Theos-Talk Archives (December 2002 Message tt00171)

Steve & Paul,

I live in a rather remote area and the library that services our area is
likewise rather small. I am a trustee of that library and have been
helping in an expansion program. I have noted that we have several books
by Besant and Leadbeater on the shelves, which the librarian told me were
donated. So after your recent posts I did a quick check of out Mid-Hudson
Library System and found the following:

HPB's KEY THEOSOPHY is in only one branch library and that one book is
the only work by HPB anywhere in the system. Neither ISIS nor SD are to
be found.

At least 7 different books authored by Annie Besant are in the
collections.

THE ANCIENT WISDOM is in five locations

THE SPIRITUAL LIFE and her BHAGAVAD GITA translation are in two each

POPULAR LECTURES, REINCARNATION, ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY and THE LIFE AFTER
DEATH are in one location each. 

What is most interesting is that several of the books are said to contain
the label:

"Presented by the Theosophical Book Gift Institute, Wheaton, Illinois"

Leadbeater has several placements

CHAKRAS is in three locations

INNER LIFE is in one

NO books by either W Q Judge (ULT) or Dr. Purucker (Pasadena) grace any
of the systems' shelves. 

So it would seem that not only does TS Adyar/Wheaton do a better job
placing their material but they definitely seem to favor Besant and
Leadbeater over HPB.

After all, any organization can offer whatever it wants for sale and the
public will purchase as it sees fit (as per the Amazon rankings), but
this gives a little snapshot of direct marketing by TS

Larry

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