What ya gonna do with your books when you're deid?

[Marty Bonnar]

For some bizarre reason - perhaps it's the new year and I'm another year older as of last week, my mind turns to the future and it's marvelous possibilities.
I have, like I'm sure many gca denizens, a pretty sizeable collection of architectural porn, ehm, books which will be of very limited interest to much of the world when I'm deid, but are actually quite valuable both monetarily and historically to the people who will go on to be interested in GCA after I've gone to the next level.
What the hell should I do with my library?
I've no kids interested in this shite, if I leave them to the golf club, some arsehole will eventually steal them, but I certainly don't want them to end up in a dumpster or burnt or in landfill.
Should we start thinking about a long term legacy from GCA which might involve a LIBRARY???
Thoughts,
F.

[Neil_Crafter]

There goes my idea of leaving mine to you 

[Marty Bonnar]

Shit, Crafty,
You'll outlive me easily!
All that healthy Aussie lifestyle compared to irn-bru and deep-fried mars bars..?
I'll be deid before I'm sixty!
Best for '14,
F.

[Steve Salmen]

Either make a note to have your estate sell them on ebay, where the estate will get a fair price .

Otherwise, leave them to someone who really cares about the contents of the collection.  A man I knew recently passed away.  A mutual friend contacted his brother and mentioned that I would be interested in many things in the collection.  For a fair price I purchased some books, clubs, pictures, and a bag.

[Carl Johnson]

For some bizarre reason - perhaps it's the new year and I'm another year older as of last week, my mind turns to the future and it's marvelous possibilities.
I have, like I'm sure many gca denizens, a pretty sizeable collection of architectural porn, ehm, books which will be of very limited interest to much of the world when I'm deid, but are actually quite valuable both monetarily and historically to the people who will go on to be interested in GCA after I've gone to the next level.
What the hell should I do with my library?
I've no kids interested in this shite, if I leave them to the golf club, some arsehole will eventually steal them, but I certainly don't want them to end up in a dumpster or burnt or in landfill.
Should we start thinking about a long term legacy from GCA which might involve a LIBRARY???
Thoughts,
F.

Funny you should mention this.  I'm in the same situation.  My current thinking is WTF, when I'm gone I won't know and therefore won't care.  It would be nice to leave them to my club, but I've already put a couple of valuable (in the sense of both (1) $$$ and (2) rare and relevant to our local history) books on their shelves and they've both been stolen.  So, as of now I'm thinking leave them to my two kids, who won't GAS, and if they go to the dump, so be it.

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

You'll outlive me easily!
All that healthy Aussie lifestyle compared to irn-bru...

WHAT?

I was specifically told two years ago on a ferry from Larne to Troon by a guy that seemed quite sure of himself that Irn-Bru "cures what ails you" and I have been trying to consume as much as humanly possible ever since.  It is rather hard to come by here in The States.  Fortunately I managed to get my hands on an entire case a little while ago. Yumm!!

[Bill_McBride]

Martin lad, I think you should trundle the lot over to the R&A immediately, they'll be ever so grateful.

Might even declare you a member on the spot!

[Marty Bonnar]

Good Steve,
But I'm thinking the Randolph Morissett III Memorial Library might be a better repository for this stuff would be way better. (Sorry, Ran to be wishing you deid!)
F.
PS Hopefully Ran outlives me!

[Patrick_Mucci]

Martin,

Just two days ago I was pondering the same question.

Having an "estate sale" seems like too much work for the Executor and there would appear to be a paucity of like minded architectural geeks like us, interested in them.

It would be nice if there was an architectural depository.

If you think of something let me know

[Marty Bonnar]

Pat,
You know I'm not supposed to be speaking to you!
But on this we're clearly agreed.
Maybe Tom Paul and you would instigate the building of a fine Georgian building to house the collection. We'll obviously need some serious money to make it happen.
In the spirit of the new year, the best to you and yours,
MB.

[Marty Bonnar]

Daryl,
I only drink the diet version now, so maybe that buys me a year or two!

Unca Bill,
There's no way the R&A are getting my books unless they make Uncle Bob a fellow emeritus forever!

Carl,
Don't you dare!

M.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Martin,

Happy and Healthy New Year to you and yours.

If you'd prefer not speaking to me, might I suggest a third party intermediary, such as Shivas, TEPaul or Wayne Morrisson.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Martin

Excellent question. I say each of us should donate our respective libraries to a golf club with a meagre or nonexistent library. Perhaps not a government-owned course but a private club that welcomes outsiders.

Neil C's library will have to go a club with room on the ground floor and built on at least 100 feet of bedrock.  

[Marty Bonnar]

Pat,
I've already met two of your suggestions and quite frankly they both looked a bit shifty to me!
That leaves Shivas and he's a lawyer. Say no more...

Markymark,
I think it has to be a place where we can be sure some unscrupulous eedjit can't get his hands on them...

:0)
M.

[Bill_McBride]

Daryl,
I only drink the diet version now, so maybe that buys me a year or two!

