The Place Looks Great (Just Don't Open the Closet)!

True confession time.  If you call me and tell me you are "stopping by" later today, I am going to whip myself into a frenzy of running the vacuum and shoving things in closets that you have no business opening.  I am going to light some candles, wipe the bathroom down and you will be, if not impressed, unaware that the closets are bulging with my hidden stacks of "treasures du jour" AKA mail, school stuff, shoes, purses and other stuff not yet returned to their rightful places. Chances are, being housework phobic, those treasures will stay there until the next big cleaning spree or remodeling bug that hits.

If you walk into my library, you will see a wonderful space that looks awesome.  I work hard to make it inviting and colorful and library-ish but not in a stuffy way.  Neat stacks, labeled shelves, signage and shelf markers galore help to make this happen!  My library makes me proud.

But today I humble myself and shake my head and throw open my library's proverbial closet.  The closet that has not been touched for a while.  SIGH! 

In the past, I have "casually" weeded the Fiction section.  That cover looks old.  That one is torn.  What is THAT book? Nothing too strenuous as I know my Fiction section needs to be beefed up but I have been focusing on my Nonfiction and trying to get it more current.  I also have been buying Fiction ebooks.  With the upcoming genrefication of the Fiction section this Friday, a good hearty weeding was long overdue.  So I printed an aged titles list, grabbed an empty cart and went shelf by shelf.  Let's just say one cart was a laugh.  There were way too many oldies hanging out on my shelves.  I promised to be honest as I wrote this blog so, ugh, here goes.  Take a look.  It isn't pretty.

Yes this is a card pocket in the back of the book.  I didn't even learn about these in grad school.  I just remember them from my own childhood.

And these are just SOME of the cards.  Let's take a closer look shall we?

              
That's right ladies and gentlemen!  You are NOT seeing things.  Some of these cards are stamped in the 1970's and 80's. In reality, had I attended this elementary school, my name could be written on some of these! YIKES! Go ahead.  Add my name to the Librarian Wall of Shame.  I'll wait while you write it up there in (hopefully) non-permanent ink.

Just to be clear, these are not beloved classic books like L.Frank Baum's "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" or Marguerite Henry's "King of the Wind" or even Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary books.  These are bell bottomed, rotary phone dialing, station wagon riding books.  In many cases, it has been so long since the book has been checked out that the last patron's name isn't even listed in our library automation system. 

My closets are clean now and ready for reorganization and sprucing up.  Join with me in pledging to not let this happen again.