Learninating

In Reference and Information Services yesterday, I learned something: when I said a few weeks ago that even the books at the Champaign library looked new and pristine, I wasn't even remotely crazy! It's true: the CPL director's philosophy is to have only the nice and shiny on the shelf, and any item that looks ugly gets DISCARDED. Even their book sale room only accepts discards that are in good shape! what?!

AND, they are discontinuing service to residents of the satellite communities Mahomet and Tolono: they are going to charge these residents (whose home cards have worked at the CPL up til now) $200 to use the services at the CPL. !!

As my professor said, with an exaggerated eye roll and a shrug, "it's ok, just come to Urbana... it's the Urbana Free Library after all."

AND, if all this weren't enough, the local paper's website posted an article covering the issue, and the vitriolic comment war is interesting enough on its own: but it would be MORE interesting if the paper hadn't DELETED all the comments where people brought up the fact that Mahomet and Tolono residents who shop at the metro area's only mall/Target/large shopping area are helping to PAY for CPL's brand-new library by paying the Champaign sales tax that the city hiked up to pay for the library!!!!

!!!!

boo, censorship!