Guardienne of the Tomes

I am in love with the Annoyed Librarian. Why, you ask? "She's cranky!", you say. "An absolute anarchist and one who pees on the parade of librarianship!" you shout. Nope, I respectfully disagree. While I have the good fortune of now loving (lurving, even) my position, I worked in one of those hellacious bureaucratic academic libraries that couldn't give two hoots about treatment of the librarians, staff or patrons so long as admin fatcats were kept happy. In fact, I worked full time at the major library on the very campus where I worked on my MLS degree, and I have to wonder if those made uncomfortable by the AL don't feel that way because she hits the nail squarely on the head. For instance, the post on library science education. Alas! I read the post and comments with much laughter, because it's true. Library science education as it stands in many schools (probably not the ones up on the latest and greatest tech and programming stuff) could b...

My little brother, a Marine in Afghanistan, asked for books, because he and his fellows had little to do during their downtime. (Remember, no gambling - including card playing, no naked or semi-uncovered women, no general rowdiness allowed.) I rallied my fellow librarians, and we sent over ridiculously huge boxes – popular fiction, nonfiction, and classic literature. My brother later sent me a letter mentioning that he was punished by one of his superior officers, because when the officer asked what my brother was doing, he replied, “Reading Paradise Lost, sir.” The officer assumed he was lying. Upon his return from two stints in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, Patrick (never much of a reader), proudly proclaims his profound and unending love for Beowulf, and reads every translation he can get his hands on. I have never been prouder of what I do for a living. Heads up, librarians. Be good to your soldiers, and have them come home with a serious case of booklove.