Paul Cocovinis posted a report about the number of Dianetics and Scientology library books in the libraries of London. This is an on-the-ground, in person account of the state of affairs. It is not too surprising, the only thing that is amazing is that like the IAS and so many other arms of the Vulture Culture — they roll forward promoting the lie that the money they suck out of you is actually accomplishing some useful purpose. The church KNOWS the reality of this. People pay FULL PRICE for sets of books that are supposedly “now in every library in xxxxxx.” They KNOW how many returns they get. They can easily have staff in orgs in cities around the world go into their local library and verify what books are actually in the system. They KNOW its a LIE.
Here is Paul’s report.
Had a real eye-opener today. Thought I’d pop into my local library and ascertain how many of LRH’s books were actually available there.
In light of some of the ‘Library Donation’ dones I recall seeing reported somewhere recently I figured there’d at least be one or two, right? Wrong. There are none in there actually, but then, it’s a pretty tiny library so that’s not a major surprise really. What was a little more shocking was what I discovered next.
I live in one of the largest and most significant cities on this planet – London. I also happen to live in one of it’s and the country’s largest boroughs – Newham (also home of the 2012 Olympics).
When I made my enquiry, the assistant allowed me to look over the results on the screen. There were several columns. One indicated the count for the library itself, one for the borough (Newham) and one for the entire library network of London.
The first search was on Dianetics which brought up a number of editions of DMSMH (about 5), one of The Original Thesis and one or two independent references I’ve never seen before. (I think these were reviews or theses of some kind that got published.)
Of all the editions of DMSMH, the number count in the Borough column was 0 (zero), and in the London column, 4.
The Original Thesis showed 0 (zero) for the Borough and 2 for London.
That was it for a Dianetics search.
So how about Scientology then? This would surely return a plethora of titles in the hundreds of well-furnished libraries around my home and city if what I’d been reading and hearing over the years is true, as we have been told….?
Not sure how to break this but……no. Hundreds perhaps? No. A few score maybe? No. Just a handful then, surely? Err, no.
A search on the word, Scientology, brought up several references and books including Lawrence Wright’s, but none by LRH.
The London Borough of Newham shows no books in their libraries under the search for Dianetics or Scientology even though some titles are indeed listed.
In the entirety of London’s borough libraries the title showing the most copies under a search of Scientology is called A Bare Faced Messiah (you may have heard of it) with a grand count of 3!
I wasn’t expecting to see too many, to be honest (my inculcated skepticism hasn’t quite worn off I’m afraid) but even this was a real shock.
I smell false reporting! 🙂
Good nose Paul!
Anyone else have reports from their local libraries, please send them along.
UPDATE: You Tube Video From Mike Bennett
New York doesn’t do much better. 104 locations with 118 books total. Many fiction books and older versions. some of them are the biographies.
This is easy to do these days. I searched the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system online. Total LRH titles 8. Only 2 of them were Scientology (Dianetics actually) and the rest were fiction books. Lawrence Writes book is in stock though!
This article caused me to re read that particular thread and quite frankly it’s 33 pages of discovery as well as the usual smattering of the ESMB ‘mixed community”. I recommend it, even though my $400 mill may be 30% over the actual scam…..relax, it was only $300 mill!
‘Scooter’ one of only two “Professors” of Scientology in Australia started a thread on this very topic in 2008 called “Basic Books Bonza Bugger up”. It pretty much corroborates your observations. It’s on ESMB. http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?8434-Basics-Books-Bonza-Buggerup.
We think it was in the vicinity of a $400 mill scam.
I´ve just checked Berlins libraries on the net. (VÖBB = Verbund öffentlicher Bibliotheken Berlins, meaning something like “Liason of Berlin Libraries”)
Searching for “Dianetics”: 7 items, one DMSMH, the other 6 Anti-Dn/Scient.-items.
Searching for “Ron Hubbard”: 27 items, some of them referring to another “Hubbard”, but not LRH.
Those I could recognize as Scientology-Material from LRH were: 1 DMSMH, 1 Personality-Test and 1 copy of Battlefield Earth.
