[Web4lib] CAN LIBRARIES BE SOURCE OF CONTIMINATION?

[Jesse Ephraim]

>The doctor concerned in this article recommends avoiding 
>reading magazines etc. in doctor's waiting room, because of 
>possible contamination and hence advice people to bring their 
>own reading material and toys for children, etc.

My bet is that there is a pretty big difference in the risk of infection
from reading a magazine in a doctor's office (high and recent
concentration of sick people) and reading one in a library.  

Remember that many disease-causing agents don't live very long outside
of a host body.  If we start to worry about germs on books and magazines
in libraries or bookstores, then we would need to worry about the
handles on grocery carts, doors, gas pumps, etc. 

Western society tends to be preoccupied with germs.  We have swung too
far the other way, though, becoming so clean that our immune systems are
less well-equipped to deal with contagion.  A certain amount of exposure
to non-fatal disease-causing agents can be healthier than little
exposure at all.

Jesse Ephraim

Youth Services Librarian
Southlake Public Library
1400 Main Street, Suite 130
Southlake, TX  76092
(817) 748-8248
jephraim at ci.southlake.tx.us