Another surprise from library stock

[mtbc]

Recently, I mentioned the local library system having few copies of what I might consider important classics and rather more copies of books that personally I would think less worth borrowing. A new surprise is noticing that the book I just read, and the next I've started, both happen to be Finnish. Hannu Rajaniemi's The Quantum Thief was rather good, so at least I am discovering some worthwhile novels, and the book came with a note saying that it was donated by The Finnish Institute and the Embassy of Finland. I surmise that the Moomins were a spearhead. I like the idea of national organizations making an effort to share culture like this.

Comments

[armiphlage]

A library in Nova Scotia had a bunch of books donated by the government of France. But the explicit goal was to "correct" Acadian culture to be closer to that of France, and align it with the Francophonie.

[mtbc]

My goodness, that's rather arrogantly brazen of them!

[thewayne]

We have a few books in our stacks that were donated, some of them political/historical from orgs akin to the John Birch Society. As they are of historical value, they endure. Some that are blatantly slanted go to our 'Free' shelf for anyone to take.