Searching for “Scientology”: 167 items found. 2 x DMSMH, 1 Magazin of the COS Berlin
Los Angeles County population: 10,000.000+ people
Los Angeles County Library search online May 2, 2013 for “Scientology.”
First 18 listings In order of search rank:
1. Beyond belief [downloadable book] : my secret life inside scientology and my harrowing escape
Hill, Jenna Miscavige.
ONLINE RESOURCE
1 copies currently available.
2. Going clear [downloadable audiobook] : Scientology, Hollywood, & the prison of belief Unabridged.
Wright, Lawrence
ONLINE RESOURCE
2013
1 copies currently available.
3. Going clear [downloadable audiobook] : Scientology, Hollywood, & the prison of belief Unabridged.
Wright, Lawrence
ONLINE RESOURCE
2013
1 copies currently available.
4. Going clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the prison of belief Unabridged.
Wright, Lawrence
3 copies currently available.
5. Beyond belief : my secret life inside scientology and my harrowing escape by
Hill, Jenna Miscavige,
No copies currently available.
6. Going clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the prison of belief Unabridged.
Wright, Lawrence
No copies currently available.
7. A queer and pleasant danger [downloadable book] : a memoir
Bornstein, Kate
ONLINE RESOURCE
1 copies currently available.
8. A queer and pleasant danger : a memoir by
Bornstein, Kate
8 copies currently available.
9. Inside scientology [downloadable book] : the story of America’s most secretive religion by
Reitman, Janet.
1 copies currently available.
10. Religions of the world [electronic resource] : a comprehensive encyclopedia of beliefs and practices 2nd Ed.
ON_ORDER
No copies available in any library.
11. How to use dianetics [DVD (videorecording)] : based on the #1 New York Times bestseller by L. Ron Hubbard by Hubbard, L. Ron
DVD
2 copies currently available.
12. Tom Cruise : an unauthorized biography
Morton, Andrew
No copies available in any library.
13. Scientology [audiobook on CD] : the fundamentals of thought
Hubbard, L. Ron
6 copies currently available.
14. Scientology [audiobook on CD] : a new slant on life
Hubbard, L. Ron
4 copies currently available.
15. The problems of work [audiobook on CD] : [Scientology applied to the workday world]
Hubbard, L. Ron
6 copies currently available.
16. Dianetics [audiobook on CD] : the evolution of a science
Hubbard, L.
6 copies currently available.
17. Dianetics [audiobbok on CD] : the modern science of mental health
Hubbard, L. Ron
5 copies currently available.
Note: There are 120 listings online for Scientology, most of which are books by Hubbard. However, all major critical books are in the LA County libraries as well, e.g. Madman or Messiah, etc. It is worth noting that the ninth season of South Park is available under the “Scientology.”
Having lived in Los Angeles for my entire life, I can say that Scientology books have been on the shelves for decades. Scientology books are also regularly sold for a few dollars at LA County library sales at all branches. It seems that the Cult donates a steady supply to LA County libraries as copies are sold off with thousands of other books.
Sorry, people, I should have put “Ideal Scene” first.
Also, “Situation” is defined here as “The most major departure from the Ideal Scene”.
SITUATION: No new public coming onto the Bridge.
DATA ANALYSIS: Books by LRH in libraries scarce and largely unwanted and/or disposed of by the libraries themselves. Books by LRH not being sold in major bookstores or in any bookstores. Org staff not selling LRH books to walk in traffic and not communicating with them except to have raw meat watch a DVD. No TV ads for LRH books No radio ads. No magazine ads. No newspaper ads. No intermet ads for LRH books. Anyone googling Dianetics or Scientology presented with horrendous PR about the Church of Scientology, Dianetics, David Miscavige and L. Ron Hubbard.
IDEAL SCENE: New public, buying and reading LRH books and curious and eager to learn how to apply Scientology so as to improve conditions in their own and other’s lives, walking themselves into orgs, continuously and in volume.
WHY: No reach created for Dianetics and Scientology via any media due to no promotion of Dianetics and Scientology promotion via any media.
HANDLING: Acquire in volume new buildings, renovate and furnish them at Div 2 Public’s expense.
