Category: Condition/Processing Fail

This category addresses those Awful Library Books that have a problem with condition or poor processing.

Witches cover

Witches

Condition/Processing Fail 22 comments

Witches
Jong
1981

Submitter: The story behind this find is more scary than the scans I’m sending you. This book was found in our children’s non-fiction section during a recent round of shelf-reading. Needless to say it is NOT a children’s item, despite its picture-book size, unassuming cover and numerous illustrations.

Imagine my shock when I opened the book and saw this? (By the way these images are NSFW.)

Wish I’d read the warning page. Also there was a little penciled-in note on the flyleaf, remarking that it was “the last copy in the system.” Now (after weeding) we can say that there are no longer any copies of in our system.

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ripped cover of diary of anne frank

RIP Anne Frank

Condition/Processing Fail 16 comments

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Frank
This edition: 1993

Here’s a good example of a book that every public library should have, regardless of its copyright date.  There is no question as to its usefulness to patrons.  When you find an item like this on your shelves, though, it needs to be replaced.  It is quite literally falling apart.  The pictures here only show the front and back cover, but the pages were stained and brown and falling out too.  I’m embarrassed to admit that this example is from my very own, beloved library.   That’s right, folks, we’ve got skeletons in our closet too.  We weed regularly, and we lay hands on our items through physical inventory regularly, too.

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