Bleeding Edge Archives - Awful Library Books

Time to Weed

December 15, 2022 Mary Kelly Bleeding Edge 8 comments

Ecology
Farb
Time, Inc
1970

The Time-Life Books have always been popular back in the 1970s. I remember them being advertised on TV. They were like a subscription series or book of the month club. We have a featured a few here, here, and here.

I know these Time-Life series books might still be popular with some folks depending on the topic. However, I am going to say that some of the science topics probably need to go in favor of more up to date information. Given that some of these sets had multiple volumes, space consideration could also be a factor. The western series I still see on the shelves in many libraries, so I think that series still has some fans.

For the most part, these books are weedable but they do represent a time before the Internet was the source of information. You have my permission to be sentimental when you weed these books.

Computer Programming 1-2-3

October 3, 2022 Holly Bleeding Edge 25 comments

Computer Programming 1,2,3
1983
Grosset & Dunlap

Submitter: Anyone who has worked with children and school assignments will know this story…
A class in the school across the street assigned a project on programming a computer and students flocked in to check out books from the library. There is of course that one student who shows up the day before the assignment is due and there is not much left. Trying to help him out, I found this ye olde computer book on the shelf. Yikes! Not awful in 1983, but not helpful today.

Holly: Oh look! A punch card!

How about a career in video games?

January 31, 2022 Mary Kelly Bleeding Edge 10 comments

Video Games
How It’s Made
Erlbach
1996

I am sure this book from 1996 is super informative to those kids dreaming of a career in gaming. There really aren’t very many specifics and I am sure the industry itself is nothing like it was in 1996. I would also imagine the jargon has also changed over the years. Bottom line, this needs to be weeded.

I think my husband has some instructions on Pong somewhere in our house, in case this holding library is looking to start a retro gaming collection.

Science Fun!

June 28, 2021 Holly Bleeding Edge, For the Kids 15 comments

Fun With Science
Easy Experiments for Young People
Freeman and Freeman
1956

This little gem from the 1950s is CLEARLY past its “sell by” date. The cover was in bad shape and there was some yellowing. This came from a university collection, not a public library. (There was one public library that had this book listed in its collection.) The Freemans wrote many youth science nonfiction books up into the 1970s.

This book was first published in 1943 and was last printed in 2000. The Freemans passed away in the 1980s. I couldn’t find much biographical information about the Freemans with my cursory searches. Given the longevity of their books, as well has the number of titles, their materials should be archived and maintained for study.

Get Started on Your Oric

May 12, 2021 Holly Bleeding Edge 14 comments

Your Oric
Hartnell and Shaw
1983

Submitter: This gem comes from 1983 and it’s great to know what type of technology this library was using when I was just 3 years old. Unlike the Oric 1 that I am sure was replaced 35 years ago, this book seemed to dodge that fate until today.

Holly: What the heck is an Oric?

(Which is exactly the point…your patrons don’t know or care either!)

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.

A-Diskette A-Daskette

October 7, 2019 Holly Bleeding Edge 24 comments

Hello, Mr. Chips!
Bishop
1982

Submitter: I think this was probably a fantastic middle school book in 1982. What makes it awful now is that my students have never even heard of the terms that make up the punchlines. Also, the illustrations of computers with massive CPUs and pin-feed printers are unrecognizable to our students. My favorite joke requires knowledge of both old pop culture and obsolete technology: “What’s a computer’s favorite Ella Fitzgerald number? A-Diskette, A-Daskette.” I just read it to a group of 8th grade boys and received only blank stares.