Affidavit for the Tooth Fairy

There is nothing wrong with the photo or the text. It is wrong to criticize either. The book would be helpful to all expectant mothers.

The problem with "culling" the library to meet modern perceptions of what is acceptable material means one loses sight (and eventually knowledge) of what our society used to believe. Removing these items may seem like a good idea, but its important that we don't try to revise history to make it more acceptable and palatable to modern ideology.

I'd love to see larger libraries maintain a section for old books like this, simply to show us how our society has changed.

Our son's school is moving and they're clearing out the library. Most of it seems to be coming this way, one rucksackful at a time.
If I can't find room in the house the books'll have to go in the loft with the rest of the deep storage - there's got to be around half a ton up there already.

Better get rid of all the books about going to the moon since it's all about outdated political posturing and ancient technology that will never be used again.

How stupid is this idea - I thought burning books got ridiculed out of fashion with the bible thumpers.

If you read the article, it also mentions outdated science books, misfiled books, and books that are obviously peddling for a company. It's not all sexist, period-piece material.

I should also mention that, for that post above, there was a person in the comments who said that this book was pretty much outdated when it was first published. It was laughed at even then, so it's okay to laugh at it now.

I would have laughed it this in 1975. That was about ten years too late for anyone to wear high heels while doing houisework, much less a pregnant woman.

I am against censorship of any kind, we need to keep books like this around to remind ourselves that in the future even our thoughts and ideas will be considered archaic, and always promote ourselves to socially grow and reject past thought patterns which keep ourselves stuck.

I bought an excellent book about sundials for $1 at a library book sale. It would have cost me $30 at Amazon. There was nothing wrong with it, and it wasn't out-of-date. Some librarian just decided it wasn't worth keeping on the shelves.

Sometimes, they make odd choices, and we lose gems.

As a professional librarian, I would be embarassed to offer a pregnant woman seeking information on pregnancy and childbirth books such as the one pictured. (Which is why when I go into work tomorrow I'll make sure I don't have a copy lurking on my library shelves!) It is not book burning nor censorship when librarians remove outdated books. There is only so much room on the library shelves and books that are outdated, falling apart, or are not receiving enough use are "weeded" to make room for the newly written, up to date, or more popular books.

That doesn't mean that there isn't a place for some of these books. Many larger public libraries, university libraries and the Library of Congress keep many older, outdated books for the purpose of historical significance or tracking societal trends. Most public libraries are not archives. They do not have that mission nor the space or funds to do so.

the old books rock! sure, you'd have to have some brains to realize that the old info shouldn't be taken for current situations. But it is great to look back in time, why not keep them in libraries where kids of today can learn some stuff about how life might have been in the past? It might not be current/up-to-date but at least it can be informative about the past. Who knows, maybe there's a project where a kid has to do a project of the 60s and they check out 60s books to get a closer look at what life was like. I just think it great!

It's obvious you folks don't work in a library. :)

When people come to the library for books about pregnancy or careers or for their science papers, they need current material, not outdated stuff that may misinform them.

Sure, this book isn't likely to "mislead" anyone, but it's less funny when outdated science or population figures make it into a kid's paper.

Frankly, old pregnancy advice could be dangerous!

You average public library's mission is not to be a home for your poor, your tired, your ragged masses falling from their bindings, it is a place people go for information. Current information.

It's hardly "book burning" for heaven's sake! Exactly how long are libraries supposed to hang on to outdated material? 'Til we are buried under it?