From: news0009@eager.cx   
      
   On Tue, 17 Feb 2026 23:10:21 +0000, Jason H wrote:   
      
   > On 13/02/2026 05:48, Lawrence DOliveiro wrote:   
   >>Today I visited a local University where an employee, a friend of mine,   
   >>was having his retirement sendoff. While I was there, I had a look in   
   >>their Library.   
   >>   
   >>I can remember, years ago, the Library building had four levels, each   
   >>full of books. Now, the building is twice the size, by adding the   
   >>equivalent of a second building’s worth of floor space beside the   
   >>existing one, so it still has four levels, each with double the area.   
   >>But all the books (that would have been part of the old collection)   
   >>now fit on just one level. There is a new specialist “Law Library” on   
   >>another level, but the rest is filled with computer terminals, meeting   
   >>spaces etc.   
   >>   
   >>So four (old-size) floors’ worth of books is now down to just two.   
      
   Sounds like the library in the University a few miles from me. But in this   
   case the library was originally built in 1968, but asymmetrically with the   
   central catalogue hall and just the 'left' (west) wing. The other wing was   
   built in 1974, with again four floors. A new part was built next to it,   
   same height, but in a totally different style, but joined on. This part   
   has a cafe, lecture theatre, exhibition space, etc. but few books. There   
   is a Law Library and a Cartoon Centre.   
      
   It used to be called The Library, but now it's the 'Txxxxx Library', named   
   after the first Vice-Chancellor.   
      
   >>I had a look at the computing section. I found books dating back ten   
   >>years or more. Apart from historical interest, I can’t see much of that   
   >>being of value to the current students.   
   >>   
   >>So, like it or not, we are steadily moving more and more into an online   
   >>world. And some subjects are moving faster than others.   
      
   Yes, I miss the physical books, particularly the O'Reilly ones. I still   
   have a shelf of those here.   
      
   > The last editions of Unix In A Nutshell and Linux In A Nutshell were   
   > both   
   >  published in 2009. Paper books are still a thing, but more so in the   
   >  arts and humanities. I'm still kicking myself for leaving my good   
   >  friends Kernighan and Ritchie behind when the office got permanently   
   >  closed during lockdown.   
      
   I still have both editions.   
      
   --   
   Using UNIX since v6 (1975)...   
      
   Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:   
    http://www.mirrorservice.org   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)