In my cheapskate efforts to strongarm my university library to get a copy of My Life In France on the shelf expeditiously, so that I could read it, and you know, be part of the conversation, I learned an interesting thing. You may remember that many academic libraries have a section, often near the entrance, called "popular reading." In a chance conversation with a librarian, I learned my state university library, like many others, subscribes to a service that delivers the popular reading selections to subscribing libraries pre-marked and mylared, so all the libraries need to do is put their stamp in them. The selection priniciple? From what I gathered froma casual conversation, the service automatically sends all books reviewed in the New York Times. Not necessarily favorably, just reviewed. Obviously, MLIF is going to do well without this push, but a few hundred (?) library sales and attendant exposure might be a difference maker for a lesser title. I wonder if review copies ever show up at the NYT accompanied by fruit baskets?
Recent Comments