I checked out Wilhelm Hohenzollern: The Last of the Kaisers by Emil Ludwig from the University of Minnesota libraries. Today book inventory, checkouts and tracking are computerized, but not so in 1927 when the book was first published: the librarian took the book’s card, wrote your name on it, then stamped the return date here. Simple.
From this we learn of the book’s circulation and discern, potentially, its value or usefulness: numerous checkouts in the 1930s when the biography was contemporary; a final checkout in 1940, months after World War II began and months before Germany attacked France. At that point, the war shifted everyone’s focus and Wilhelm II is no longer of interest.
I find this shit fascinating – find libraries fascinating – but unfortunately checkouts tracked digitally are not typically available to the general public. Has this book been checked out after Minnesota libraries computerized their collection records or am I the first since 1940? How many books acquired by libraries are never actually checked out or used? How many books have been scanned and are now available only online?
Probably should consider some library science courses!
