Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian (vuoden 2010 painos)

I need to stop adding books. But when people find stuff like this, I can't resist!

I read this book when I was in library school (actually, I HAD to read it for a class, thanks to a very down-to-earth, well-published, accomplished professor), and at the time I had no experience working in a library. I thought it was hilarious then, and now, having worked in both public and university libraries, I find it even more hilarious and true-to-life. No, not everyone who works in a public library enjoys literature, technology, or even helping people. It would certainly be nice and ideal if they did, but the truth is, as in most other fields of work, employees are not always hired based on their skills and compatibility for the job. It's just reality. I commend Douglas for having the guts to admit that library staff are just like staff anywhere else- you've got those who shine because they are in their element mixed with those who are just working for the steady (though tiny) paycheck.

Unlike a lot of the other reviewers, I liked the author and narrator a great deal. I found him to be real and refreshing, unconcerned with what others in the field might think of him. Future librarians, and everyone, really, could benefit from this glimpse into what working in a library is really like. I encounter so many people who assume public librarians sit around and read books all day for a living- they have no idea what really goes on in a "typical" day at a public library. People who have not worked in a job that requires serving the public (and I mean ALL the public) are startlingly unaware of just how many *interesting* people are walking around in our midst. Sorry, folks, it's the very un-PC truth. Everyone deserves fair treatment and excellent service, and they always got it from me, but it is imperative that you keep your sense of humor when dealing with these types of encounters. Otherwise, you will go mad! Anyone who thinks they might want to work with the public should be aware of what it is really like, and Douglas provides what I've found to be a very accurate picture of public service. Keep your sense of humor about you when you read this, and you will enjoy it for what it is- a laugh-out-loud funny and very realistic depiction of what working in a public library is really like. ( )

I feel very mixed about this book. As an aspiring librarian half way through library school, I was a little irked that that author went out of his way to complain that library school was pointless. He seemed to to think that being a librarian wasn't really a professional career and struggled with the fact that he had chosen this path for himself. It seemed to me that what he really wanted to do was be a writer and working in a library was just a convenient way to make a living. It also provided the material for this book. And yet sometimes he "got it" while helping a patron or talking to a co-worker, which made him stay and which made me keep reading. I really did want to like him, but as someone who works in a library, I knew I did not want him as a co-worker.

Still, I did enjoy the countless stories about the patrons who come through the doors of the library. He didn't sugar coat that sometimes you get the craziest of all crazies asking you questions or the rude teenagers who want nothing more than to watch porn on the computer. A lot of what he wrote about was the negative unfortunately, but he did mention a few stories about the perfect patrons we love to help. So all in all, a mixed review, which is unfortunate because I actually bought a copy of this. I guess the best I can say about it is that it taught me what kind of librarian I would not like to be in the future. (And made me appreciate that I work in a relatively sane and safe library!) ( )

If you have spemt time either working or observing patron behavior in a public library, I think you can appreciate many of the authors attempt at humor. There are some parts of the book that are a little dry and rather boring but seldom are books "perfect." I am also certain there are some library staff who have read this work and felt their ire go out of control but that is to be expected. For this reader, the book was easy to read and entertaining with subject matter that is relevant to me at this point in my life. ( )

I really disliked this book. I hoped fervently that it was self published so there may have been costs incurred by the author, but no it doesn't appear to be. I wasn't able to finish it so maybe the author eventually got to improve his attitude but I doubt it.

So why do I dislike it so, well because I am a librarian too and I hoped as a young man writing in the field he may have some positive contribution to make. I hoped the title was a joke - but it isn't. The first chapter confirms all of the publics stereotypes about librarians that most of us work so hard to dispel. That is We don't read books, we are not informed, we have poor social skills, we dress daggy, we don't like our clients and we can't understand technology.

Please don't read this book and believe it. Librarians have embraced technology and now frequently teach it as we endeavour to make sure everyone has equal access to all knowledge be it in books or online. We enjoy working with people, that's why we are here. There is nothing more gratifying than getting to help someone solve a question they have. We are proud of what we do and we are constantly working on ways to engage our communities. ( )