Unca Bill,
There's no way the R&A are getting my books unless they make Uncle Bob a fellow emeritus forever!

Carl,
Don't you dare!

M.

Marty, I think he already is!   

[Mark Bourgeois]

MB

Yeah, that's why I was thinking private club not public. It would be a burden on the public to maintain and to protect the collection, yet an intensely private club - well, one might as well lock the books away. So some risk to the collection I feel would be justified.

To your point, just because it's private doesn't mean it would be a great steward. The challenge would be to find a club with a culture of preservation so that the library's fortunes are not dependent on any single individual.

Our libraries should NOT go to a place like the R&A or USGA. They already have everything we do, and more. It would be a waste.

[Marty Bonnar]

M,
Which is why I think a managed facility of some sort would be best. Anytime I'm in the 'golf' section in any library, it's almost exclusively players reminiscences or how to play books. It's so hard to find a section dedicated to design and construction. How cool would it be if a university or college or other serious institution was to be the custodian of a great  architectural collection?
Some of the great courses I've been to have a facility, but they've almost always been VERY exclusive.  Inclusivity is key.
F.

[RJ_Daley]

I had about 15 years worth of Golf Course Management magazines.  Every year in Dec. they put out an extra volume of just index to the turf science research articles published through that year, so very handy to look up turf science subjects.  Well, I figured I don't really need them at my age as I'll never work in the industry, so I tried to give them to a turf student by calling around.  Finally I found a super I know who asked a summer intern if he wanted them, and finally there was a taker.  So, I boxed them up in order, in pristine condition and carted them to the course turf facility.

Unfortunately, libraries are going to be obsolete for most subjects except historical material, as it will all be digitized and sold or put out on the cyber digital world to be read on devices.  

But, I figure of all the possible GCA and GCM books owned by this fanatical group on this forum, there are probably many duplicates or common books we all own.  So, it would be nice if a school like Michigan State Turf Science dept, or OJ Noer facilty, would take them in and lend them out to students who aren't bored with books.  I'd be good with having a school library still interested in books, to have them.

By the way, I figure I might be deid by the time I get through Richard Mandell's book that I received in time for Christmas!  

Good luck to all of us aging GCA.com mavens who are hearing the faint flutter of angel wings, with your final exit benefactions.  

[Marty Bonnar]

Nice, uncle Dick,
That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about. We need to ensure the paper stuff has a home as well as the digital.
F.
PS 'deid' pronounced in Scots is 'deed'.

[Peter Pallotta]

Not related to this fine thread/topic, but all this talk of death Martin compels me to say one word to you, just one word: Coffee.

I'm convinced, convinced mind you, that scientists will soon discover that coffee (drunk in copious amounts, preferably black, without cream or too much sugar, and preferably 'americano style' i.e. very very long double espressos) not only has healthy, life enhancing properties but actually magical ones. Yes, magical -- able to more than off set a multitude of bad/unhealthy eating habits and choices.

Again. Coffee. Magical.

A wonderful new year to you and yours, and a long (buzzed up on caffeine) life. May you live long enough to see all this electronic nonsense and kindles and multi-platforms and downloads and tweets go the way of the dodo bird, and the return of paper and binding and soft leather covers to dominance!

Peter

[Pete_Pittock]

consign them to Peter Yagi in the Seattle area.  I contributed about 30 books to the Bandon Dunes library.

[Ronald Montesano]

It would be nice to leave them to my club, but I've already put a couple of valuable (in the sense of both (1) $$$ and (2) rare and relevant to our local history) books on their shelves and they've both been stolen.  

Asked the prickly northerner, WHY did you just leave them there?

To the rest of you lot,

If it matters that much, do the legwork and find a repository. It might be a local school, or a club or a center of some sort. The problem you will always run into is this: the librarian who seemed so enthused with your donation will one day retire, then die (usually in that order) and the replacement/successor may not give shoe tits about your donation.

I would suspect that a local golf association (Buffalo District Golf Association) or statewide one (New York State Golf Association) would be a good place to start, either for inspiration or condensation.

[Bob_Huntley]

Martin,

 I am having the same  thought as you, but leaving them to a Club is a waste of time. MPCC had a generous chap leave a whole library to the club and within several years there was not a tome to be had; they vanished within a couple of years.

I feel that I might leave them to my grandchildren to sell on e Bay.

Bob

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Martin,

Why not give your books to The University of Edinburgh or even Napier University?

I'm flying to Frankfurt, De next week and will be spending 8 nights in Edinburgh arriving on the 11th, 1. 2014 to visit my daughter who is studying at the Dick Vet. So stoked to get to Scotland. I may attempt to arrange a flat where I can camp out this coming August.

Malcolm Mckinnon

[RJ_Daley]

 

For us social and academically deficient yanks, I already Googled it....  

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/vet/about/contact-us

I'll be here in the corner, braying, neighing and stomping my hooves.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0nCnS-UJLs