Wednesday, January 03, 2007

They have to cut down on the Kool Aid

You may have seen the story about the Fairfax County library system and its culling of classics. I think Tyler Cowen has the right take. If you want libraries to keep the canon, change the incentive system. The most annoying response to the article was on National Review. His logic can be described. A library system in one of the 3000 plus counties in the United States is stocking books based on consumer interest. That's how bookstores choose which books to sell. Ipso facto, we don't need libraries, anywhere in the United States. Capital! Next we will hear that a county somewhere in South Dakota is using private security services to patrol public land. We can therefore get rid of all police departments.

No comments: