Raymond Mahoney: Library decimates classical CDs

The classical music CD collection at the Jones library was one of its treasures as befits a music-loving community. Sadly , it has been culled to the point where it no longer covers basic repertoire items.

Each time I look for a CD I borrowed in the past I am informed it has been weeded out. Supposedly this is because there is no demand and everyone is streaming nowadays. I very much doubt this. My own musical education has been enhanced by flipping through the CD cases, and choosing something I had not tried before.

I won’t be doing this on using the tinny speakers on my iPhone. Surely a library should be a repository for permanent physical media rather than relying on computer files it does not own, which may not replicate the actual CD, and which could be made unavailable by the supplier at any time.

The library often asks for our support as it spends millions on a new building. What’s the point of a new building if you have thrown away the physical media, some of which is irreplaceable, that should be housed there? So sad and unnecessary.

Raymond Mahoney

Amherst