Aberystwyth University closed one of its campuses a few years ago. The place has been left to rot, but recently they’ve started clearing the place out, and removing all the old scientific textbooks. Most of them look untouched. Wonder how much this lot would have set students back if buying new.

  • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    libraries and people throw away books all the time. anytime i move away i typically toss about 100 books.

    it’s normal. it’s just paper that no longer has a use.

    so weird that people think like there is some obscure sacred knowledge here and this is sacrilegious.

    • Allero@lemmy.today
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      3 hours ago

      It’s not necessary about books being sacred. It’s about throwing out things that can serve more people for much longer. This paper still absolutely has a use, contrary to what you say.

      Don’t you have a store for second-hand books around? Or a library that would accept book donations? People will gladly make use of your old book stock. They won’t have to overpay, you will help the environment if nothing else, and some book nerd will finally find the specific edition of a specific book you have.

    • Tattorack@lemmy.world
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      19 hours ago

      Ok, but these are acedamic text books. The kinds of books which could teach people new things. With all these books, since they’re just getting trashed anyway, you could pretty much set up an academy for poor people who wouldn’t normally be able to afford academia.

      • auntieclokwise@lemmy.world
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        4 hours ago

        I get the love of physical books and understand it. But I’d rather poor people get the very latest electronically by pirating it via Annas Archive or the like rather than get a substandard education by reading out of date textbooks. In fact, when I was in college, I pirated textbooks I had paper copies of simply because I was tired of lugging around all that weight.

      • fruitcantfly@programming.dev
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        15 hours ago

        You are not going to accomplish that using a random selection of textbooks. It doesn’t even look like there are that many textbooks in these piles. Realistically, you’d probably have better luck asking students taking intro-level courses to donate their old text books, or just pirating the textbooks you need

      • Rekorse@sh.itjust.works
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        18 hours ago

        Noone wants it, and theres noone who wants to take them and set up an academy for poor people.

      • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world
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        16 hours ago

        that’s not how any of that works. it’s cute you think so though.

        anyone can read a bunch of books. you can go buy these books on amazon.

        getting a degree is a totally different thing. to grant degrees you must be an accredited educational institution.

          • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world
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            16 hours ago

            nobody is learning physics for fun dude.

            anyway, you’re more than welcome to go rent a truck and take these books home with you if that’s your jive.

            but being angry about someone throwing out books they don’t need/want is a weird-ass flex.

            • Tattorack@lemmy.world
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              16 hours ago

              You might not be. But you’re also failing to see how such knowledge would work in real life applications, and how the process of learning an advanced topic can generally make you more intelligent.

              And beyond that, you might not get a job that absolutely requires a diploma, but it wouldn’t stop you from showing competence in jobs that somewhat align with what you’ve learned.

              • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world
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                15 hours ago

                Are you seriously trying to argue that an employer is going to like promote you because you’re reading a physics textbook in your spare time?

                I’d like to be on whatever drug you’re taking that you think this that’s how the world works. This is what is called ‘delusional optimism’.

                I studied advanced mathematics for fun, it in no way improve my job prospects, performance, or make me ‘more intelligent’. It was just a personal fulfillment thing.

                It’s fine if you want to learn advanced topics in your spare time, I love that myself. But I’m no under no delusion it improves anything about my life. It’s just a preference of how you like to spend your time.

                anyway, by all means, please go buy 100 old text books and go to a homeless camp and try to educate folks about physics. see how that goes.

                • Tattorack@lemmy.world
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                  15 hours ago

                  Are you seriously trying to argue that an employer is going to like promote you because you’re reading a physics textbook in your spare time?

                  That entirely depends on the job, now, doesn’t it?

                  • TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world
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                    15 hours ago

                    what job offers promotion for reading physics textbooks, praytell?

                    most employers offer you credit for advanced degrees or professional certifications, bother of which you aren’t getting from a book you found in a dumpster. you get those buy paying money and passing tests.