Gina Sheridan

I Work at a Public Library is an amusing, quick read. And by "quick" I mean that it took me less than half an hour to read cover-to-cover. There are laugh out loud moments, stories that bring quiet chuckles, and some moments that will make any librarian cringe.

The "809.9339 Volumes of Gratitude" section which closes the book makes me want to stand up and cheer. These are the stories that remind every public librarian why we chose to work in this field.

If I’m honest, though, the opening show more section—"004.16 Computers"—strikes me as the most useful part of the book. In my life and work, I deal with a lot of people who are highly computer savvy. By and large, these people vastly underestimate the depth and breadth of the Digital Divide. They just can’t accept that there are people in our communities who are profoundly digitally illiterate. Trying to convince them of the necessity of digital literacy education and the essential role that public libraries play in providing basic access is a frustrating uphill battle.

The next time I need to deal with one of these tech savvy people and their distorted perspective, I’ll encourage them to read this opening section of I Work at a Public Library. These sorts of computer stories are common in every public library. They provide useful documentary evidence of the Digital Divide. show less

After I started my dream job last year, my mom bought me a copy of I Work at a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks by Gina Sheridan. (Thanks, mom!) I'm actually glad that I waited to pick this up because of the experiences I've already had after working as a Children's Librarian just a few months. (Don't worry. I'll remember them in my future memoir.) It still would have been funny back in December but it's exponentially more hilarious comparing it to my own show more experiences. (Note: If you don't work in a public library you'll still think this book is a hoot.) Sheridan has amasseds a collection of true things that have occurred in public libraries all over the world on her blog aptly named I Work at a Public Library which she started when...she started working at a public library. (I think you get where this is going from the title right?) It's organized according to the Dewey Decimal System and absolutely bursting with hilarious, heartwarming, disturbing, and disgusting tales. If you don't laugh out loud at some of these or gasp in shock then you're probably an automaton (and I'm terrified of you). Whether you're a library nerd at heart or just want to get a glimpse behind the scenes of where the library nerds gather this is the book for you. 10/10 and already trying to get all of my co-workers to read it. :-) show less

As a former librarian I found myself, quite often, laughing out loud at some of these stories, both because they brought back memories and because it made me realize I had sadly not had the ability to continue to work as a librarian and experience more stories. The author, in true library fashion, orders the chapters in the Dewey Decimal System. The chapter titles are: Computers, Reference Work, Reading Interests and Habits, Curiosities and Wonders, Listening In, Communication, Failures and show more Disruptions of, Bullying, Rare Birds, Human Anatomy, Telephones, Children's Humor, and Volumes of Gratitude.

In the first chapter, Computers, what is the reply to the question "I keep getting the blue screen of death"? "Sir, that's the desktop". Another man keeps coming up to the desk asking tons of questions, including: How do I make the computer like a typewriter?; There are red squiggly lines under everything I type.; Now I want to make a website. Do I just get the framework up ...using the typewriter function?; Maybe you could help me make a website. I have about an hour. Another man wants them to disable Google because they are "taking over the United States". One librarian was helping a patron upload his resume for a job application from a flash drive. When she asks him which job is applying for, he says, "all the jobs on the Internet".

In the chapter "Reading Interests and Habits" here are some of the book titles patrons have requested: Fifty Shades of Grey's Anatomy, How to Kill a Mockingbird, The Diary of Aunt Frank, Lord of the Flies by Tolkien, The Hungry Games, and The Lively Bones. A woman expresses her disinterest in e-books, claiming they will be the death of libraries. When the librarian informs her the library has e-books, she replies, "aren't they invisible?". In the chapter, Curiosities and Wonders, one person comes in looking for the margarita machine, which, honestly, would have been nice to have at my library.

A conversation overheard between a young woman showing her mother how to search for items at the library: Mother: There are almost three thousand movies to choose from? Daughter: Well, movies and TV shows. Mother: So are you saying that the library is now the video store? Daughter: Among other things. Mother: Who else knows about this?. A seventy-year-old man tells his wife, "I think we really should do the Facebook. Art and Frieda are doing it. We don't want to be the only ones left." A conversation between one parent and another in the children's room: Parent 1: Do you ever hide books you've read over and over again because you're so sick of them? Parent 2: Oh, definitely. When they ask for them, I say the book fairy came to get it. One time they saw one of the books at the library so now they think the librarians are the book fairies. One of my personal favorite lines in this book from a patron who says "It's too cold in here. What is wrong with you people? Do you like frozen books?" I wore a sweater jacket year round at the library.

But my absolute favorite is the one on a librarian putting up a display for Banned Books Week, which is something I did when I worked. Librarian: I'm making a display about books that people complained about. They wanted them removed from the library. Girl: Why? Librarian: Because they didn't like what the books were about and didn't want anyone else to read them, either...Can you imagine what would happen if every person could choose one book to remove from the library forever? Girl: There wouldn't be any books left on the shelves. Librarian: That's right! It wouldn't really look like a library anymore, would it? Girl: We are learning about bullying at school. It sounds like even libraries get bullied sometimes. show less

Here is what this book makes me think about:

If I'm checking out a patron's book, I will never comment on it unless they bring it up first. Doesn't matter if it's my favourite book in the world, doesn't matter if I desperately want to gush about a beloved author with someone, I won't bring it up.

Because if I comment, they lose their sense of anonymity. If I'm like, "oh my god, I love that book!" then I can't pretend I don't see the books they're checking out on medical issues or other show more sensitive subjects.

Do I actually notice what people check out? 99% of the time, no, because I'm too focused on making sure that the book scans, and I've desensitized their materials properly, and the due dates are correct, and there are no notes on their account, and what have you. Do I remember what people check out? Never. Do I try to interpret why they might be checking out the books that they do? Not in the slightest.

Doesn't matter, though, because once that sense of privacy is lost, it's not coming back. And I never want people to feel uncomfortable coming to me because they think I'm going to be noticing and judging what they check out.

This book is like that, but for patron interactions and reference services. I feel like by putting some of these stories out there for the public to read, it's a bit of a violation. It strips people of their sense of anonymity. It makes them self-conscious.

I don't want my patrons to feel self-conscious -- provided they're not violating any rules, at least. Doesn't matter if they've gotten the name of the book wrong, doesn't matter if they're asking an obvious and repetitive question about the public computers, doesn't matter if they're being odd but still within the limits of library policy. If you have a issue, I will do what I can to help you. No such thing as a stupid question, etc., etc.

I don't want my patrons to hesitate to ask me something because they're worried they're going to wind up mocked on a website or in a book.

Venting to co-workers in the break room is one thing. Discussing truly horrifying patron behaviour is one thing (and to be fair, some of the stories are in that category). But presenting everyday patron interactions in a book for the sake of humour is a totally different thing.

This book is hilarious, familiar, and cathartic from a library perspective (and, I'm sure, for many people who work in customer service). But it's not just library employees who will read this.

Imagine if you didn't know how to work a computer and you asked a genuine -- if slightly odd -- question at the reference desk. And then, you found that interaction in a book, presented for laughs. Would you ever want to ask a question in the library again?

So, I don't know. This book just doesn't sit right with me. show less