The Author versus County Library

I searched the library shelves under the new books sign. As usual, I saw nothing that interested me, nothing dealing with economics, social or political issues from a libertarian or conservative point-of-view. I saw a lot of fiction by best-selling hacks, books by and about celebrities and cook books. I couldn’t even find a new gardening book. Of the older books, the Dickens biography had been tossed, but several biographies of Princess Diane, rock stars and models had replaced it. Few classics resided on the shelves. I did find a new book about an art thief and a paperback memoire by Bill Ayers.
Bill Ayers is the leftist terrorist who attempted to blow up Washington buildings in the 70s. He was not prosecuted due to lack of evidence, although his wife, Bernadette Dorn, was arrested and served jail time. Today, an unrepentant Bill Ayers states he wished he’d set more bombs. He is involved in Chicago educational reform and is a former associate of Barack Obama.
I resented my tax dollars paying for Ayers’ book. Esspecially since the libraries had refused to purchase a copy of my book, Wet and Hungry, which is the only book that tells the story of our local commercial fishermen. I marched over to the librarian’s desk and plopped down the Ayers book. “Who’s in charge of library purchases?” I asked.
The librarian explained that she made suggestions to a committee. I explained why I didn’t think tax dollars should be supporting Bill Ayers and asked who suggested this book.
“I guess I did,” she replied, adding later, “We have to have something for every taste.”
That explains the books and DVDs full of obscenities, violence, sex acts and drug use. I’ve enjoyed a few of them, myself. Easyrider, Across the Universe, the Sopranos come to mind, but I’m not easy with the fact that other people’s money is paying for my questionable taste. Should libraries cater to the tastes of child porn addicts, for instance? Or the tastes of leftist terrorists?
If the librarian wanted to please her customers, why didn’t she carry my locally popular book? I asked again that she consider my book. She repeated a previous suggestion that I donate a copy. I’m not wealthy and I pointed out that Bill Ayers didn’t donate his book. “I’ve heard of this book,” the librarian said, when I handed her a copy, “I’ve seen it on Amazon. Where else is it available?”
I said from my publisher of directly from me. She asked if my publisher was a vanity press and I said no, I hadn’t paid to be published. That seemed to impress. Most local authors have paid to have their books published and can only get their books in libraries via donating them.
The librarian said she would suggest my book to the committee. My father warned me about committees. Judging from what is and isn’t in our local libraries, this is the type of idiotic committee he meant.

The county library now has one copy of my book, Wet and Hungry. They did not purchase it from me, however.