NO BOOKS IN LIBRARIES=CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION
I’ve just checked a database that includes holdings in more than half the local lending libraries in Adelaide and the surrounding state of South Australia. In total, they have 7 copies of New Slant; 6 of Fundamentals of Thought; 5 of DMSMH, Original Thesis, Evolution of a Science and 55!; 3 of Self Analysis, Creation of Human Ability, Handbook for Preclears, Science of Survival, Introduction to Scn Ethics, Problems of Work, History of Man and 0-8; 2 of 8-80 and only 1 copy of 8-8008. These books are mostly the 2007 editions, and are concentrated in a few suburban libraries implying that only a few librarians have accepted them. Many libraries in the system have no Dianetics or Scientology books on the shelf.
Oh, and Lawrence Wright and Jenna Miscavige Hill’s books are in the system, too. But the Ron Series are completely absent. This is a bit disappointing, as I’d like to write a detailed critique of the horticulture volume but would never buy it.
Lana sent me an email, I thought it worth including in this conversation:
Hi Mike,
There are 6 public libraries in Canberra, the capital of Australia.
A search for Dianetics finds that there is not one single DMSMH book in these libraries. Instead, listed under Dianetics, there is the book Inside Scientology (Janet Reitman) and a Piece of Blue Sky (Jon Atack) and then one copy of “Dianetics Letters & Journals”.
A search for Scientology finds:
1. One copy of Clear Body Clear Mind
2. One copy of Scientology 8-80
3. one copy of Introduction to Scientology Ethics
4. One video called Introduction to Scientology produced by Gold.
5. One DVD called Introduction to Scientology produced by Gold.
6. Jenna Hill’s new book Beyond Belief
7. Lawrence Wright’s book Going Clear
8. Janet Reitman’s book Inside Scientology
9. Jon Atack’s book A Piece of Blue Sky
So this is a total of 3 actual LRH books on the subject of Scientology – covering 6 public libraries and some 400,000 people in the capital city of Australia.
Also interesting is that Scientology is listed as controversial Literature. Thanks Corp Scn.
Cheers- Lana
In 2010 all the Burbank (just a few miles from Los Angeles) libraries had the majority of
the critical books on Scientology and LRH (4) and 3 Scientology books.
In Franklin, Tennessee, one ethics book and one critical book. Guess there is no interest
there one way or another. And that’s a big county library.
Plus there were never any of NEW improved books. Still aren’t.
Batteries are not included.
Mike,when I lived in the Bay Area for some 32 years and the library campaign was on people gave a lot of money towards this and I on my own would check out the local libraries and the ones I checked had none of the books. In fact I was told that a lot of times when books are given to certain libraries that they don’t have enough room for them and so they end up selling them at the $l.00 a book table. So I have known for a very long time that what was being promoted was not what was fact. This is a scam that has gone on for years!
I live in Austin, TX and there aren’t any of the Scientology or Dianetics books here at our library either. I think David Miscavige is lying.
According to an investigative report from Tony Ortega, the libraries don’t want the books and refuse them in most cases or return them. So where are all of these books that the spokespeople from Scientology say have made it into the libraries?
I live in Austin too and just checked the online library system database. There are 60 items listed for
‘Scientology,’ 46 which are book ( the rest are e books, audiobooks and dvds). I’d say
80% are church publications, many are in Spanish. Seems like Austin is better covered than many cities.
Maybe Tommy and Jessica Davis have been going around to the libraries there and doing PR handlings on them (NOT)
That’s why you can buy a FULL set of Basics from eBay right now for $60 – the libraries just turn around and resell them. Very few libraries have actually put these books on their shelves. The negative PR created by David Miscavage is now so unbelievably bad that the librarians just shudder and get rid of the books as quickly and quietly as they can.
Yes, to quote LRH, the books are “disposed of quietly and without sorrow”
There are many stories on the web about this.
http://anon-galaxy.blogspot.com/2008/07/scientologys-library-donation-service_24.html
Another good article Mike.
I will put it on my list of cycles to check a library nearby.
Interesting is the product of having these books in libraries is for people to take them out and read them. Once we know a book is there,I assume in the USA you can check how often it is used? That would be cool to know. (For those who can do it quicker than I could?)
