My library system is wooooefully short of science fiction titles.  Even the Award Winning Authors are missing.  I'm trying to come up with a list of books that would appeal to most science fiction readers.  I'm thinking those books that would most appeal to those just leaving the young adult books and moving into adult reading.  I used to know all the authors back in the 70's but I got busy at work and now that I'm retired I find that there is an entire crop of writers out there that I know nothing about.  The Director in charge of the library system does not seem to want anything old but I think the classics should be represented.  Any help would be appreciated.

You could check this site,

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/ArjNKM/blamcast.net/articles/best-science-fiction-books

Maybe look at the Hugo and Nebula winners?  Here's the link to PBS's award winners page.

Don't forget that, even if your local library doesn't own the books you want, they can likely borrow them from another library for you, via Interlibrary Loan.  A lack of titles and lack of interest may mean that nobody in your library was requesting them, so they haven't been too active in collecting them.

Thank you for the suggestions and for the links.  I'll look at both of them carefully.