I’m a big fan of the Web Standards Project (WaSP), but my inner librarian groans over their latest tactic. In a recent post they warn: ”How many outdated web design and development books are lurking in your local library, school or college, waiting to corrupt an innocent mind?” True enough. Library shelves do indeed suffer from outdated materials of all kinds, and librarians have their hands full keeping up.

Where I take issue is their proposed tactic. They want fans like me to go around putting warning bookmarks in the offending tomes. How much better a use of energy it would be if WaSP fans contacted collection development librarians with lists of books to pull and prioritized lists of suggested books to add. That’s what I used to be (a collection development librarian, that is) and I would have welcomed an assist like this.

I know it lacks the flamboyance of littering the shelves with cute little bookmarks, but it’s so much faster and more effective, not to mention better library manners. Think — you could even donate some of the good books and put WaSP placards in the front — or maybe even include some WaSP Good Book bookmarks for readers to pluck and enjoy.