I discovered the pink tape while slowly perusing the juvenile literature section of the library. I had forgotten my booklist, so I was hoping one of the books I needed would just jump out at my eyes run across the spines. When I had to turn the corner in the shelving, I noticed three rows of basic-looking and older books all marked with two inch wide bright pink painters tape around the spine. They were pushed off, semi-out of sight.
As I tried to read the titles from around the obtrusive pink tape, I recognized some of the names as people my kids would soon be studying, some classics like Louisa M. Alcott and collection of fiction stories by Thornton Burgess. Why are they marked like this?
My first thought was that I wouldn’t be allowed to check them out of the library and that I would need to lug my kids there to do their reading and research. I grabbed the two that interested me the most. At the check-out counter, the librarian told me that all those marked with pink were being considered for removal. These particular books haven’t been checked out in such a long time, that the curse of the pink tape was upon them.
I know bibliophiles—those that linger in long rows at the library or bookstore, those that lose track of time while reading and can rattle off authors as if they are candy bars. I love books and I love amazing literature, but I wouldn’t have ranked myself in with the bibliophiles that I know. However, at that very moment when I heard that the library was going to remove Alcott from their collection, I gasped!
Since I was allowed to check out the pink cursed books, after all, I brought home two books I selected and vowed to check out every single one of those pink taped books before the end of the year. I don’t even care if I actually get around to reading them all at this point—I just want the library to know that these treasures are still loved and necessary for our libraries. How can we have libraries without Little Women or the Eight Cousins or The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad (and all the other woodland creatures that each have their own stories) by Thornton Burgess?
Have you noticed signs of your local library slimming down their collection to only the flashy and new titles? I am all for keeping things neat and tidy, but I prefer to also keep the beautiful classic literature.
Disclaimer: no librarians were hurt in the scenarios mentioned above.
Lindsay Banton is a caffeinated mother with three great kids. She never expected to homeschool, but has found that it is a wonderful addition to their lifestyle and wouldn’t change it for the world. In addition to homeschooling, Lindsay works alongside her husband in campus ministry at a large university in Connecticut. She grew up in Virginia but has settled into life in New England, learning to love the long winters, cool springs, green summers and gorgeous autumns- and has built a boot collection to meet all the demands. She is currently blogging at www.oaksreplanted.blogspot.com.
