Hiding Books in the stores

[Ivan's Mom]

OK, I have read several posts in several places about the good mommy gone bad who hides creepy parenting books in the bookstore or libraby so others can't be influenced by them.

I go to the library a couple times a week and love to shop, so please tell me which books to hide.

I want to be a member of this book club.

[lovemysunshine]

Anything by Ezzo (Babywise etc.). I've even bought this one from the thrift store and thrown it into the recycle bin! Have fun in the club!

[aja-belly]

i have now bought several copies of 'to bring up a child' from thrift stores.

me and my mom (yes, i'm outing you, mama!) have been know to get buzzed at starbucks then waltz over to the baby section of barnes and noble and move dr sears books in front of ezzo books. i would blame the coffee high, but i drink decaf....can i blame the sugar?

[Ivan's Mom]

Yea, I have read bad things about Ezzo. I will be on the lookout for those.

Any others?

[SortaCrunchy]

(Lurking on the baby board - I miss having a babe, okay?!?!)

I have been known to hide
Ezzo trash, The Contented Little Baby Book, sometimes The Baby Whisperer if I am feeling particularly snarky (she doesn't advocate CIO, but she does place to much emphasis on scheduling and sleeping through the night for infants), and any others that look fishy to me. I usually put Sears in the front of the stacks, and sometimes Happiest Baby on the Block because that did help me when D was a fussy, fussy newborn.

I know they probably get reshelved the right way eventually, but I still get a little thrill out of it!

[Synchro246]

The Babywise books (ezzo)-
Bringing up Boys (Dobson)
there's an ACOG book of planning your labor and birth that sucks

[AppleCrisp]

Hey good ideas!! Although I did like one idea I read a few weeks ago, which was to write MDC and the names of some good books into the front cover, and put it back out to the thrift shop. That way you're directing them to something better rather than just removing it.

[Maggie'sMomma]

i am totally for those that buy the books and do creative things w/ them! here's something i'm wondering about, though. does anyone think about how much work is being put upon the person at the library or bookstore that has to reshelve the books?? or does the importance of keeping such books out of the hands of parents outweigh this fact?

[annettemarie]

For me personally, I am less concerned with someone having to reshelve a book (if they ever even find it) than I am with a baby being subjected to cruel or harmful treatment.

[nubianamy]

I'm a librarian, and I used to make little "For Further Reading..." bookmarks and put them in all the baby books in the library. You could do the same, but add some commentary about how this book is harmful, etc. I wouldn't do that as the librarian, but I totally would as the patron.

[Ivan's Mom]

Originally Posted by nubianamy

I'm a librarian, and I used to make little "For Further Reading..." bookmarks and put them in all the baby books in the library. You could do the same, but add some commentary about how this book is harmful, etc. I wouldn't do that as the librarian, but I totally would as the patron.

I also would include "inserts" in books and magazines that were for sale. This was for animal rights though. The flyers from PeTA would go in magazines and such for a little eye-opener for the reader.

[dantesmama]

Originally Posted by nubianamy

I'm a librarian, and I used to make little "For Further Reading..." bookmarks and put them in all the baby books in the library. You could do the same, but add some commentary about how this book is harmful, etc. I wouldn't do that as the librarian, but I totally would as the patron.

Ooh, good idea, nubianamy! That's going on my to-do list.

[josybear]

reorganizing baby book sections in bookstores is good for 2 reasons -

1. most people pick up the books on display and leaf through them. you know how most books have their spines facing out but a few here and there have the covers facing out? if you change which books have their covers and spines facing out, dr. sears, etc. get leafed through while babywise gets overlooked.

my friend who manages a bookstore often changes which books are being displayed and which are just shelved based on what he's recently read and either liked or disliked.

2. if you, the consumer who can do no wrong, move things around in stores, leave your tray on the table in the food court, etc. then you are creating a little bit more work for the employees wherever you are. more work takes more time. at some point there is more work than can be done in the alloted time, so someone gets hired to help keep up with the work that needs doing. you're creating jobs!

my dad taught us to never put away our own trays in food courts because the people who clean up food courts are often recent immigrants (the job doesn't take much english) and it's hard for immigrants to get work. he said that if no one ever put their own tray away every food court would have to hire another person or 2.

[Maggie'sMomma]

I like the idea of inserts.
Another devil's advocate question- what if by hiding the books they believe it's out of stock and ordert more??? Then it's mission NOT accomplished.

[Ivan's Mom]

Originally Posted by Maggie'sMomma

I like the idea of inserts.
Another devil's advocate question- what if by hiding the books they believe it's out of stock and ordert more??? Then it's mission NOT accomplished.

I think in this day and time the stores order based on what the computer says is in the store. They scan everything and go by that, I believe. When an item is scanned as sold, the # of items in the store that are available go down, so they know to order more.

[aisraeltax]

Ferber is bad too right?
and what about the Pearls? those books are out there too right?

[AmandaBL]

I do the oposite of this

If I'm in the library & there is a pregnant woman or mom sitting at one of the tables looking at something, I grab the current Mothering and give it to her & say "This is the best parenting mag out there" They always flip through it & I've never had anyone give me the "crazy lady" look yet.

[ladymom6]

Hey girl!

Originally Posted by aja-belly

i have now bought several copies of 'to bring up a child' from thrift stores.

me and my mom (yes, i'm outing you, mama!) have been know to get buzzed at starbucks then waltz over to the baby section of barnes and noble and move dr sears books in front of ezzo books. i would blame the coffee high, but i drink decaf....can i blame the sugar?

You keep me grounded aja-belly. I have moved the books to the wrong section before I would like to trash them , but that would be wrong I guess.:

[NewMomNicole]

if you, the consumer who can do no wrong, move things around in stores, leave your tray on the table in the food court, etc. then you are creating a little bit more work for the employees wherever you are. more work takes more time. at some point there is more work than can be done in the alloted time, so someone gets hired to help keep up with the work that needs doing. you're creating jobs!

my dad taught us to never put away our own trays in food courts because the people who clean up food courts are often recent immigrants (the job doesn't take much english) and it's hard for immigrants to get work. he said that if no one ever put their own tray away every food court would have to hire another person or 2.

Clearly you have never worked in food service or retail. That is so so so not how it works. You're just creating more work for people who are already overworked and underpaid.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by Maggie'sMomma

i am totally for those that buy the books and do creative things w/ them! here's something i'm wondering about, though. does anyone think about how much work is being put upon the person at the library or bookstore that has to reshelve the books?? or does the importance of keeping such books out of the hands of parents outweigh this fact?

Having worked in a library reshelving and straightening books, I assure you that reorganizing one small section of parenting books'll take about 2 mins, tops, and not even be that annoying.

I should note, that for most libraries, it's best if you put the offending book behind all the others and then line the other books up in dewey decimal order at least as neatly as the books in the surrounding area. Sideways books are atypical at a library so just pulling the Sears books in front of the other books will be corrected immediately. Also, don't try this trick if your library is very good about getting in new copies of missing books.