I have a friend that teaches in a very poor school. They beg for books to send home with the kids. I cannot believe a copy of Harry Potter would not have been appreciated there.

This is a real shame. Those books could have been donated to several different organizations. The World Bank has a program that donates used books overseas to developing countries. It's frankly shameful that the people of Virginia think the an old copy of "Harry Potter" couldn't be enjoyed by someone else....it's arrogant and wasteful!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not at least try to sell them first? Our church gives away bags of books for $1 when they are finishing up. The library could do the same instead of throwing them out.

They already do. All the library branches have used book sales. There is one like every month at one of the libraries. Not too much of a turnover in a relatively huge library system.

Well, why not donate them to local nursing homes, schools or private individuals who want them? Evidently Sam decided to make that more difficult in order to justify pitching them into the dumpster. Even an outdated guide to Mexico is likely to have some information that isn't going to change much.

As books began disappearing from the shelves, Tresa Schlecht of the Friends of Tysons-Pimmit branch and others pleaded with library administrators to allow the Friends to rescue books, their e-mails show. Then Schlecht did her own literary Dumpster dives this spring, taking photographs of hundreds of books, including “Harry Potter” books and other seemingly desirable volumes, stuffing the dumpster in Chantilly.

“This is just as wasteful as I thought it would be,” Schlecht said. “My hobby is finding new homes for books,” including after-school programs in the District, religious schools and shelters, she said.

So Smyth did her own investigation. Among the items she found consigned to the trash were a pristine 2010 Fodor’s guide to Mexico, some large, good-quality art and gardening books

Anonymous wrote:Why not at least try to sell them first? Our church gives away bags of books for $1 when they are finishing up. The library could do the same instead of throwing them out.

They already do. All the library branches have used book sales. There is one like every month at one of the libraries. Not too much of a turnover in a relatively huge library system.

Why not at least try to sell them first? Our church gives away bags of books for $1 when they are finishing up. The library could do the same instead of throwing them out.

Anonymous wrote:Then why the h ll were Friends of the Library groups not permitted to grab as many of these books to SELL THEM? Or even GIVE THEM away rather than paying money to a trash service?

The library system has fewer books now than it did last year, so shelf space isn't a problem.

It's disgusting.

"Hearing complaints that the Fairfax County Public Library was throwing away tons of books, County Supervisor Linda Q. Smyth (D-Providence) decided to peer into a Dumpster.

Twice, she found stacks and stacks of high-quality books, bought by the taxpayers, piled in the trash. The second time, she filled a box.

But as Sam Clay, Fairfax’s longtime library director, launched a plan to revamp the county system, no books were given to the Friends of the Library for seven months this year, and more than 250,000 books were destroyed, Smyth said.

As books began disappearing from the shelves, Tresa Schlecht of the Friends of Tysons-Pimmit branch and others pleaded with library administrators to allow the Friends to rescue books, their e-mails show. Then Schlecht did her own literary Dumpster dives this spring, taking photographs of hundreds of books, including “Harry Potter” books and other seemingly desirable volumes, stuffing the dumpster in Chantilly.

“This is just as wasteful as I thought it would be,” Schlecht said. “My hobby is finding new homes for books,” including after-school programs in the District, religious schools and shelters, she said.

So Smyth did her own investigation. Among the items she found consigned to the trash were a pristine 2010 Fodor’s guide to Mexico, some large, good-quality art and gardening books

Consider that outdated. That book is 3 years old and perhaps a newer copy is available. True, I'm not sure the dumpster was the best place, but where else should this book, and the thousands of others like it, go? To a charity? To a school? To a 3rd world country?

And the library accepts thousands of donated books a year. Perhaps this was a donated book and if there is a newer copy on the shelf than what? Do you think it would sell at a used book sale?

Then why the h ll were Friends of the Library groups not permitted to grab as many of these books to SELL THEM? Or even GIVE THEM away rather than paying money to a trash service?

The library system has fewer books now than it did last year, so shelf space isn't a problem.

It's disgusting.

"Hearing complaints that the Fairfax County Public Library was throwing away tons of books, County Supervisor Linda Q. Smyth (D-Providence) decided to peer into a Dumpster.

Twice, she found stacks and stacks of high-quality books, bought by the taxpayers, piled in the trash. The second time, she filled a box.

But as Sam Clay, Fairfax’s longtime library director, launched a plan to revamp the county system, no books were given to the Friends of the Library for seven months this year, and more than 250,000 books were destroyed, Smyth said.

As books began disappearing from the shelves, Tresa Schlecht of the Friends of Tysons-Pimmit branch and others pleaded with library administrators to allow the Friends to rescue books, their e-mails show. Then Schlecht did her own literary Dumpster dives this spring, taking photographs of hundreds of books, including “Harry Potter” books and other seemingly desirable volumes, stuffing the dumpster in Chantilly.

“This is just as wasteful as I thought it would be,” Schlecht said. “My hobby is finding new homes for books,” including after-school programs in the District, religious schools and shelters, she said.

So Smyth did her own investigation. Among the items she found consigned to the trash were a pristine 2010 Fodor’s guide to Mexico, some large, good-quality art and gardening books

This story broke last week and there is another side to the story (although I'm not condoning it).

First, the book discarding policy apparently was followed, but the policy needs to be seriously re-vamped.
Second, some (not all, I can't speak for the others) were outdated, inaccurate, or incorrect information partricularly the travel and reference books. Third, in the grand scheme of the huge library system, it was about 1% of the books and they are constantly receiving newer material (and in need of shelf space?).

Like I said, I don't condone what happened and, like Linda Smyth said, there are a lot of questions and probably a better method of disgarding books than throwing them into the dumpster (not even recycling them!).

WTOP and other news media talked about this last week when the story broke.

Outraged to find out 250,000 books, many of which are less than two years old and in good shape, are tossed into the dumpster? Friends of Library groups aren't permitted to rescue & sell them, either!

But good old Edwin "Sam" Clay is being paid quite a nice salary for destroying the libraries.

CLAY III EDWIN S DIR COUNTY LIBRARY Library $176,699.15

Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova has encouraged members of the public to attend this week’s meeting and share their thoughts and ideas. Those wishing to speak must register their names in advance with the Library Administrative Office at 703-324-3100.

The public is invited to this month’s meeting of the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees this Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at the George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike in Annandale