My minor area of study was Information Resources & Library Sciences at the University of Arizona. It’s no surprise that I think that one of the greatest places on this Earth is the library. You can borrow almost anything at the library and take it home with you. The key word there is “borrow”. For some reason, folks who “borrow” certain books on paranormal subjects, think that the word “borrow” means “keep”.

Maine’s Sun Journal publishes a monthly column called “Weird, Wicked Weird” that covers unexplained and weird topics. The other day, staff writer Katherine Skelton took on this subject of stolen library books in a column, called: Weird, Wicked Weird: The occult. Witchcraft. Demonlogy. Library books that grow legs.

From experience as a frequent borrower of paranormal books, I can tell you that many paranormal-themed books vanish without a trace, aside from the aforementioned occult titles. I don’t know how many times an online catalog lists words like “missing”, “lost” or “overdue” for a book I want to borrow.

Before the ability to re-check out items online, I always returned to the library when the due date arrived to re-borrow the item. If someone else recalled the book, I would return it and wait patiently for the book to be returned to the library so I could check it out again. More often than not, the book never came back. Another great idea in history, of course, is the idea of Interlibrary Loan for heavily sought after items. Regardless, it is still a waiting game and more often than not, a library will have to seek out multiple libraries to obtain the book sought.

It’s a shame that some libraries have to send police knocking on doors to retrieve the books. It’s even a bigger shame that libraries lose so much money replacing stolen books.

Maybe that’s why so many libraries are haunted by dedicated librarians. It is important that information is available for everyone to share. A librarian is the keeper of that information. It’s infuriating that some people simply steal information meant for everyone. My frequent wish is that someday a dedicated ghostly librarian might follow some of these “borrowers” home.

I wonder why libraries aren’t demanding these titles in electronic form? NetLibrary and other electronic book providers are available through online library catalogs. The books “check themselves back in” on their due dates. It’s not the same as holding a book, but it makes more sense to me than simply banking on books being stolen and spending the money to replace them.

Of course, “borrowers” who don’t return books deserve a piece of my mind. When I like a book enough to want to have it, I buy it. I might not buy the book ‘new’. Used bookstores, and even used online booksellers, do often have these books at fairly good prices. There are plenty of book swapping/trading websites. You can see if any member has the title you want.

Of course, don’t swap that book you “borrowed” from the library. Swap one that actually belongs to you.

Yesterday, I wrote a post about celebrities disclosing the belief that their homes are haunted to the media. Several celebrities over the last couple of years have made that assertion, with full quotes shared in the media, leaving no doubt about their statements. I posted a quote made by David Boreanaz, after tracking back to the original print source.  The story originated on 9/9.

Not long after I made my post, a commenter named “Lora” pointed out that the quote was not a full quote. Instead, it was only a “selected quote” from an interview with “Regis and Kelly”. After watching the entire segment on YouTube that Lora shared, it became very clear that the quote was conveniently clipped to create a paranormal-related buzz.

Boreanaz shared this story, but it had a very important (omitted) punchline. As it turned out, Boreanaz investigated, by looking under the bed. He realized that the cause for his bed moving in the middle of the night was not paranormal based. It was simply a problem related to the base of his bed.  The bed supports were faulty. There was no haunting, merely a funny story for the benefit of fans, with a non-paranormal punchline.

I did not take the post down, since Lora’s comment on the page was clearly visible not long after I posted the story. It is also an “old story” in the news life cycle. It did still serve as a good example for my post, which is about celebrities talking about their homes being haunted (whether jokingly or not) and the possible consequences.

It also is a good example of the media emphasizing the paranormal in order to get page views. After all, Boreanaz DID make that statement, it was “just” missing the punchline.  The media doesn’t get in trouble for clipping quotes, only for misquoting.

However, Boreanaz, in this selected quote, believes that his home is haunted. Depending on how far and wide this story circulates, it could rear its ugly head again if he tries to sell the home. This could potentially interfere with his personal life, which is unacceptable to me. It is an easily solvable dilemma in this case, with the evidence of the original talk show interview to back him up. Celebrities who find themselves taken out of context don’t always have that proof to back up what they originally said.

Like the guy or not, it’s just not right.

I rarely write about celebrities or television since it is my belief that Hollywood largely exploits the paranormal. Boreanaz appealed to his fans with this story based on a popular topic, which isn’t a crime. He simply left himself open to the media, who were able to clip his story to appeal to a wider audience of those interested in this popular topic. Unfortunately, this isn’t a crime either, it just threatens the credibility of the news outlet.

The reason I write about the paranormal is due to my desire, as well as my readers’ desire, to search for the truth behind paranormal phenomena. The truth in this case, is that Boreanaz was exploited by the media with a partial quote on a popular topic. A credible news outlet will present the full story.

Some may argue that what some celebrity said isn’t important enough to spend an entire post to point out what was really said. I, however, believe that it is very important to share the full context. To get to the truth of the matter. In this case, I am presenting the truth of the matter.

Here is the full context of the story that Boreanaz shared with Regis and Kelly last week:

David Boreanz and his wife Jamie Bergman are having trouble sleeping in their Los Angeles home. It seems that their bed moves in the middle of the night. Allegedly, they aren’t causing the bed to move.

Though “not too sure” about what’s really going on in the bedroom, the couple thinks that the culprit is a ghost.

The “Bones” star bought the house earlier this summer.

Boreanaz explained in a recent interview, “We’re not too sure. We woke up in the middle of the night and we heard this big bang. It felt like the bed literally fell off underneath us. My first instinct is, we’re having an earthquake…turns out, it wasn’t an earthquake. Cut to two weeks later, same thing happens. It’s like something picked our bed up… so Jaime and I think ghosts are here.”

This type of statement made by celebrities always bothers me.

While I think that these types of statements could bring potential real estate problems, others think that haunted homes can turn out to be good business. A couple of weeks ago, AOL News reported the tale of a woman who turned haunted real estate into a profitable “ghost tour” stop. The former owner of the home disclosed that there were plenty of ghosts there. The woman loved the home and didn’t mind. She proceeded with the paranormal purchase.

If David Boreanaz and Jaime Bergman decide to sell their home, they have now disclosed to the media that they believe the home is haunted. They could be obligated to disclose the “paranormal activity” to a potential buyer.

Consider the 1991 case of Stambovsky vs. Ackley in New York.

Jeffrey and Patrice Stambovsky bought a home without any knowledge of the local lore attached to it. The home had been publicized in the media as ‘haunted’ and was even a stop on a local ghost tour. When Mrs. Stambovsky heard that the house was haunted from the neighbors, she was simply too terrified to live in the home.

The couple sued to get out of the contract. Despite losing the first round of their contract dispute, they appealed in 1991, and subsequently won, in the State of New York Appellate Court.

“Whether the source of the spectral apparitions seen by defendant seller are parapsychic or psychogenic, having reported their presence in both a national publication and the local press, defendant is estopped to deny their existence, and, as a matter of law, the house is haunted.” Justice Israel Rubin, Stambovsky v. Ackley

Celebrities take note, sometimes these little statements made to the press could come back to “haunt” you.

To read my previous rant on this subject from November of 2009, click here: http://tucsoncitizen.com/paranormal/2009/11/22/haunted-rentals-advertising-a-ghostly-roommate/

UPDATE 9/13, 10:00am: Boreanaz quote clipped for paranormal entertainment. The story had a non-paranormal punchline omitted by the media. Click here for related post and original interview in full context.