Greenonwhite
The public libraries of Portland Oregon, home to the new idle org have one early edition of Problems of Work.
There are no 2007 editions of the basics. There are several LRH science fiction books.
The hottest Scientology book is Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear.
Wow – good job everyone for looking and reporting the Library Fraud Campaign Fail!
I am wondering if the Church of Scientology has a moral and legal obligation to make sure when they are regging for dollars for their enforced Basic Book buying frenzy – to ASK Libraries before they ship them? This seems to be a very negligent and irresponsible act on behalf of the most ethical church on the planet.
Oh Ted Babbitt ~ what do you think? FRAUD? More Fundraising FRAUD by the Church of Scientology?
I saw a few people give everything they had during the numerous Library Campaign Fraud Raising Fund events – even had a big “world”on the screen.
They had big stars identifying the Cities that needed the LRH Basic Books.
Of course, before this – they showed their typical “merchants of chaos and fear” videos of the World going to Hell in a handbasket with the Psychs out to get us ~ the Psychs!
Then they announce that “as the World is going down in flames we will be there…Ideal Orgs and LRH books in every Library across the Globe. That was like 2007-2009.
Today – big empty Idle Morgues and the Libraries have trashed all the LRH books….
Ted Babbitt – calling Ted Babbitt.
Ole Miss Cabbage has to be slipping quite a bit of Scotch today – quite a heap of fail on his record!
To the COS’s defence (blargh!) it would seem that they HAVE been donating the books; it’s just that libraries haven’t been accepting or stocking them.
My library just recently received a full set of “The Basics” (is that what the 20+ book set it called?). It would seem that they went straight into the bin of old books that libraries give away at the entrance, because they’re still shrink-wrapped. They’ve been there over a month now.
Just checked the whole South Australian Library system (140 libraries) on line with one search. 8 Results. One of those is Battlefield Earth, 2 of them are way to Happiness DVD’s.
Big Fail $cientology.
Search is here if you are interested
http://sapln.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/sapubliclibraries/search/results?qu=Hubbard%2C+L.+Ron+%28Lafayette+Ronald%29%2C+1911-1986
Cheers, Wahaa. If you search there on dianetics or scientology you can find more. Libraries of SA give the impression that their database covers every local library, but it’s more like 70% But your conclusion is right!
The Church has a printing facility that churns out books probably for a buck a piece.
But it would never dream of making books to give them away.
One of their repeating scams is to suck out bucks from the public to fund “libraries of the world”
Heavily witholding from the duped public that a percentage of these are bounced “Return to Sender” or dumped on long tables for Saturday morning *Garage Sales* for $1 a piece. I found out that these are then sold on Ebay for $9.95 a book.
$3000 “basics” available on Ebay often for $99.
Sample:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIANETICS-SCIENTOLOGY-BASICS-COMPLETE-BOOK-SET-by-L-RON-HUBBARD-/111061729685?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19dbcb8195
All those hours when I tried to be nice and civil and told my old
compatriots in the SO that I did not need and want the books.I
had already studied all several times already.
Poor souls who had to stay up off post time and sell what
obviously DM considers trash and just another scam to make
money.
Correction. Tip from ESMB: There are a huge number of public libraries with online catalogues visible to anyone. Here is the UK list:
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/ac940/weblibs.html
Hat Tip (HT) to ESMB: http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?30802-Mike-Rinder-s-Blog-Ideal-Orgs-IAS-Superpower-Miscavige&p=802602&viewfull=1#post802602
I think you will find that in the majority of cases, libraries returned the donated books or sold the books that were donated. During the big push from Bridge to purchase books for library donations, I went on Ebay and purchased two complete LRH libraries, in the original unopened boxes for $40 each for the entire set. I am assuming that these were primarily books that were donated and unwanted/not used.
One reason, among many, that the existing Orgs are empty is virtually no LRH books available, either in libraries or bookstores. And, of course no effective marketing of books. There are numerous references about finding a book in the local bookstore as a barometer of success of an Org.
While at Bridge in early 2000 we had a network of people who would go into bookstores each week to count the LRH books available there, fiction and non-fiction. There was a person posted full time covering this. I used to attend library conventions around the U.S. to promote LRH to librarians.
