S

Today I am going to talk about just one book. It has been creating alot of controversy in the library community and although we have it and it is in the catalog, it is not yet ready to go on the shelf. The title is S. The idea came from JJ Abrams, the director of Star Wars and the creator of the television series Lost and Alias. He apparently came up with the idea and drew Doug Dorst into the plan to create this book. I call it a book only in the technical sense. Lots of libraries around the country have decided not to put it on their shelves but just as many are excited about the concept and are willing to try. Why the fuss? Let me tell you.

S is the title and Abrams and Dorst are the authors. When we recieved the book, it was in a cardboard sleeve. 'Hmmm' we said and opened it up. Out came a book entitled 'Ship of Thesus by V.M Straka

What are libraries to do with this???? We do not usually check out items in cardboard boxes. But if we don't, the title on the book will not be the title OF the book.


In addition, Abrams and Dorst have included 22 loose items like postcards, letters, even a map on a paper napkin. Their aim (and according to reviewers they succeeded) was to make this a reading experience rather than just a good read. OK - here is another thing that makes this a complex thing to check out. So, some libraries have decided to return the items they ordered. We, however, don't want our community to lose a chance to experience this ..... well invigorating event. We will be checking this out as an adult kit.

Now to it's unique construction. Once opened, one discovers that Ship of Thesus is a stolen library book, with at least two distinct people writing in the margins. Tucked inside the various pages are mimeographs, postcards, and newspaper clippings within greeting cards. The two college students, Jennifer and Eric, are trying to decipher the mystery of the story, the author, and much more. It reawakens Plutarch's question about Thesus's ship and if it had been completely reconsturcted down to every board over time, was it still the same ship?

Here is what one reviewer said "The experience of reading this book was just really fun and different and I will be reading it again, and raving about how incredible the production of it is to everyone I know (you have been warned)."


We are excited to be able to offer this to our community and it will be ready sometime next week, after we complete its' processing as a kit.