Why Aren't RPGs in Public Libraries?

[frankthedm]

Does it depend on the library? Some years ago I would donate books only to find out they were sold, rather than went to the stacks.

Oh yes, matters of policy fluctuate wildly from library to library. Some of the newer librarians have even forgotten that libraries are supposed to be quiet places to read.

Almost forgot, here is a library based webcomic...
http://www.unshelved.com/

 

[SkredlitheOgre]

Accepting stolen property is a crime and I've rarely seen a library book that wasn't easy to recognize barring easy to recognize damage. If a used book store wants to accept discarded library books, it seems to me checking with the library of origin to ensure the items were discarded and not stolen would be Due Diligence.

Yeah, you'd think so. From what I heard, granted this is like third-hand, since the bookstore was (and still is) cash only and no records, it was hard to track down where everything went. The people that worked there at the time didn't work there when the cops rolled in, so really, it came down to an investigation over whether the store owner had any part in it, which he didn't, as far as I know.

I've been in there to sell some books and honestly, the people who work there couldn't give a rats ass. They kinda flip through to make sure it's in good shape and then give you cash. It sucks, but I can't say I'm surprised.

The library has upgraded their security in the last few years, too. Before, there was a stamp somewhere in the book and one of those RF identifier sticker things, again somewhere in the book. Those are easy to get rid of and the stamp could be covered or torn out. Now, the rather large stamp is on the first page as you open the book and all the books have the ID tag stuck to the inside cover. They still toss in the sticker ones occasionally, too. I can't see how it would prevent theft entirely, especially given how our main library is set up. There's the main entrance and then an art gallery at the other end, which I think only has one of the scanners to detect the ID tags and no staff at all. I'm sure I could walk out with an armload a books and be gone by the time anybody got there.

 

[Elf Witch]

I have several friends who work in the library system one is a head librarian we have talked about this several times.

One big issue is budget the books are not cheap. Also as other people have stated they get stolen. People have even found ways to steal the ones that are reference books.

My one friend puts all donated gaming books out on the shelves as reference last year she got about 25 RPG books they now are all gone. She is now thinking it would be better to sell them and bring in money to buy other things.

She is a big SF fan and one of the things she wanted to do was have more SF books and at least have the series be complete. Well it seems that like gamers a lot of SF fans are thieves and lot of those books have walked.

It really frustrates her.

 

[Gilladian]

I glossed over a lot - different libraries have substantially different policies - for MY library system; donated books are assessed first on condition and age (we don't add books that are over 5 years old without good reason due to space limits), then on subject matter and what we already have in our collection (we don't need 15 copies of some books; for others, it's barely enough). What we choose to keep gets added, what we don't keep gets donated to the Friends, and sold in our annual (very large and profitable) booksale. We will get more than $50,000 (for book budget, programs and professional memberships for staff, among other things) from our Friends this year directly from booksale profits. WE LOVE OUR FRIENDS, and our DONORS.

 

[Gilladian]

Most stolen items in my library system:
Any book that deals with casting spells (even silly ones)
Movies with Tyler Perry or Medea in them.
Urban fiction (especially Zane)
Karate and martial arts books
Manga (especially hot new series)
Manga drawing books
Anime movies (I have bought some 4-5 times)
Star Wars books and movies
Any book on how to make money easily or get free grants from the government
Anything by Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens or other atheist/evolutionist writers
Children's sex-ed books

Some of these disappear because people WANT them, others because people HATE them. I leave it up to you to contemplate which is which...

 

[zardok]

Libraries are different - here's one pole:

I'm a librarian at the Allen County Public Library system in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We have fourteen locations. Our holdings include over a hundred RPG titles - largely they are 3rd and 4th edition D&D, but there are also many d20/OGL titles, some Pathfinder, some Star Wars (WotC only), some GURPS, some Traveller (of the Mongoose variety), d20 Modern, Buffy tVS, LotR, superheroes of various stripes, World of Darkness, Shadowrun, Lone Wolf, Eclipse Phase, Serenity, and ... um ... TriStat dX.

