An interesting story in the New York Times today discusses the e-book reissue of A.M. Rosenthal’s 1964 book on the Kitty Genovese case, Thirty-Eight Witnesses. At question is whether the e-book should include a disclaimer indicating that many of the claims made in the book have been seriously undermined by research over the years. A quote that got my attention was:
The book, which went in and out of print over the decades, also kept the case alive for generations of students studying “Genovese Syndrome,” a description of why onlookers turn away from bad events and the diffusion of responsibility.
I’m thinking that I might use this as a point of discussion in my LIB 3040 class this semester.
Kaufman, Leslie. “Releasing Old Nonfiction Books When Facts Have Changed.” The New York Times 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 31 Jan. 2013.
h/t Margaret Smith at NYU’s Bobst Library
As an addendum, I should note this comment thread on FriendFeed started by librarian Margaret Smith gets into the debate over what to do.