Deciding, choosing and giving up. Impossible dilemma when you are in love with words, than choosing between two books. However, it is the almost daily task of librarians. But for the agents of the Jehanne Arnaud media library in Sainte-Maxime, this choice will no longer be heartbreaking.
In fact, the books going to “weeding”, that is to say the withdrawal of stocks, will no longer be put to the pestle. The cultural center has signed a partnership to sell them to the company Amareal, an online second-hand bookstore which sells the books at reduced prices.
Fight against illiteracy
Recognized as a socially useful company, the company donates part of its profits to charitable associations fighting illiteracy such as Mots et Merveilles, Lire et Smile, Bibliothèque sans frontières and Secours populaire. Unsold items are given to associations or, if too damaged, recycled in Europe, 80% of which in France. 10% of the amount generated by sales also goes to the municipality. “We bring the book into a virtuous circle”, summarizes in a few words the municipal councilor responsible for culture, Michel Facin.
The media library is full of books. 37,500 documents, magazines and CDs included, are spread over 1,100m2 and 10 meters high. “A cathedral”qualifies the chosen one. In this large collection, 2,000 new items arrive each year. So obviously, you have to make room on the shelves. “This is where the librarian’s eye comes into play. Several parameters are taken into account to select the works“, says director Florence Carlini. The first is wear. A book that is too yellow, too dog-eared will attract less attention and will not be chosen by visitors. Then, its appeal to readers. “If the book doesn’t come out anymore, we won’t keep it. It often happens that there are fashion effects with titles in high demand over a period then, nothing more. Sometimes, we also make mistakes about the reading level, with works that are too complex for our audience.”
She takes as an example the series of detective novels Millenium by the Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. “It was a phenomenon several years ago. But today we have kept just one series because it is no longer in high demand.” explains the director.
The still popular book
Even if the media library is not intended for conservation, it still keeps in its reserve a base of classic and heritage works. But the nightmare for libraries remains comics and manga, increasingly popular with the younger generation. “Some sequels never end, we tear our hair outhyperbole Florence Carlini. So we made the choice to take completed series, the essentials or the first issues of great works.”
For DVDs and CDs, the media library is currently considering it. Firstly, films cannot benefit from second hand due to image rights but above all demand is in free fall with the rise of streaming. There remains the book, king of libraries, still in high demand in the digital world with 34,800 loans per year in Sainte-Maxime.
