[joewp]

By Munir Ahmad
Associated Press
Published December 12, 2005

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan -- When night fell after the Oct. 8 quake, many survivors burned broken furniture to stay warm. Some, however, stormed the shattered state-run Khursheed National Library, pulling out books and newspapers to make bonfires.

An estimated 10,000 books went up in smoke that night. Three days later, half the library's books--including Korans--had been turned into ashes. The army then stepped in and stopped the burning.

Mohammed Hanif, a clerk at the library for 14 years, "did not believe it" when his brother came rushing to Hanif's home and told him what was happening at the library.

"But when I rushed there, I saw several people taking books to a nearby park where they were staying with their families after their homes were destroyed," Hanif said. "The books are like my children. I wept when they were throwing the books into the fire.

"I tried to stop them, but they started beating me."

Continued here(link)

Look what happens when people are cold. They'll even burn their sacred religious books. Incidents like this would raise my doomer meter, if it wasn't already pinned to the maximum reading.

[lawnchair]

Indeed sad..

Though, as someone who has hauled many un-re-touched 50-year collections of National Geographic (volunteering at sales, from each set of grandparents, and around my parent's house multiple times), I've secretly been looking forward to the day I have to start throwing them in the stove for heat.

[eastbay]

They were probably not the most devout Muslims if they were burning Korans when there were still other books siting on shelves waiting to be ignited.

(Warning: possible thread hijack)

Speaking of National Geographics, I too once inherited a nice collection dating from the late 20's to the about 1990. I finally decided I couldn't afford to drag them around the country anymore. I called all over, placed an ad or two and no one responded to take them off my hands for free. I finally ended up recycling the entire collection. It was a very sad day but I really had no choice. I bet I'm not the only one who had to make that sad decision.

[Windmills]

I've often thought about that very scenario. As always, the results will depend on how PO plays itself out. The loss of knowledge and history is a real tragedy.

It should provide some incentive to create personal libraries. Carrie and I will be working to build a small library of information on matters we feel are of practical and immediate value. The constraints of time, space, and money prevent much more than that.

[Anthrobus]

hello,

my first posting here, ahem!!

ok, your thread reminds me of Thronton Wilders "The skin of our teeth". Mr. caveman ist out for work and the ice-age is fast approaching. He is cabeling home to his wife "don't worry about the cold, just keep the children warm; burn everything exept shakespeare"

bye,

Anthropus

[elroy]

Sometimes I wonder what kind of level of openness, tolerance, and progressiveness our society (dutch) would fall to if we no longer had the luxury we enjoy now. It's scary.

[Schneider]

I've often thought about that very scenario. As always, the results will depend on how PO plays itself out. The loss of knowledge and history is a real tragedy.

It should provide some incentive to create personal libraries. Carrie and I will be working to build a small library of information on matters we feel are of practical and immediate value. The constraints of time, space, and money prevent much more than that.

So true..

Dunno for you,but to me,burning books seem like burning our own soul..it's like losing the precious knowledges so much people suffured to pass it to us...

Since i discovered peak oil,i started a small library (thoses knowing about the thread i made in "planning for the future" forum know what i mean)even if i rent..Since i have a limited space,i'm trying to fill my small 5 stages library with the most important stuff with as much "balance" i can put inside it..

All this because i fear that knowledges inside public libraries will be left aside for immediat survival...

Schneider
French-Canadian

[lowem]

Man, that sounds just like a certain movie not that long ago.
Did they burn those law books first?

[omo]

I'm ssure we have all scientific work in electronic formats so there's nothing to worry about. As for other literature I personally don't care but most of it sure too has long been scanned and backuped or will be soon if anywone cares.

[eastbay]

I'm sure we have all scientific work in electronic formats so there's nothing to worry about.

______________________

Omo,

At some point in the not-too-very-distant-future, electronically stored data will be inaccessible to most people due to increasingly scarce oil and the high cost of producing and powering computers.

I can image deeply poverty stricken Urdu speaking Pakistani's, among a great many others, will be accessing information in printed form only (if they're lucky) unless they've set fire to it all to keep warm or to boil water... heh.

[skateari]

Man, that sounds just like a certain movie not that long ago.
Did they burn those law books first?

Yeah, they had that scene in the movie "The Day After Tommorow", which I just so happened to see the day before yesterday.

[peaker_2005]

Man, that sounds just like a certain movie not that long ago.
Did they burn those law books first?

Yeah, they had that scene in the movie "The Day After Tommorow", which I just so happened to see the day before yesterday.

I always loved that line.

"Hey, there's a whole section of law books down here that we can burn".

[The_Virginian]

sorry,

poor example of Post PO world, it was an E-quake, and desprate people needed to keep warm IMMEDIATLY..I doubt half of them even noticed what they were burning in the cold darkness...just trying to keep thier numb neiter parts from frostbite mates.


PO is hitting NOW and the rising popularity of wood stoves etc. shows an non-catostrophic/gradual change...

[omo]

I'm sure we have all scientific work in electronic formats so there's nothing to worry about.

______________________

Omo,

At some point in the not-too-very-distant-future, electronically stored data will be inaccessible to most people due to increasingly scarce oil and the high cost of producing and powering computers.

I can image deeply poverty stricken Urdu speaking Pakistani's, among a great many others, will be accessing information in printed form only (if they're lucky) unless they've set fire to it all to keep warm or to boil water... heh.

I was referring to the idea of loss of our scientific work. If material is saved we could always print in quantities market demands.

This is true that if situation demands books can get burned but nothing like this is possible on a large scale. At least I know we in Finland won't be burning books for heating unless whole our land becomes a desert.

[thor]

I don't think this is alarming yet, provided people burn stupid novels. But school and university textbooks are off limits.

On a side note, look at the crap you get in your mailbox, all those brochures, folders, and catalogues . Just stack these "books" in your garage and you'll have a sizable source of fuel for the stove.

[Doly]

Look what happens when people are cold. They'll even burn their sacred religious books.

Burning sacred books isn't such a loss.