The Waldenbooks in Auburn, one town west of me, is closing, with all their stock being 40% off. Who can resist such a literary bargain? I bought several books I wouldn't've otherwise: Star Trek: The Buried Age; the Justice graphic novel (which I didn't realize is apparently only part one of three?); and Foundation. That last title is particularly exciting, as I've never read any of Isaac Asimov's work other than his robot short stories, and Foundation is a seminal novel I recently identified as missing from my reading background.

But why is this Waldenbooks closing a week from today? The Waldenbooks in Leominster, where I spent many a college hour behind the counter, closed a year ago this month. That leaves very few Waldenbooks left in this county, though a much larger Borders store exists just east of here. But that's a standalone; Waldenbooks are mall stores, and how can a mall be a mall without a bookstore? Are the larger Barnes & Nobles with their Starbucks cafés pushing out the smaller competition? Must every store be a megastore to survive nowadays? Whatever the reason, the lack of choices and availability to our favorite publications is a loss for everyone, not just the store employees.

What little sleep I got on New Year's Eve was found at the North Bridge Inn of Concord, Massachusetts. Their accommodations included a unique literary offering.

On the coffee table in the corner of the room was a small, untitled book. I opened it up to find it was indeed a journal, with the first lined page indicating that I should "Please feel free to share your thoughts." Each page after that was an entry by people who had stayed in this room over the last 15 years. Some comments were succinct, such as "Thank you for your hospitality, Dick and Jane." Others were longer, relating who the people were, why they'd come there, what they were doing. Mormons from Utah were seeking their ancestral roots, celebrating the birthplace of this great nation; a married couple reinvigorated their marriage with an anniversary getaway, despite living only two towns over; a family visited their grandparents for Christmas. It was a fascinating diary of the life of a room.

I added my own page, reflecting on being in this room on the cusp of a new year, looking back at 2007 and forward to 2008. Maybe I'll append that page some day with notes of dreams realized or unfulfilled.

Over on her blog, Tech_Space, Angela Gunn is doing a phenomenal job defending intellectual freedom as she celebrates Banned Book Week. It's an important occasion that needs to be observed, as the younger generations don't seem to be doing so. CNN reported a few years ago that students lack enough civic knowledge and common sense to recognize the First Amendment for the unassailable foundation of this country that it should be: "… when told of the exact text of the First Amendment, more than one in three high school students said it goes 'too far' in the rights it guarantees. Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories."

I once had a high school teacher who told us, "Tom Sawyer used to be one of the most dangerous books in the country." When a parent unthinkingly took this statement literally without recognizing what wasn't being spelled out — that the book used to be considered dangerous — he called for the teacher's resignation. If you don't know who to praise more — the teacher for including such a book in the curriculum, or the parent for his zero tolerance against censorship — I'll give you a hint: it's the one who showed more thought. That's what freedom from censorship is all about: freedom to think. And if you haven't learned that from a book, go watch Dead Poets Society or Mr. Holland's Opus. Then come back here and read Angela's rightful rants:

• Day 1: And Tango Makes Three
• Day 2: Kurt Vonnegut
• Day 3: Alice in Wonderland and more
• Day 4: Federal Bureau of Prisons' Standardized Chapel Library Project

Courtesy Tech_Space, here's a list of the top 1000 books held in public libraries.

I'm gratified that a pop book like The Da Vinci Code is #469, proving no threat to Homer, Shakespeare, Twain, and Tolkien. But does that mean the list does not accurately represent demand? These books are available, but is their supply still justified?