[nesfa-reading-group] Davy by Pangborn NOT available in any Massachusetts library

[Rick Kovalcik]

I'm not (really) a member of the Reading Group, but as NESFA President, I
agree that books chosen by the reading group should be generally available
in libraries.  This is an accessibility issue.  Rather than come up with a
list of "required libraries", one way of doing this would be to nominate a
book one month and then everyone interested check that they can easily get
a copy (from their local library, from the NESFA LIbrary, for MITSFS, from
Kindle unlimited, or however they normally get books) and then confirm the
nomination the following month.

-Rick Kovalcik (RKOV) (he/him/his)
+1-508-259-6819 (worldwide cell phone)


On Thu, Nov 28, 2024 at 4:26 PM <tracy at windweaver.com> wrote:

> Wes, you assume that everyone can pay, what you deem a small amount (and
> which is a small amount for most people), for books or go to the NESFA room.
>
> I am homebound on Medicaid (with six chronic conditions), which means I
> attempt to support myself (but can't, and I'm out of credit and means to
> pay my bills) on poverty level income. I can rarely go anywhere, including
> doctor's appointments.
>
> Since I don't attend the book club every month (I won't be there in
> December but have intended to do so in January with Davy), I don't expect
> the group to adapt to my particular needs, which is to have a rule of:
> available-library-books-at-least-in-the-Boston-area. But Gloria just wrote
> that book-buying is not in her budget right now, and there may be others in
> the same situation.
>
> Almost all of the many book clubs I attend have a
> books-available-in-libraries-only rule. At least four do, and I don't know
> about the others.
>
> As an author who gets minimal royalties now (the typical 5% of sale price
> on sales of new books, none for used books, very small amount now after my
> books have been in print for 35 years), I completely urge people to support
> authors by buying their books at retail price.  But if I hadn't spent much
> of my life being an author, teaching adults and earning only a small
> income, I would be in the position to keep buying every book I read for
> book clubs, currently about five per month.
>
> Right now, the money I spend on books is entirely related the books I
> teach online through Lexington Community ed. Winter term it will be Ursula
> Le Guin's Dispossessed (5 weeks, starting Thursday evening January 16 -
> please sign up https://lexingtoncommunityed.org/class/huld/) and later,
> Cervantes' Don Quixote, book one.
>
> Since I won't be at the December meeting, I hope at least one of you will
> make my voice heard in regard to the library-books-only options.
>
> Thanks for "listening"
> (And happy Thanksgiving)
>
> Tracy Marks
> https://bsky.app/profile/tracymar.bsky.social
>
>
>
> --------------------------
>
> On 2024-11-28 15:44, Wesley Brodsky wrote:
>
> Hello Everybody;
>
> In my opinion, and my opinion only, it should not be too difficult to find
> the books we read. I have researched all the books proposed with "Davy";
> with the results below.
>
> For Hardcover and Paperback:
> Used prices include delivery, if any. New prices do not include delivery
> because that depends on your Amazon account.
>
> Spindle’s End (2000)
> Robin McKinley
> All the creatures of the forest and field and riverbank knew the infant
> was special. She was the princess, spirited away from the evil fairy
> Pernicia on her name-day. But the curse was cast: Rosie was fated to prick
> her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a poisoned
> sleep-a slumber from which no one would be able to rouse her.
> OCLN* Available: Whitman Public Library, Canton Public Library
> In NESFA Library
> Available in Kindle {$10}, Audiobook {$19}, Hardcover (New {$12} &
> Used{$7}), Paperback (New {$15} & Used {$8}) from Amazon
>
> The Breaking of Northwall (1980)
> Paul O. Williams
> One thousand years after a devastating and chaotic series of nuclear
> exchanges, all that is left of the United States of America are scattered,
> warring tribes and small city-states. One of the latter is Pelbar—proud,
> civilized, and intolerant of change and new ideas. Rebels and troublemakers
> are sentenced to a year of exile at the massive midwestern fortress of
> Northwall, defending Pelbar against the fierce Shumai and Sentani tribes.
> Restless and brilliant Jestak is a visionary who has seen and learned too
> much in his distant travels to be content with life in Pelbarigan. During
> his exile at Northwall, he makes contact with Pelbar’s age-old enemies and
