Just returned from the library in the Forum after a fruitless attemp to borrow two volumes on network programming by Richard Stevens - The titles in question had been on the shelfs for a number of years, yet do not appear in the catalogue. A casual comment to one of the staff revealed that the books had been withdrawn..
After giving the head librarian a stern Padington Bear lecture, it would appear that even "standard texts" such as the Stevens titles are removed from circulation if they have not been taken out for some unspecified time. The range of popular titiles from the "Dummies guide to..." will be expanded (probably) at the expense of *nix related books. A short sighted policy in my opinion...
In order to preserve the stock of books in our public libraries, I would urge everyone to borrow at least one Linux/Unix book on a regular basis lest we lose yet more.
Regards, Paul.