favorite books about libraries/librarians

what have you read that you like?

What are your favorites? What have you read more than once?

The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil. Can't recommend it enough. It's about a reference librarian who works in the NY Public Library, and is asked to do some private research work for one of the borrowers.

I second The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil. Its one of my favorites.

I have to be the first to say The Time Traveler's Wife. :)

For funny books I have to say Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher. I don't know if it's been translated into English yet.

My favorite library picture book right now is Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen.

> 6
You could have a look at the work info ;)

It has.

> 8: You're absolutely right. Why didn't I think of that? I guess my brain is already shutting down :-)

Grand Complication I had forgotten about this book, I loved it too, was a bit hard going in places, but a really good read

I really enjoy Library Lil and The Library Dragon.

Dewey Decimal System of Love by Josephine Carr and Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Nobody has mentioned Dewey Decimated by Charles A. Goodrum. That was a fun mystery.

I recently had someone recomend The Sword of Maiden's Tears by Rosemary Edghill as a fun read where the main characters are library students.

The Historian and Excuse me please, but that is my book!

The Grand Complication is brilliant. Like The Time Traveller's Wife for the recluse generation.

Stephen King's story from Four Past Midnight, "The Library Police."

There's a great short stort in the Firebirds Rising anthology -- "In the House of the Seven Librarians" by Ellen Klages.

A children's book about a librarian and the love of redaing that I like is "The legend of Spud Murphy" by Eoin Colfer.

I'm rather surprised that no one has mentioned Miriam Grace Monfredo's series that starts with Seneca Falls Inheritance. This is a mystery series that starts in upstate NY just prior to the Civil War. Subsequent books carry the heroine, Glynis Tryon, Seneca Falls' librarian, thru the Civil War. While the mysteries are mostly fluff, Monfredo is careful with her history, and most the books include a good appendix explaining which parts are fiction and which are history. Am I the only one who has read these?

The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges -- really a short story, but of course Borges must be mentioned.

Well, when I read "The Name of the Rose" I instantly identified with Jorge de Burgos...

Dulcibelle, just read Seneca Falls Inheritance on your recommendation. Pretty good! The bit with the dog could have been trite, but she waited so long to give us the payoff that I'd forgotten all about it. I remember thinking as I was reading it, Oh, I can see where this is going. Then she let it drop and it looked to be a red herring. The heroine seems to have a more refined and less clumsy Stephanie Plum thing going with the sheriff and his deputy.

Marfita - Glad you enjoyed the read. I have to admit, it's been so long since I read the book that I'd forgotten about the dog. Also, I majored in history in college, so tend to read the books for their historical background more than the mystery.

I've got a book called In the Stacks, edited by Michael Cart. It's a collection of maybe 20 short stories by various authors. Some of them didn't seem to be all that good, but that's just my opinion. However, there were 2 outstanding stories in it, and I'm really glad to have found them.

One was named A General in the Library by Italo Calvino - a well-written what-goes-around, comes-around theme.

The other is Exchange by Ray Bradbury. As it turns out, I had read this story when I was maybe 10 years old, and it had a large impact on me. Over the years, I had completely forgotten about the story, and I must have read 4 of its 10 pages before that sense of deja vu passed and I realized that I ~had~ read this story before. It's even better now!

Mine still has to be The Name of the Rose by Eco....Even liked the movie as well which was surprising.

I would offer Elizabeth McCracken’s debut novel The Giant's House Solitary and isolated Cape Cod small town librarian and her 9 year unconventional relationship with the lonely teenager on his way to becoming the tallest man on the planet. One of the 5 finalists for the National Book Award in fiction in 1996 (Andrea Barrett’s Ship Fever won that year). I loved this book. McCracken is an engaging writer and has been named by Granta as one of the 20 best young novelists working today.

And for librarians/archivists: A. S. Byatt’s Possession (also subtitled a romance) where two solitary scholars meet while each is researching one of two Victorian poets who might have been lovers. All the archives, old journals, dusty love letters, manuscripts and intrigue your heart may desire

And along the same line, Henry James’ novelette The Aspern Papers. Brilliant—set in his beloved Venice too. Based on a real tale James heard of a scholar trying to obtain unpublished letters on Shelley from Jane Claremont, half-sister of Shelley’s wife and the mother of Byron’s daughter Allegra. Originally published in The Atlantic in 1888. I finally read this too short book this year in a cheap little Dover edition and already want to read it again.

> 27 & 28 : catmeyoo : You can edit your messages with the little pencil icon to the top right (or delete them with the as I did accidentally).

Thank you! I did it and it worked good. ;-)

I like the silly Ink Drinkers series, fun stuff

The Romance of Libraries is a good nonfiction book about couples who met in a library.

I have to second Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - I picked it up as a holiday read and didn't have high hopes for it, but it really sucked me in! I'm a sucker for a gothic romance though.

The Archivist by Martha Cooley wasn't bad, and despite it's title, does seem to be about a librarian!

Hey! Re The Archivist by Martha Cooley.

Isn't this a website for "librarians, catalogers, archivists, students" as it says in the forum description, and since many if not most archivists have their professional degree in library science and/or history with specialized course work and a practicum to be certified as an archivist no apologies needed.

Although, a degree of one's own might be something to be wished for I suppose, and I think a few universities are offering it.

err actually an archivist is a separate degree program from a librarian (atleast here in Canada). As well, they still are required as far as I know to complete a thesis, something a lot of library schools seem to have dropped though I don't get why...
Certification can be had by librarians through the archivists association though. I think it's is a series of exams that you must write and pass with a certain percentage. But it's not the same as having the degree.

