I Work At A Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks

by Gina Sheridan

Overview

Straight from the library—the strange and bizarre, ready to be checked out!

From a patron's missing wetsuit to the scent of crab cakes wafting through the stacks, I Work at a Public Library showcases the oddities that have come across Gina Sheridan's circulation desk. Throughout these pages, she catalogs her encounters with local eccentrics as well as the questions that plague her, such as, "What is the standard length of eyebrow hairs?" Whether she's helping someone scan his face onto an online dating site or explaining why the library doesn't have any dragon autobiographies, Sheridan's bizarre tales prove that she's truly seen it all.

Stacked high with hundreds of strange-but-true stories, I Work at a Public Library celebrates librarians and the unforgettable patrons that roam the stacks every day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440576249
Publisher:	Adams Media
Publication date:	07/31/2014
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.50(d)

Editorial Reviews

"Librarians will surely nod their heads and either sigh or laugh. As they say at the library: Check it out." —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Libraries, contrary to popular belief, are often full of hijinks, odd patrons and ridiculous requests. Gina Sheridan's book, I Work at a Public Library, describes this in a perfectly charming way. The beautiful thing about Gina's outlook is that...she's gracious, kind and helpful in every scenario. Just like you'd hope your librarian would be." —Racket Magazine

"If you love bookstores and libraries (and especially if you've ever worked in one), you'll enjoy [this] book." —GeekDad.com

From the Publisher

12/01/2014
Based on Sheridan's (librarian, St. Louis Cty. Lib.) blog of the same name (iworkatapubliclibrary.com), this slim collection reads like a highlight reel of the online narrative and features previously unseen reader submissions. Interactions are amusing, charming, and occasionally frustrating. Food is a recurring theme, whether someone asking for a knife to cut an onion, donating an uncooked chicken, or seeking a margarita machine—only to leave upon learning the library doesn't have one. There is the ubiquitous "I'm a taxpayer" line when negotiating a fine, along with patrons upset that their tax dollars are being spent on DVDs and video games. Other relatable stories involve someone wanting to apply to all of the jobs on the Internet and someone else wishing to send a message to everyone on the Internet. (They were advised to create a blog.) This hilarious read, a favorite among LJ and SLJ staffers, will also delight fans of the blog Awful Library Books (awfullibrarybooks.net) and even those who enjoy the interviews with public librarians on Steve Thomas's Circulating Ideas podcast. VERDICT If anything, Sheridan's debut is too short and leaves the reader wanting more. However, librarians and circulation staff alike will find themselves laughing and nodding along at the featured stories.—Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal

Library Journal