Apparently these actions don’t align with real estate acquisition and renovation. Now, if we were distributing videos of Dave it would probably be a different story.
Mark
Mark — thanks. From someone who really knows.
It is my view that there is nothing wrong with getting LRH books into libraries. I think they SHOULD be in every library in the world.
What is so wrong is that this is no longer the purpose of what is being done, it is strictly a SALES gimmick. The Pubs Orgs KNOW — and have known for 20 years — that libraries do not put most of the books on the shelf. But they still keep sending them as they are just a STAT. And since the release of “The Basics” it has become even worse, because those were “COB’s books” so we “can’t make him wrong by not selling more of them than ever in history” and one of doing that is to sell a LOT of books to a few people. And how do you do that? Get them to buy them for a different reason than to read them — ie give them to someone else. And the biggest market for that is libraries. ANd it sounds laudable and wonderful and they “sold” a shitload of books. And 95% never got read — but its all OK, because we can all quote a line from a PL “Books make booms” and that explains and justifies EVERYTHING.
That is what is so corrupt and sick about this whole scene.
I don’t want to mention the exact city I live in for fear of them possibly targeting our libraries, but suffice it to say, I live in a good sized city in the NY Metro Area and I too was very curious about what Scientology books my library had after this huge campaign. In the 2 big, main libraries of 2 different, sizable actual cities in the NY metro area, the ONLY book that turned up was DMSMH (Wright’s, Corydon’s and Jenna’s books were also available) with 2 copies in one library and 1 in the other. More interestingly, in speaking with the librarian of one of the libraries, she said she actually did receive “big box with enough books that she thought there was an author event she forgot about.” (I’m paraphrasing from memory of a few months ago). She then saw what it was and immediately sent it back, saying that if any of her visitors joined the cult she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.
After reading this report I got a little interested in what the scene is in my local area regarding books. So I checked the Mission Viejo, CA library system online. They surprisingly had an all ok selection it looked liked 5 of the basic books were there, a few audiobooks, and actually a couple of older books. All of them were still in. There were 3 books on Scientology that were checked out, and they were the book by Lawrence Wright. Hardly a complete set in that library. So I thought maybe because Mission Viejo is sort of a PTS to the middle class community and staunch Christians for the most part, they just weren’t reaching for Scientology. So I figured Orange County library system, had a better set, they do have an Idle Org in Santa Ana, and used to have a small thriving Scientology community. I only found 2 libraries, maybe 3(Stanton, Ladera Ranch, and Tustin). That had even close to a complete set, but even those libraries, do not have a complete set. None of them from what I could see have Purif books. Not even Foothill Ranch Library with a Mission right down the street, has any Scientology or Dianetics books. Oh, and I was also told, that the “Ron Series” were to go into every library, so far Orange County has 1 library(Garden Grove) with the series in it. I guess my money I donated for the library campaign, went to fill a library in Chad or something.
What happened is that even though libraries may have been sent full sets of donated books they didnt want them. Most libraries get a lot of books donated and they don’t have room on their shelves. Some libraries have an area where you can buy these books for some change. They also sell them to used book stores and paper recycling.
Unless you are a Scientologist the ‘Basics’ probably look the equivalent of a set of get rich quick real estate investing or Kevin Trudeau Train Your Brain for Perfect Memory. I think it’s just not taken seriously, or as a cultish groups attempt to use the library system to promote itself. I like libraries and ideally thee would have every book in the world, but I also understand why they don’t keep these books.
What if the Jehovas Witnesses donated a twenty volume set about how great their church is? nothing against them, but if I was a librarian I would consider that people could get that elsewhere and I would pick some scholarly or unbiased books covering the subject. I don’t think they have reality on the books being “the basic books of Scientology”. They just look like a bunch of fancy, colorful promotional materials.
Hey, didn’t anybody from Bridge get in comm with these librarians? Not even one call first to make sure parishoners donated books wouldnt end up in the trash? I guess that wasnt important.
