Libraries

P.S. I receive great joy watching my two young grandaughters (who are also avid readers) sitting reading a real book!

Kudos to your family for raising young readers! However, I think we should be careful to remember that books are valuable for the content they contain, not for their format or physical shape. Whether a reader reads a 'real' book or an electronic book (or a scroll!), the experience and the overall benefit is the same.

A book and an e-book are comparable, but I don’t think the library experience is replaced by electronic tools. If libraries disappear, so does the accidental, serendipitous exposure to new topics, ideas, etc.

The mantra that space should generate revenue really needs to be questioned.

a book and an e-book are comparable, but i don’t think the library experience is replaced by electronic tools. If libraries disappear, so does the accidental, serendipitous exposure to new topics, ideas, etc.

 

The mantra that space should generate revenue really needs to be questioned.

+1 (y)

Wow, didn't realize my initial question would garner such a response. Wonderful!

 

I am an avid reader, generally reading two (real) books a week. I have three kindles (long story) one of which I always bring when I travel and almost never use. I love the feel, smell and texture of a real book. I love the ambience, quiet and peace of a good library on land or sea and as much as some would hate to see a pool be eliminated on a cruise so do I hate to see the demise of the library.

 

Sadly, I think libraries at sea are probably doomed, however given the amount of use our local libraries at home enjoy I am hopeful for their future on land at least.

 

P.S. I receive great joy watching my two young grandaughters (who are also avid readers) sitting reading a real book!

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", but if it's a dead tree edition, it's heavy.

Is the value of a "book" the content or the heft of bound paper that you cannot read in dim light, that

you must not set down spine-up to save your place, and whose words near the binding hide around

the curve of the paper? I literally hold my books in the palm of my hand (smartphone app), and adjust

the font size if my eyes are having a bad day.

I bought my first ebook in 1999 (Yup! Read it on a PDA), cart several thousand around in my shirt

pocket, and routinely download them at sea.

A book and an e-book are comparable, but I don’t think the library experience is replaced by electronic tools. If libraries disappear, so does the accidental, serendipitous exposure to new topics, ideas, etc.

 

The mantra that space should generate revenue really needs to be questioned.

I guess I've never really been a library browser. For years now I've done my 'browsing' online where I am always bumping into new topics, ideas, and books I want to read. I can see the appeal though.

I don't think all space should be revenue generating. I do think ships should periodically evaluate how space is being used (e.g., by only a few? by many?) and consider whether there are other, better options for its use.

I'm not necessarily saying this is true for the libraries, but it seems HAL has already made that choice.

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", but if it's a dead tree edition, it's heavy.

 

Is the value of a "book" the content or the heft of bound paper that you cannot read in dim light, that

you must not set down spine-up to save your place, and whose words near the binding hide around

the curve of the paper? I literally hold my books in the palm of my hand (smartphone app), and adjust

the font size if my eyes are having a bad day.

 

I bought my first ebook in 1999 (Yup! Read it on a PDA), cart several thousand around in my shirt

pocket, and routinely download them at sea.

This post cracked me up …

I will be shipping about 75 "hefts of bound paper" to read during the 114 day world cruise next year. Most of them will be offered to fellow passengers as I finish them. I hope they will become dog-eared, the covers will become worn, maybe some pages will get little rips or tears, the bindings will become stretched … signs of well-loved books!

I suppose that we can bring this to the ridiculous. Some never use the pool, others don't sit in the lounge chairs because they stay out of the sun, still others don't go to the shows. Some go to the lectures and others take in an afternoon movie or use the jogging course or the sports areas--perhaps those that use each amenity should pay for that and those that don't use these get a credit. Imagine your statement at the end of your cruise.

 

The statement that fewer and fewer use the library has not been evident on the cruises that we have been on. By 9:30 or 10 a.m. there are no chairs available in the library--it is quiet and there are many people immersed in their reading. The statement that we should go to our cabin or balcony if we want a good place to read makes as much sense as saying that we should go to our cabin and watch the television for the cooking demonstrations or the lectures. Think of the space that could be turned into revenue producing areas. If one wants to see a kitchen demo "live" in the theater you could charge admission. Take a dance class--pay for it.

Hear ! Hear ! I don't think any place or activity gets more than 50% participation except the MDR and your cabin. Frivelous activities such as bean bag toss, golf putting, etc. through Cruise Staff cuts are long gone from HAL, yet are alive and well on Celebrity, NCL and others. When you get the Bean Counters running any enterprise, inevitably things go down hill through the initial assumption that we saved money, let's see what else we can cut back on. So I, formally a staunch HAL cruiser, have gone elsewhere missing only the free laundry.

This post cracked me up …

 

I will be shipping about 75 "hefts of bound paper" to read during the 114 day world cruise next year. Most of them will be offered to fellow passengers as I finish them. I hope they will become dog-eared, the covers will become worn, maybe some pages will get little rips or tears, the bindings will become stretched … signs of well-loved books!

Absolutely!

Please don't eliminate the library!

Ricki

... The mantra that space should generate revenue really needs to be questioned.

