Newsletter (Feb 2008)
FEBRUARY 2008 LIBRARIAN FUN
Monthly newsletter pertaining to the topic of librarians.
New Librarian Calendar
I was afraid there wouldn’t be a 2008 calendar featuring librarians this year. But my fears have been laid to rest with news of “The Mildly Attractive Men of SLIS at the University of South Carolina 2008 Calendar.” The school’s student association is selling it to raise funds to send students to the World Library and Information Congress “Libraries without Borders” to be held in Canada this summer. To take a peak at some of the male librarians featured in the calendar, or to purchase a copy, go to www.heidihoerman.com/lissacalendar.html. If you have the Desperate Librarians calendar and the Men of Texas Libraries calendar, you’ll want to add this one to your collection as well.
Another Librarian Character on Stage
Yes, a supporting librarian character has come to the stage again. A review of the new play, “Paging Dr. Chutzpah” about a sexual deviate psychiatrist which appeared in the January 25th Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles states “intermixed in the plot is a 32-year-old shy, virgin librarian transformed into a seductively sassy temptress…” Why is it a shy librarian always has to be transformed into a sexy temptress? Isn’t there a book or play out there that has a sassy seductive librarian that has to be transformed into a less flamboyant person with less attitude?
You can read the entire review of the play at www.jewishjournal.com/home/searchview.php?id=18802
Librarian Videos on You Tube
I know I often complain about how I want librarians to be portrayed differently from the stereotypical image. Well you know that old saying about being careful what you wish for? Well, you really do need to be careful. A case in point is a video about what I consider a mentally sick librarian (www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wR6zkkFfUU)
I happened to stumble upon. I found it quite disturbing. I’d only click on the link if you’re really curious. Instead, I suggest you check out the video I’m about to tell you about.
One of the songs about librarians that I list in my book is “I Am the Sub-Librarian” by Piano Magic. You can now hear the song on You Tube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaWvLVXU8WM. If you haven’t heard the song yet, here’s your chance to do so.
Valentine’s Day Cards for Librarians
Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, don’t forget to send your favorite librarian a valentine note or card. A variety of cards can be purchased online. For example, Cafépress.com sells a postcard bearing “My Heart Belongs to a Librarian,” with a red heart symbol in place of the word heart (http://tinyurl.com/yuc86z). Or, you can buy note cards with a picture of colorful candy hearts on the cover forming the shape of a heart. Each of the hearts has the word “READ” printed on them (http://tinyurl.com/24x2q9). There are also bookmark/cards with sweet sentiments available (www.inmybook.com). Just don’t forget your favorite librarian on February 14th!
New Books with Librarian Characters
I’m way behind in my pleasure reading, so I haven’t read these new books with librarian characters in them yet, but they both look interesting.
- A Bone to Pick, by Charlaine Harris.
Sleuthing librarian Aurora “Roe” Teagarden is back. This time she inherits a home complete with a human skull hidden in a window seat with a note reading “I didn’t do it.” You can read more about the book at http://tinyurl.com/24982z
- A Rose from Old Terra: A Novel of the Scattered Worlds, by Don Sakers.
This science fiction/fantasy novel features failing technologies, a former librarian who comes to the assistance of his old circle of librarians, and a potential interstellar war. And to top things off, the author is also a librarian. What more can you ask for? I can’t wait to read this book! More information about the book at http://tinyurl.com/29a6fy
Forthcoming Library Film
According to the February 5th Hollywood Reporter, Emilio Estevez wrote, and will direct a film titled “The Public.” Described as “a social drama set in a public library,” the story centers on homeless people seeking shelter in the public library. Since the story is set in a library, there’s bound to be a librarian character in the movie. You can read the article at http://tinyurl.com/yrab6k.
