Book People Archive

Re: Re: Interesting Book on Readers and "Great Books"

In a message dated 10/19/2001 9:00:19 AM Mountain Daylight Time, 
hart@[redacted] writes:

<< 
 Let's not forget how the Gutenberg Press also brought books to people
 in other situations, too. . .such as portrayed when the itinerant
 publisher/bookseller came to the marketplace in "Yentl."
 
 Michael

Actually as I was reading this book it reminded me of things you have been 
saying for years.  Such as whenever the price for books falls there is 
increased demand for copyright extensions.  And how the public domain helps 
the poor and disadvantaged.  That elites try to lock up knowledge.  It seemed 
highly interesting to me that large numbers of people bought from second hand 
book stores because they lacked the resources to purchase new.  That people 
who were living on the fringes of society actually would skip meals to buy 
books.  I thought that I was the only one who was crazy enough to do that. 
That people pooled their resources to provide private libraries open to other 
members of their group long before there were public libraries.  All the 
things that are under attack now having to do with "fair use".  Because of 
the demand by publishers for shrink wrap and the pay per view. threatens 
public libraries.  It's nice to see that others are noticing these things and 
getting excited about them besides our little group.

David Reed