Okay, why don't you start? :rolleyes:

As a carnival corporation stock holder ,we see the modern use of electronic books like kindles from amazon.com . Thus ,the prior libraries should be transformed into revenue generating areas .That is only good business :)

I totally agree. Why take up space with something that fewer and fewer are using when it could be used for more lucrative options? Very easy to download most anything you want on a tablet or your phone. I realize not everyone uses electronics, but they are a very small percentage these days. For those that prefer a quiet place to read or sit, there are other options, including staterooms and balconies, if they have one.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums[/quote

 

Spot on - very refreshing to see comments from people who understand business. $$$

To charge for the use of the library on a ship is an outrageous idea in my opinion.

Certainly not an outrageous idea in my opinion - in fact, it is an idea that makes eminent good business sense IMO.

If every passenger left a book at the exchange shelf, a "library" would be instantly created. The books would have to be stacked on the floor.

rkacruiser - I imagine you enjoyed exploring the bookstores to find that particular book, instead of combing the internet.

Methinks I'm off dead tree editions for good now.

After a *long* hiatus, a new novel in a series came out and I went back to re-read the prior

one: a hardback from 2001. About half-way through, I gave up. Ugh! Way out of shape to

hold it up long enough to read. :rolleyes:

I agree.

 

As for the need for someone to shelve books, I would think that a a bit of creative thinking would yield a solution. A system that sorts by just several broad categories might suffice, so that shelving would take someone thirty minutes or less each night.

On some of the smaller British cruise lines (which always have wonderful libraries), it is often the spouse of the guest speaker who is assigned to keep the library orderly (the couple receive a free cruise in exchange for their services).

If every passenger left a book at the exchange shelf, a "library" would be instantly created. The books would have to be stacked on the floor.

 

There's a lot more involved in having a library than just a large collection of "volunteered" books. If the latter was done, the collection would likely end up being 80% crime/suspense fiction with about 5 authors very over-represented (multiple multiple copies).

It's unlikely that people would be dropping off the large references that are indispensable in true libraries -- the atlases, dictionaries, encyclopedic collections, classics, etc.

On behalf of my librarian friends, do people really think a librarian is educated and trained to shelve books? I say this every time I see a new thread discussing the elimination of HAL libraries. Trust me, there have never been “librarians” on Holland America ships.

Holland America stopped investing in libraries long before they formally eliminated the space. The inventory was old and unappealing to us. But, if you are interested in Nixon era nonfiction.....

If you don't mind sharing anything you can find out, I would really appreciate it.

 

We're scheduled to be on the Zaandam in 2020 and no library would a be huge disappointment with our itinerary :( and need to be planned for.

Just off Amsterdam yesterday. No help there. All they would (proudly) say was "Well, we're just out of dry dock and they didn't do that to us". And indeed, everything portside on the UP deck was intact -- library and Explorations Cafe. Unable do extract from ANYONE plans for the rest of the R-class and S-class. Or, I suppose, future plans for Amsterdam herself. Sorry.

Gosh, I'm gonna HATE it if they really do that to all of the remaining little ships.

Does the Koningsdam have a library?

Does the Koningsdam have a library?

They have a few books. A very few. Not what most of us would call a library ;) :halo:

The funny thing about the K'dam library... when I boarded in June and we did our initial wander I found a brand new hardback by an author I typically read that I had not read. I was surprised and delighted to be able to read that while on board.

I too am a stock holder and think libraries are part of the joy of the experience. I love meeting a new book on board and I have two kindles as well. I think kindles are wonderful for guidebooks as they save me a lot of weight in my luggage. But I prefer a real book.

Some of these arguments are ridiculous and have been repeated ad nauseum. So rather than respond to them I will just mention Cunard which has positively swoon worthy libraries. So it isn’t going out of style, it is just another downgrade IMO.

i too am a stock holder and think libraries are part of the joy of the experience. I love meeting a new book on board and i have two kindles as well. I think kindles are wonderful for guidebooks as they save me a lot of weight in my luggage. But i prefer a real book.

 

Some of these arguments are ridiculous and have been repeated ad nauseum. So rather than respond to them i will just mention cunard which has positively swoon worthy libraries. So it isn’t going out of style, it is just another downgrade imo.

(y) +1

If every passenger left a book at the exchange shelf, a "library" would be instantly created. The books would have to be stacked on the floor.

 

rkacruiser - I imagine you enjoyed exploring the bookstores to find that particular book, instead of combing the internet.

I appreciate your kind response.

I did enjoy exploring the various bookstores and speaking with the booksellers. I met very pleasant New Zealanders and Australians. These are people that I would have never met if I had not tried to find that book.

Realizing that the book was unavailable through a North American bookseller or even via ordering on the internet, if I wanted it, it had to be purchased, if I could find it, in New Zealand or Australia. I was fortunate: on my last possible opportunity to find the book, the store had a copy. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw it!

It would be neat to read about rare books cruisers have found at various ports around The world. I hope antiquarian booksellers are keeping their shops open.

It would be neat to read about rare books cruisers have found at various ports around The world. I hope antiquarian booksellers are keeping their shops open.

The book for which I was searching was not rare. It simply was not available for North Americans to purchase from any source. I have no idea why and still wonder about that.