> risks all to rescue his beloved Tia from nomads armed with long-lost
> weapons from before the atomic holocaust.
> None in OCLN*
> In NESFA Library
> Available in Kindle {$13}, Paperback (New {$14} & Used{Cheapest ~$5}) from
> Amazon
>
> Davy (1964)
> Edgar Pangborn
> Davy is set in the far future of our world, in the fourth century after
> the collapse of what we describe as the twentieth-century civilisation. In
> a land turned upside-down and backwards by the results of scientific
> unwisdom, Davy and his fellow Ramblers are carefree outcasts, whose bawdy,
> joyous adventures among the dead ashes of Old-Time culture make a novel
> which has been hailed as "a frightening, ribald, poignant look at the
> imaginary future," as "this chilling and fascinating book," as "superb
> entertainment - unique," as "so unusual as the make it both refreshing and
> thought provoking."
> None in OCLN*
> In NESFA Library
> English Available in Hardcover (New {$30} & Used {Cheapest ~$25})
>
> *OCLN = Old Colony Library Network
>
> We can discuss the next meeting, if it pleases us.
> -Wes
>
> ________________________________________
> From: reading-group <reading-group-bounces at lists.nesfa.org> on behalf of
> Aleksander Slominski (NY10) <ALEKNY10 at gmail.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2024 12:53 PM
> To: NESFA Reading Group
> Subject: Re: [nesfa-reading-group] Davy by Pangborn NOT available in any
> Massachusetts library
>
> seems to be available in Queens:
> https://www.queenslibrary.org/book/title/552759
>
> best,
>
> Alek
>
> On Wed, Nov 27, 2024 at 12:48 PM Wesley Brodsky <wesbrodsky at alum.mit.edu
> <mailto:wesbrodsky at alum.mit.edu>> wrote:
> The NYPL site you gave has an option “Request Scan” for people with a user
> account.
> I don’t know if someone with an account has to pay, or if there is a limit
> on size.
> -Wes
> ________________________________________
> From: reading-group <reading-group-bounces at lists.nesfa.org<mailto:
> reading-group-bounces at lists.nesfa.org>> on behalf of Gloria Lucia Albasi <
> trebbiana61 at gmail.com<mailto:trebbiana61 at gmail.com>>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2024 12:22 PM
> To: NESFA Reading Group
> Subject: Re: [nesfa-reading-group] Davy by Pangborn NOT available in any
> Massachusetts library
>
> FYI:
> New discovery: DAVY is available in two formats in the NYPL Research
> Catalog:
> (1) Ballantine Edition in microform;
> (2) Garland Edition on paper (I think).
>
> Both must be requested in advance. See link below.
>
> In theory I can sit in The Rose Room and read the book. It’s not Proust.
>
> Also in the recent decade or so public libraries have been shifting a
> little towards ebooks, and newer or past neglected genres. There is only so
> much shelf and inventory space budget wise. If library patrons haven’t
> checked out DAVY in years, then there’s an increased likelihood of this
> title being removed from circulating collections. IMHO.
>
> Of course, this is where specialist collections enter: NESFA, MITSFS, the
> universities receiving libraries & papers of prominent genre authors.
>
> Hope this helps.
> Gloria
>
> https://www.nypl.org/research/research-catalog/search?q=Davy%2C Pangborn<
> https://www.nypl.org/research/research-catalog/search?q=Davy%2C%20Pangborn
> >
>
>
> On Nov 27, 2024, at 12:02 PM, Wesley Brodsky <wesbrodsky at alum.mit.edu
> <mailto:wesbrodsky at alum.mit.edu>> wrote:
>
> The Old Colony Library Network lists no copies.
>
> Amazon (not Prime) seems to have a used version available for $9.99
> shipped.
> Beware; some versions are in Italian, and Amazon often mixes up this book
> with “West if the Sun” by the same author.
> I think it is unusual that a novel with these awards is so hard to find.
> During the next Reading Group meeting, we can discuss if we want to choose
> an alternative or not.
> Anyone who has already bought a copy should let us know, since that will
> influence the decision,
>
> -Wes
>
> ________________________________________
> From: reading-group <reading-group-bounces at lists.nesfa.org<mailto:
> reading-group-bounces at lists.nesfa.org>> on behalf of Wesley Brodsky <
> wesbrodsky at alum.mit.edu<mailto:wesbrodsky at alum.mit.edu>>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2024 11:36 AM
> To: NESFA Reading Group
> Subject: Re: [nesfa-reading-group] Davy by Pangborn NOT available in any
> Massachusetts library
>
> a copy of Davy by Pangborn is in the NESFA library (I looked)
> -WES
> ________________________________________
> From: reading-group <reading-group-bounces at lists.nesfa.org<mailto:
> reading-group-bounces at lists.nesfa.org>> on behalf of Richard Schwartz via
