Different kinds of libraries have different kinds of needs. A major research library will typically keep one of anything they ever had (most of which is in high-latency offsite storage) while your local library typically has best sellers, major self-help guides and stuff supporting the high school curriculum.

Like a distinction between a consumer and professional tool.

I have seen titles deliberately damaged so they would end up in the book sale. I think the idea is good, but may not survive contact with the pubic.

Given that a modern library knows everything you ever checked out, it would be easy to do this automatically. As part of your regular checkout, the terminal can alert you "hey, this book you checked out last year is being withdrawn— if you're interested in purchasing it for $1, see the circulation desk."

This is actually not true. Library circulation systems actively work to purge themselves of historical transactions, at least, the few I've worked with. If anything they keep the "last patron" for a given item for some time, in case damage is reported, but beyond that there is no historical record, to eliminate the possibility of searching that data via warrant or otherwise.

Oh interesting. That actually makes a ton of sense; the institution of libraries have been around for long enough to have the historical context around that. Maybe in a few hundred years, tech companies will be so wise.

More likely, the libraries will fall victim to the modern police-state attitude.

There was a Japanese novel called Library War that later got turned into a movie, TV series, and so on. The story took place in a fascinating if somewhat implausible near future where certain books were banned from the public, but libraries were exempted from the ban and could actually defend their rights under the exemption by any means necessary. This occasionally led to armed confrontations over the possession of these banned books.

In this particular case, it wouldn't be unusual if a book like that were too damaged to circulate and couldn't be replaced (if it were out of print). I think the lifetime of most books is measured in 10s of circs at most.

It was in perfect condition, with old plates in the back of farmers a century dead, and old farms long gone. A complete index of every local person enlisting during the Civil War with their entire war record. Probably such good condition because it only got checked out every 5 years or so (other than me recently, every few months).

The happy-ish ending is, I found a reprint by our local historical society from the 1970's. Without the plates. Took years of visits to local used-book shops and repeated requests to look out for a copy should one show up.

Glad you found it!

Can anyone tell me if this could have been found in the library of congress?

https://lccn.loc.gov/03003442