Ira Levin (1929-2007)

No, this post isn't an meant to be a tribute to Levin, the author of just seven works of fiction during his career, started with his Edgar-winning debut in 1954, A Kiss Before Dying, to his retread of a swan song in 1997, Son of Rosemary. It's just to note that most readers had lost interest in Levin's books years ago.

In the library world, "turnover rate" is determined by the number of materials checked out relative to the size of the collection. For example, the Middleton Public Library's 2006 circulation was 672,273. The collection size was 98,722. That puts our 2006 turnover rate at 6.8. (That compares to a 2.6 statewide average in Wisconsin.) In other words, every item in Middleton's collection circulation an average of 7 times in 2006.

I used a variation of this formula to calculate the turnover rate for the Ira Levin books currently available in LINKcat, an online computer system shared by 41 member libraries of the South Central Library System. I added up the total years of ownership since 1994, as far back as records are available, and divided this number into the total circulation for all copies.

Here's what I learned. (The following information is current as of November 14, 2007.)

A Kiss Before Dying (original publication 1953)
Copies in LINK: 4
Years of ownership: 33
Circulation: 43
Turnover rate: 1.162
(The 1956 film version starring Robert Wagner and Joanne Woodward is a gem.)

Rosemary's Baby (1967)
Copies in LINK: 19
Years of ownership: 195
Circulation: 329
Turnover rate: 1.687
(The book was a popular read during my senior year in high school. And Ruth Gordon made the film version a lot of fun to watch.)

This Perfect Day (1970)
Copies in LINK: 6
Years of ownership: 75
Circulation: 58
Turnover rate: 0.693

The Stepford Wives (1972)
Copies in LINK: 10
Years of ownership: 33
Circulation: 151
Turnover rate: 4.576
(Anyone see the 2004 remake starring Matthew Broderick and Nicole Kidman? I experienced this misfortune. Levin's book got a second life, as a result. Full disclosure: I love Paula Prentiss and have never been able to figure out why she didn't make a huge connection with moviegoers. My wife and I agree that she and Jim Hutton make the perfect screen couple. And believe it or not, my wife has always had a thing for Jim Hutton. That's why we're a match made in heaven. See "About Me" for appropriate reference. Prentiss, of course, appeared with Katharine Ross, another personal fave, in the original, and infinitely more watchable version. )

The Boys from Brazil (1976)
Copies in LINK: 8
Years of ownership: 98
Circulation: 136
Turnover rate: 1.388

Sliver (1991)
Copies in LINK: 20
Years of ownership: 225
Circulation: 297
Turnover rate: 1.320
(The movie version, released in 1993, was nominated for 7 Razzie awards, dishonors for the worst achievements in movie-making.)

Son of Rosemary (1997)
Copies in LINK: 17
Years of ownership: 112
Circulation: 231
Turnover rate: 2.063