Per some of the articles on Tony Ortega’s blog, apparently, the people from Bridge Publications DO get in touch with librarians first, sending out some of those inane questionnaires that they send out to public to “reg” them for something. And then when the librarians say, “please don’t send us this stuff because we just put it in the recycling unopened since nobody ever asks for books by L. Ron Hubbard so there is no way we are wasting shelf space on this stuff” they go ahead and send the books anyway.
This is a useful data point, but it is not the first. Tony Ortega has written a number of articles about the library fraud on his blog, and a number of the comments in reply to his articles have done similar online searches to find few, if any, writings by Hubbard in library collections. I believe the NYC public library has a handful of Hubbard’s writings scattered through the system, but no more. Tony interviewed a research librarian at a college in Michigan who regularly responds to questionnaires sent by Bridge Publications by begging them not to send stuff because they are immediately either put in the recycle bin, unopened, or are put out for sale in the “friends of the library” donation campaign for $0.50 or $1.00 apiece, and when they don’t sell there, they are also recycled. The library fraud is tragic not just because of the money wrested from Scientologists who in many cases cannot afford it, but also because of the thousands of trees needlessly killed. It would be much better for the environment if the RCS simply pretended in all cases to send out books rather than actually killing the trees to send out books that are discarded immediately when the librarians see the “Bridge Publications” return address label.
http://www.willows-journal.com/articles/books-10161-sale-book.html
Friends of the Library Sale Continues
The sale has art books, books on dogs, horses, birds and cats, and also poetry and literature.
Other tables have home improvement books, history, science, philosophy, religion, travel and more.
Math books, gardening books, wildlife volumes and music all can be found there.
There are even sets of books available on subjects like Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, and a set on vintage cars.
Wow,that is a shock. I wonder how many other LRH books may be there, like his fiction.
Thanks for the update. I went into several libraries back when I was still in – 2009, 2010 – and there were NO Scientology and Dianetic’s books except one or two.
I went to the Library where I live to check out Lawrenece Wright’s book – “going clear” and there were 20 and all checked out. It took three weeks for it to come in so I could check it out. I went and bought my own copy – just could not wait.
I saw so many people give up their 401 K’s and put money on credit cards at the endless regging Library Campaign fraudraising events coupled with the Idle Morgue fraudraising – hair raising events.
There was a couple that came to the Idle Morgue where I live – they came and joined staff…they got the entire Basic Book package on the “FREE” table at their local library. The lasted on staff about 2 weeks and blew.
Seems the actual group of Scientology did not match the books that were promoting the actual group of Scientology!
You can google any library in the U.S. and search to see what they have on their shelves.
For example, Hemet, Ca. Public Library. Go to the search section and type in a key word like Scientology. You will see that they have four books about Scientology- none by LRH.
A search of any library system like Los Angeles Public Library, Dallas Public Library etc. will show very few LRH books. Certainly not what you’d expect with all basics supposedly in all libraries.
I did the same thing in Ireland and found out that there were no “Basics” in any library in the entire country except Trinity College which keeps copies of all published books. A Scientologist in Ireland donated over 100,000 euro to this campaign and so far not one book has been placed. Shame!
At least in the German National Library (you should send a copy of any book you publish in Germany to this library) has some LRH books on the listing.
Have a look at http://www.dnb.de/DE/Home/home_node.html
Search for Hubbard L. Ron
You cannot borrow those books but at least you know that it exists.
It’s easy to do a check of holdings in libraries worldwide. Just do a search at worldcat.org.
A friend of mine did the same, he visited several libraries in Copenhagen, Denmark. They did not have any Basics books there. Even when the Library Campaign said the country was DONE. Where are all the Basics? I have seen a couple of pictures where libraries were handed Basics sets of books. They probably put them in the basement or sold them cheap on eBay instead of putting them on the shelves. (This is what I was told, I haven’t visited any library myself, but now it got me interested and I might pay some libraries a visit soon.)
The older books from Scientology critics can be found online. Google “scientology book list” or “scientology pdf” to find them. E.g.: http://anonireland.com/blog/scientology/books-on-scientology/
Eye opener for sure and thanks to Paul Cocovinis.
Maybe a little leg work by many people would be a good thing to uncover more lies.