharow
1988

Submitter: Well, Al and I have very different opinions about what constitutes “offbeat.” Mainly things that aren’t actually careers, maybe not even jobs. Miss America? Game Show Contestant? Dated and just… odd. Mary may be interested in at least one of the careers listed! LOL!

All career books need careful curation, but this one was an easy weed!

How’s the weather up there?

January 28, 2021 Holly Bleeding Edge 6 comments

The Story of Weather
Giles
1990

Submitter: It is mostly a moderately interesting book going through various weather phenomena, different climates and biomes, and some notable events in weather history. The fact that it is 30 years old is reason enough to weed it, but the real fun is in the final chapter: “Future Climate.”

Here, the book tries to spin climate change as a good thing, speculating that the British “perpetual moaning about weather may become a thing of the past” as the weather slowly “becomes similar to … the south-west of France.”

Leisure Suit Larry

January 25, 2021 Holly Bleeding Edge 7 comments

PC Format Magazine
0963-5521

Submitter: We weeded out several years of PC Format Magazine 0963-5521. Woefully out of date. Please accept these images from the June 1993 issue – a perfect issue for Mary. Take a walk down technology memory lane (spoiler alert – this memory lane ends in a dumpster.)

Holly: Leisure Suit Larry! If you know, you know. And if you don’t, Google it…but not at work. We don’t really need to discuss the collection management angle of this…right? Just weed it.

Trippy Covers

January 20, 2021 Holly Librarian's Choice 8 comments

The Story of the Dictionary
Kraske
1975

Submitter: Have to admit that I weeded Robert Kraske’s The Story of the Dictionary (March 1st 1975 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ) back in 2009, but I wonder how many of these titles with weird mid 1970s art are still hanging around school libraries. I looked at the spine of this one for a good ten years before I thought to look at the cover. Story of the Dictionary? Eh. Might be useful.

The Art of Loving

January 19, 2021 Holly Life, Death, Love, and Marriage 6 comments

The Art of Loving
Fromm
1974

Submitter: This book was submitted into our library as a donation. Due to its age it won’t be joining the collection. First published in 1954 and later again in 1974 (this is that edition) it’s your standard love and romance psychology book. However, there are plenty of newer books on this topic and ones that deal with a more diverse set of couples.

More Abnormal People

January 18, 2021 Holly Health and Safety 12 comments

How To Recognize and Handle Abnormal People
A Manual for the Police Officer
Matthews and Rowland
1978

Submitter: Another dated police manual we weeded. My colleague left this on my desk with a sticky note, “Who you calling abnormal?” and an arrow pointing the the person of color on the cover. Sigh. We don’t even say “abnormal” anymore, much less “mentally retarded.” Oy. There’s a whole section on “Abnormal Group Behavior,” which includes Civil Protest. The advice is fine; basically keep your cool, but “men in police work” need training, of course!

American Yoga Association Beginner's Manual

Namaste

January 13, 2021 Holly Sports, Games, and Exercise 7 comments

The American Yoga Association Beginner’s Manual: The New Definitive Guide
Christensen
1987

Submitter: This probably would have been a really useful add to a public library’s collection in 1987… The problem is, my public library didn’t add this book to its collection until 2006!!! This seems to be a pretty comprehensive introduction to yoga, with lots of black and white photos illustrating movement through the asanas. I was impressed that both women and men were represented – there are probably four or five pose models throughout the book and it’s noted that they are all students of the American Yoga Association – but they are also all fit and white… And I think Jane Fonda wants her leotard back.