Librarian Style Wood Storage Cabinet
For the librarian who has everything, I happened to stumble upon a wood CD cabinet on the web that is designed to look like a card catalog. It’s sold by AVthing in its place and holds 456 CDs. You can see a picture of it at http://tinyurl.com/2sq7a2
Books Instead of Cans and Bottles
This has nothing to do with librarians, but most, if not all of you have seen the homeless and other people in need going through trash cans in search of bottles and cans. The payment provided by the recycling centers for those cans and bottles is miniscule. But in NewYork city, some individuals are going through the trash in search of more valuable goods, used books. The New York Times (Jan. 18, 2008) had an article about homeless individuals who go through recycle bins outside homes and businesses in search of discarded books. The books are carted to a well known used book store in the city where some are purchased for re-sale. The article even mentions one book scavenger whose stash of old leather bound nineteenth century books by well known authors netted him $600. The store would later sell some of the individual volumes he brought in at up to $1,500 per volume. Although the article has no mention of librarians in it, I thought this article would be of interest to those of you who are librarians, and those of you who just love books. You can read the article at http://tinyurl.com/33r7wj
Quiz Answers
As promised, here are the answers to last month’s book quiz.
1. A; 2. B; 3 .C; 4. D; 5.G; 6. E; 7. H; 8. I; 9. J; 10. F
So you don’t have to refer back to last month’s issue, below are the excerpts and their source.
“The Librarians keep as few people as possible informed about the true nature of the world. Most governments don’t know that they’re being manipulated.”
From: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, by Brandon Sanderson. Scholastic Press. 2007.
“The librarians were very busy with other patrons, but Leeola knew just where to find some answers for Melvin. She sat down at the computer with Melvin and they found the answers together. She couldn’t help it. That’s how librarians are.”
From: The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians, by Carla Morris. Peachtree Publishers. 2007.
“The staff is invariably professional, courteous, and unobtrusive. They are almost always educated – not just disillusioned college grads who could find nothing in their own fields but majors in Library Science, a degree as arcane as alchemy or predicting the future by reading the entrails of a recently slaughtered lamb.”
From: Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library, by Don Borchert. Virgin Books. 2007.
“I was not expecting to see the most beautiful creature in all existence, standing behind the circulation desk, but I did, and I still haven’t fully recovered from the shock. It’s not that I accepted the stereotype of the librarian, hair in a bun, spectacles on a chain about her neck, dark dress, austere manner, etc.”
From: How I Fell in Love with a Librarian and Lived to Tell About It, by Rhett Ellis. Sparkling Bay Books. 2003.
“Mrs. Beamster is the librarian. The kids call her ‘THE LAMINATOR.’ They say she laminates you if you talk in the library.”
From: The Librarian from the Black Lagoon, by Mike Thaler. Scholastic. 1997.
“…her goal was to make his library ‘pre-eminent, especially for incunabula, manuscripts, bindings and classics.’ She thought their only rivals were the British Museum and the Bibliotheque Nationale, but hoped someday to claim ‘that there is neither rival or equal.’”
From: An Illuminated Life: Belle de Costa Greene’s Journey from Prejudice to Privilege, by Heidi Ardizzone. Norton. 2007.
“I bet you think all librarians are mousy little old ladies. Hair rolled up in a bun. Beady eyes peering out at you over the tops of those funny half-glasses. An index finger permanently attached to the lips mouthing ‘Shhh.’ “
From: Library Lil, by Suzanne Williams. Dial Books for Young Readers. 1997.
“She would love to leave him to figure it out on his own, but her good manners and a lifetime of being helpful prodded her conscience. She was a librarian; it was her duty to help him with the virtual library.”
From: Open Season, by Linda Howard. Pocket Books. 2001
“I know you know a lot about art and speak fluent French and German; I had no idea you were a librarian. You made it impossible for me to find you in the present; you said it would just happen when it was supposed to happen, and here we are.”
From: The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. Harcourt, 2003.
“When Elaina continued not to show up, I continued to take her place and became Mr. Stowe’s librarian.”
From: The Librarian, by Larry Beinhart. Nation Books, 2004.
For more information about librarians…
Be sure to purchase a copy of my new book, Casanova Was a Librarian: a Light Hearted Look at the Profession, by Kathleen Low, available from McFarland (www.mcfarlandpub.com), Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and other retailers.
Thanks for reading along with me!
Send an email to Casanovawasalibrarian@hotmail.com with “Librarian fun” in the subject line and you'll receive interesting librarian related information in your email inbox once a month.
