Let's ban Terry Deary from the library
I've gotta stop reading things on the Internet, it just makes me really upset.
I followed a link from DearAuthor.com and ended up at this Guardian article "Libraries 'have had their day,' says Horrible Histories Author" Terry Deary. From there I ended up at this Techdirt article "Bestselling Author of Children's Books Accuses Libraries of Stealing His Paychecks."
Libraries "have been around too long" and are "no longer relevant", according to Horrible Histories author Terry Deary, an apparently lone literary voice to believe that libraries have "had their day".
Basically, this elitist asshole thinks that libraries offering his books means that he's losing out on money he would have made from sales and thus libraries should be shut down. Because people don't need libraries anyway. He also thinks that kids should stop attending school at age eleven and get jobs, but that's a whole other level of crazy.
I think this guy should have his books banned from libraries or anywhere else run by people with consciences. This is some ridiculous crap.
"I'm not attacking libraries, I'm attacking the concept behind libraries, which is no longer relevant," Deary told the Guardian, pointing out that the original Public Libraries Act, which gave rise to the first free public libraries in the UK, was passed in 1850. "Because it's been 150 years, we've got this idea that we've got an entitlement to read books for free, at the expense of authors, publishers and council tax payers. This is not the Victorian age, when we wanted to allow the impoverished access to literature. We pay for compulsory schooling to do that," said Deary
Seriously, why do so many wealthy people have such a hate-on about people of lesser means trying to improve their lifestyles? I'm sorry not everyone is rich enough to buy every single book or movie they want to enjoy, but I would rather see people visiting their local library than going to prison for stealing.
Also, following the story, found out that Deary doesn't even do his own research. He hires a bunch of researchers to do all the work for him. A historian went through his book on the Normans for fun and found a bunch of mistakes.
What an asshat.
*Quotes from the Guardian.co.uk
I followed a link from DearAuthor.com and ended up at this Guardian article "Libraries 'have had their day,' says Horrible Histories Author" Terry Deary. From there I ended up at this Techdirt article "Bestselling Author of Children's Books Accuses Libraries of Stealing His Paychecks."
Libraries "have been around too long" and are "no longer relevant", according to Horrible Histories author Terry Deary, an apparently lone literary voice to believe that libraries have "had their day".
Basically, this elitist asshole thinks that libraries offering his books means that he's losing out on money he would have made from sales and thus libraries should be shut down. Because people don't need libraries anyway. He also thinks that kids should stop attending school at age eleven and get jobs, but that's a whole other level of crazy.
I think this guy should have his books banned from libraries or anywhere else run by people with consciences. This is some ridiculous crap.
"I'm not attacking libraries, I'm attacking the concept behind libraries, which is no longer relevant," Deary told the Guardian, pointing out that the original Public Libraries Act, which gave rise to the first free public libraries in the UK, was passed in 1850. "Because it's been 150 years, we've got this idea that we've got an entitlement to read books for free, at the expense of authors, publishers and council tax payers. This is not the Victorian age, when we wanted to allow the impoverished access to literature. We pay for compulsory schooling to do that," said Deary
Seriously, why do so many wealthy people have such a hate-on about people of lesser means trying to improve their lifestyles? I'm sorry not everyone is rich enough to buy every single book or movie they want to enjoy, but I would rather see people visiting their local library than going to prison for stealing.
Also, following the story, found out that Deary doesn't even do his own research. He hires a bunch of researchers to do all the work for him. A historian went through his book on the Normans for fun and found a bunch of mistakes.
What an asshat.
*Quotes from the Guardian.co.uk