That's titles. In many cases, especially with D&D, there's more than one copy. Is theft a problem? Yes, but not an insurmountable one. Looking at the 3.5 Player's Handbook, for example, seven copies have been stolen (or lost or missing), but about the same number have been discarded due to wear and tear, and about the same number are still in the system.

The way we see the read-fiction-once vs. the you're-never-really-finished-with-a-rulebook question is that that's a comparison that doesn't make sense. RPG rulebooks are really more like auto repair manuals (which we also collect in large numbers of titles and copies). They meet an information need. (A side issue: auto repair manuals also disappear, but not as often as RPGs.)

So you go to the library, check out the DM's Guide, use it for three weeks, and then if no one has it on hold, you renew it for three more weeks - up to 5 renewals, plus the inital checkout, and you might have a book for over 4 months.

Gaming is important here. I run a campaign for teens every summer (I work in the Young Adults' Services department, meaning teens). Sometimes I use an established game, such as when 4th Ed. came out, but most of the time I poll the likely players about a setting and then choose a rule set that makes sense. I've often used Dogs in the Vineyard (that's one we don't own) mechanics. By being proactive in this way, I establish my department (and by extension my library) as RPG-friendly. I have a lot of support in this, from other librarians on up to the director - we have several RPG-playing librarians on staff, and another librarian with a published board game credit. We also run a chess club, a go club, and miniatures painting events. And then there are the video games - one branch has collected them for many years, and all locations have had them for several years.

So I think it's important to say that we don't just collect RPG books - we're committed to gaming in a lot of different ways, and collecting RPG books is certainly a strong point within that commitment.

Ian McKinney
Assistant Manager of Young Adults' Services
Allen County Public Library
Fort Wayne, Indiana

 

[GreyLord]

I find it really sad that there's such a connection between gaming and theft, as well as that theft occurs in the public library system so much.

 

[Elf Witch]

I find it really sad that there's such a connection between gaming and theft, as well as that theft occurs in the public library system so much.

It is sad my local Barnes and Noble has stopped carrying the large amount of RPG books because so many walk out of the store unpaid for.

I have known gamers who are proud of the fact that every book and PDF in their collection didn't cost them anything that they either stole them from a library, bookstore, gaming buddy or pirated them online.

They don't see what they do as bad for the hobby and a lot of times they make excuses like well the product costs to much for the average gamer or hey it is not like I would have bought the PDF so it is not like they are losing money on me.

 

[GreyLord]

It is sad my local Barnes and Noble has stopped carrying the large amount of RPG books because so many walk out of the store unpaid for.

I have known gamers who are proud of the fact that every book and PDF in their collection didn't cost them anything that they either stole them from a library, bookstore, gaming buddy or pirated them online.

They don't see what they do as bad for the hobby and a lot of times they make excuses like well the product costs to much for the average gamer or hey it is not like I would have bought the PDF so it is not like they are losing money on me.

If I knew a gamer who bragged to me like that, I'd try to get his statement on tape (like taping a gaming session or something) and turn them in to the cops or something.

That is pretty upsetting that there are gamers like that out there. Sure, there are all sorts of people, but I would want gamers to have a love for the game enough that they would hopefully support it.

 

[BenBrown]

It is sad my local Barnes and Noble has stopped carrying the large amount of RPG books because so many walk out of the store unpaid for.

I have known gamers who are proud of the fact that every book and PDF in their collection didn't cost them anything that they either stole them from a library, bookstore, gaming buddy or pirated them online.

They don't see what they do as bad for the hobby and a lot of times they make excuses like well the product costs to much for the average gamer or hey it is not like I would have bought the PDF so it is not like they are losing money on me.

People like that should be brought to Gen Con and placed in the pillory and have rotten fruit thrown at them.