The Sentient Search Engine

Check this out. In case the link breaks, the gist of this feature from Christian Science Moniter is that a rare edition of a Poe work is going up for auction.

In reading the article, I got something out of it that I don’t think was intended. It’s because of this section:

The book’s owner is former television executive and rare book collector William Self. His 300-book collection, all of which goes on sale today, also includes rare works by Mark Twain, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens.

Self, who is 88, has told the press that were his children to inherit the books, they wouldn’t be able to afford to pay the taxes on them.

Is it just me or is that last bit depressing. The man seems to have spent a good part of his entire life collecting these books. They are likely a part of who he is. He should be able to pass them on as family heirlooms, a way for his children (who I presume for the purposes of this post like him) to remember and honor him. He can’t…because Uncle Sam wants a cut first…

Gawd, what a busy Saturday at my library! The questions came fast and furious and included several curve balls. For example, someone wanted books on building “organic kitchens”, which after some negotiation, we (the customer and I) decided that meant “green kitchens”. There’s surprisingly little out in print on that topic (print, after all, is not typically understood to be a “green” medium). You can find a respectable amount of stuff about green design, green construction, and green architecture, but I was unable to find anything for her specific to kitchens. She left happy with what I did find at my library, so I guess that’s something…

Anyway, it’s been busy. Part of the problem is tax season. I know people can’t be expected to understand this, but I still want to shout it out to the universe:

I AM NOT A TAX ATTORNEY, AN ACCOUNTANT, OR AN AUDITOR!

I get so frustrated when I am asked for tax advice from the hordes of folks who come in for their forms. I can barely fill out my own, yet I (of all people) am being asked what form they need to deduct their business expenses, or whatever. When I tell them (calmer than above, naturally) that I am unqualified to give such advice and try to refer them to someone who could, they give me the “oh that’s okay, just give me your best guess” line (or some variation). I sometimes just want to say, “No you idiot, my best guess could get me fired!” Naturally, I don’t…but I still want to (on occasion). Oh well… It’ll be mostly over in three more days. Then I get to get ready for Summer Reading Club (Woo Hoo), which is vastly preferable for a multitude of reasons (and the better weather).

Addendum 4/18/08

You all will be happy to know, I’m sure, that I survived Tax day. I tell you, it really helped me put things in perspective to speak to colleagues who did tax season before the internet (Gasp! Say it ain’t so!). All I can say is that I am thankful for IRS.gov (boy does that feel weird to say…)!

Addendum 8/21/08

In the months since I originally wrote this post, there has been a flurry of “green” oriented print publishing going on, including some stuff on green kitchens!