My favorite blog has posted an article about what's on the shelves of the world's libraries. Compiled by the Online Computer Library Center the list details the thousand most common holdings in 53,000 libraries in 96 countries. You can browse the list at de.licio.us.
I can't decide if I'm surprised about this: "The Joy of Cooking ranked 269 on the OCLC Top 1000 list. Joy of Sex did not make the Top 1000 list, or come anywhere close."
I know I'm bummed about this: "Jim Davis' Garfield is number 15 on the list. (Four of the 5 top works by living authors are cartoons!)"
And in answer to the question in the title of this item, neither Eusebius nor King made the cut at all. Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History was unlucky number 1001, and Stephen King didn't even come that close.--David E
2 comments:
Well, that's all very interesting, but what about the most common holdings in personal libraries? Is there someone living halfway around the world who just happens to have the exact same collection of obscure poetry as I do? Last week, my sister sent me a link to LibraryThing, which seems like an awesome way for booklovers to connect, among other things. Check it out at
http://www.librarything.com/.
Nancy
There seem to be a number of these sites out there. Another one is Shelfari; I posted about that a while ago. I'm underwhelmed, but welcome anyone else's thoughts on these book exhibitionist sites.--David E
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