What are you reading?

Kreig Kitts - Double Fold, by Nicholson Baker

Many in the library profession have already read this book, which I finished reading late last year. For those who aren't familiar with the term, "Double Fold" refers to the double fold test, which is used by many librarians to test the brittleness of paper. Essentially the tester takes a corner of a page, folds it down on one side and then folds it back on the other side to see whether the paper breaks within a prescribed number of folds. The subject of this book is the issue of preservation, particularly the efforts of many libraries to microfilm large runs of older periodicals, and frequently discard the originals. Baker argues convincingly (and always passionately) that in the name of preservation, libraries are shredding irreplaceable pieces of history. Within this is plenty of discussion on the moral duties of libraries and society in general to preserve its history for the future. While this book would appeal to any reader with a strong opinion on this topic, no doubt many librarians of all stripes will want to read it. It is rare to find a truly thought-provoking book about our profession, especially one that suggests that we might not always be the most faithful servants to our own ideals.