> reading-group <reading-group at lists.nesfa.org<mailto:
> reading-group at lists.nesfa.org>>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2024 10:24 AM
> To: NESFA Reading Group
> Cc: Richard Schwartz; NESFA Reading Group
> Subject: Re: [nesfa-reading-group]  Davy by Pangborn NOT available in any
> Massachusetts library
>
> I've been reading "Davy" from Kindle Unlimited.
>
> Richard
>
> Nov 27, 2024, at 9:55 AM, cjhi newcastle2.com<http://newcastle2.com><
> http://newcastle2.com> <cjhi at newcastle2.com<mailto:cjhi at newcastle2.com
> ><mailto:cjhi at newcastle2.com<mailto:cjhi at newcastle2.com>>> wrote:
>
>
> BPL has an in-house-only copy (or maybe two; their cataloging system is
> ... interesting).
>
> I would be astounded if MITSFS (mitsfs.mit.edu<http://mitsfs.mit.edu>)
> did not have a copy on reserve. (It's also likely to have a borrowing copy,
> but borrowing costs $15/year or $5 for 3 months.)
>
> It's very likely that NESFA has a copy.
>
> /CHip
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: reading-group <reading-group-bounces at lists.nesfa.org<mailto:
> reading-group-bounces at lists.nesfa.org>> on behalf of David G. Grubbs <
> dggrubbs at gmail.com<mailto:dggrubbs at gmail.com>>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2024 9:45 AM
> To: NESFA Reading Group <reading-group at lists.nesfa.org<mailto:
> reading-group at lists.nesfa.org>>
> Subject: Re: [nesfa-reading-group] Davy by Pangborn NOT available in any
> Massachusetts library
>
> I have a copy of Davy, which I got from the Commonwealth catalog a few
> weeks ago. I will read it and return it soon, so maybe you can request it
> and wait on the queue.
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 27, 2024 at 2:17 AM <tracy at windweaver.com<mailto:
> tracy at windweaver.com><mailto:tracy at windweaver.com<mailto:
> tracy at windweaver.com>>> wrote:
>
> This group is discussing Davy January 3, so I thought it was time to order
> it from the library, since there's often a wait.
>
> HOWEVER, there are NO copies of Davy in the Minuteman Library Network and
> NO requestable copies of Davy in the Commonwealth catalog for all of
> Massachusetts. The cheapest used copy on Amazon is $10.99, but most are a
> lot more. (Even on eBay, all copies for sale are $11 or more.)
>
> However, I did find two copies on Abebooks for just under $10 including
> shipping. If I wasn't barely living on a survival level due to a lifelong
> medical condition, I wouldn't have an issue with buying it, but I won't
> have the credit to do so until January.
>
> I can't read a book online - but there's not even a Kindle version anyway,
> though there appears to be a collected works of Pangborn on kindle.
>
> I wish we'd only choose books for which printed copies are available from
> the library.
>
> Tracy
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Join Zoom Meeting
> https://us06web.zoom.us/j/94460014978?pwd=a1BFQndDa1NYTnlNcUVCMU95dWdNZz09
>
> Meeting ID: 944 6001 4978
> Passcode: 244476
>
> Recurring Meeting; Generally the first Friday of every month at 7 PM
> See https://www.nesfa.org/events/nesfa-reading-group/ for group info.
> _______________________________________________
> reading-group mailing list
> reading-group at lists.nesfa.org<mailto:reading-group at lists.nesfa.org
> ><mailto:reading-group at lists.nesfa.org<mailto:
> reading-group at lists.nesfa.org>>
> https://listsmgt.nesfa.org/mailman/listinfo/reading-group
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Join Zoom Meeting
> https://us06web.zoom.us/j/94460014978?pwd=a1BFQndDa1NYTnlNcUVCMU95dWdNZz09
>
> Meeting ID: 944 6001 4978
> Passcode: 244476
>
> Recurring Meeting; Generally the first Friday of every month at 7 PM
> See https://www.nesfa.org/events/nesfa-reading-group/ for group info.
> _______________________________________________
> reading-group mailing list
> reading-group at lists.nesfa.org
> https://listsmgt.nesfa.org/mailman/listinfo/reading-group
>
> _______________________________________________
> Join Zoom Meeting
> https://us06web.zoom.us/j/94460014978?pwd=a1BFQndDa1NYTnlNcUVCMU95dWdNZz09
>
> Meeting ID: 944 6001 4978
> Passcode: 244476
>
> Recurring Meeting; Generally the first Friday of every month at 7 PM
> See https://www.nesfa.org/events/nesfa-reading-group/ for group info.
> _______________________________________________
> reading-group mailing list
> reading-group at lists.nesfa.org
> https://listsmgt.nesfa.org/mailman/listinfo/reading-group
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listsmgt.nesfa.org/pipermail/reading-group/attachments/20241128/e6c8709f/attachment-0001.html>