I've Seen It All at the Library: The View from Behind the Desk

by Jonathan M. Farlow

Overview

Most people think of libraries as solemn places filled with dusty books and dustier people. This “memoir and more” of a career librarian explodes that misconception. Recounting his years behind the reference desk with an emphasis on the strange behavior of patrons, the author shows that public libraries are anything but staid and quiet. The history of libraries—as long as the history of the written word itself—is also discussed. That libraries have grown as colorful as the society they serve is proof that these essential institutions are as vital as ever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786496846
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	04/02/2015
Pages:	188
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Jonathan M. Farlow has been a public librarian for twenty years. He lives in Archdale, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 9

Introduction 11

1 Laser Tag in the Library 21

2 Library 101 32

Unknown Library Firsts 52

3 Let's Move the Library 53

Things to Remember When Moving Your Library 66

4 Library School, Finally! 67

Classes They Should Teach in Library School 74

Jon's Nine Circles of Library Hell 75

5 I Am the Law! 76

6 The Future Is Now 81

How to Tell If a Patron Is Viewing Porn as Opposed to a Nude 92

7 Does Your Family Tree Fork? 93

Things Never to Say to a Librarian 105

8 The Brotherhood/Sisterhood of the Book 106

9 Oh, Christmas Tree 118

10 Rats 122

11 The Brief Reign of Pharaoh Ho-Ho and the Queen of Denial 136

12 Working at the Mayberry Library 144

13 Potty Humor in the Library 149

Things Librarians Would Love to Say to Their Patrons 155

14 Goodbye 156

Appendix A Library Stories 161

Appendix B A Letter to Library Patrons or Prospective Patrons 175

Appendix C A Letter to My Fellow Librarians 177

Bibliography 181

Index 183