[WEB4LIB] Computer Books for a Library

[Thomas Dowling]

> Interesting discussion on Slashdot:
>
> "I've been asked to come up with a list of suggestions for books
covering
> computer subjects that would be appropriate for a public library.
Ideally,
> the books suggested would have a fairly long shelf life and cater to as
many
> different audiences as possible, from the absolute beginner to an
> experienced geek. What books dealing with computer subjects should a
library
> have on it's shelves?" Considering that library books need to have
lasting
> and generalized value, not just programming fads of the month, what
books
> would you recommend for a desert-island library collection? What books
won't
> you give up on your tech-library?"
>
> http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/07/30/137231
>

It's a little unfair to bundle all quickly developing tech topics as
"programming fads of the month."  But if you want a couple of titles with
seriously long legs, your alpha geeks will want The Mythical Man-Month
(Frederick Brooks, 1975) and The Art of Computer Programming (Donald
Knuth, 1968 to ???), and probably The C Programming Language (Kernighan
and Ritchie, 1988).

Thomas Dowling
OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
tdowling at ohiolink.edu