I do apologize. I was talking about the United States and should have said that. How presumptuous of me. At the San Francisco Public Library, for example, you cannot apply for the archivist positions unless you have a library science degree.

Here is more about qualifications and education needed in this country from the U.S. Department of Labor:

"Although archivists earn a variety of undergraduate degrees, a graduate degree in history or library science, with courses in archival science, is preferred by most employers. Also, a few institutions now offer master’s degrees in archival studies."

And more:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos065.htm

The last sentence sounds hopeful and I know it is something the Society of American Archivists supports.

Hehe.....no worries.
I have a friend who is an archivist, and if anyone dares to call her a librarian, she hits the roof....almost literally in fact. I am presently taking an archivist concentration here at Western, but have been told that it would be better to get the certification on top of that. Archivial work does seem to be both amazingly different, and yet very much the same as a librarians. I think the main focus difference is how the two groups deal with materials, and the cataloguing is completely different. We had an intro to RAD last year, and it was the only time I actually enjoyed the process...

Another trainee archivist joining the fray - a British one this time. (I've been trying to find other archivists on here for a while - not that there's anything wrong with finding librarians!) My degree will be in Archives and Records Management and there's definitely a thesis required...

One of the best books I've read lately involving archives was The Stolen Child. I got to the end, read the back flap and... Keith Donohue works for the US National Archives.

I read reviews of The Archivist and was put off. Perhaps I shouldn't have been.

I found The Time Traveler's Wife brilliantly clever and achingly moving, but it is evidently a book that polarises people - I've heard so many say that they can't warm to Henry at all, and I can see that this would rather derail a reader's enjoyment of the book.

Dear #5, re:The Time-Traveler's Wife.
You didn't mention this was a kissing story! Ewwww! I just finished it when #39 crops up. Despite it being an icky love story, which I normally avoid like the plague, I let myself get all teary at the prolonged, interminable imminence of death. I was in a hurry to get to the part where he dies as it was telegraphed sooo early in the book. C'mon, c'mon, die already! (Sniff! Sniff! Boo-hoo!) And stay dead! (Howwwwl!) Then I complained for two days to my husband, a long-suffering receiver of my book summaries.
Not sure why Henry was a librarian. I suppose if it were television, he'd have been a time-traveling cop.

I just read another librarian story. The protagonist in Good Harbor by Anita Diamant is a librarian. I highly recommend it. It is a lovely book about friendship. See my review.

I loved the Sword of Maiden's Tears - a quirky fantasy where a group of library students come across an elf who's been mugged. I think my favourite bit was when they really need to go save the world but can't, because they have a cataloguing exam...

"Stones From the River" by Ursula Hegi. A gem.

Well, since multiple people have already mentioned The Time Traveller's Wife, I'll go with The Library by Sarah Stewart. It's a great children's book, about a bookworm who creates a library out of her collection.

Philip Larkin's Jill (I think it's that one) is partly set in a library and done brilliantly, really catching the atmosphere.

And of course many of Barbara Pym's novels have scenes in libraries/librarian characters.

A unique take that I really enjoyed recently is The Camel BookMobile by Masha Hamilton.

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever read Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley? I haven't, but it's on my list, and I think it would qualify here, although it's more of an early bookmobile tale than a modern library tale.

Souls in the great machine by Sean McMullen. The library politics are both hilarious and right on target.

re: lyzzybee's mention of Larkin

he actually was a librarian in hull.
i dont think he really fancied the job, though.

The Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers

It's only part of a book, but the chapter in Rufus M. by Eleanor Estes about Rufus getting his library card is one of my favorites.

As some have already mentioned, I give a nod in the direction of:
"The Shadow of the Wind"
"The Name of the Rose"
"The Archivist"

I would also highly recommend "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury. It must be said however, that my favorite Librarian is Lucien -The Librarian of The Dreaming from Neil Gaiman's enchanting graphic novel series "The Sandman" If only my library looked a bit more like his! :)

Lirael by Garth Nix is a young adult sci-fi/fantasy book which features a fantastic library. The librarians have to wear special swords to protect themselves from some of the more interestings things to be found there and there are what are called "sendings" -sort of magical robots thingies to do all the shelving. The main character Lirael has a job as a Third Assistant Librarian. I highly recommend it.

I've always liked Spider Robinson's librarian quote in The Callahan Touch. It occurred when a minor character called Mary Kay is on scene, with the narrator speaking to the reader as an aside;

"Mary Kay is one of the secret masters of the world: a librarian. They control information. Don't ever piss one off."

My favourite is The Mobile Library series by Ian Sansom starting with The Case of the Missing Books and Mr Dixon Disappears but have to wait 'til 2008 for The Delegates' Choice.

The main character Israel ends up in Northern Ireland. This book is easy reading.

I met Chris Bohjalian last week, and he recommended The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken to me. He said it is an excellent book.

Ian Sansom has written a series based in a mobile library, which I keep meaning to read but are meant to be really good

My favorite is the novella "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" in Stephen King's Different Seasons. Library expansion is always a good thing to read about, even if it only occurs in fiction.

A collection of essays by Anne Fadiman entitled "Ex libris: confessions of a common reader" is wonderful, particularly the first one -- "Marrying books". In it she describes the difficulty of two adults 'marrying' their personal collections based on their needs and style. I found it very illuminating!

In Garth Nix's Lirael, the main character, Lirael of course, is a librarian for a while. I love that library; it is rather dangerous!

Many libraries in the US will hire any certified archivist for archives positions, whether the person has a library degree or not...the downside, though, is that often without the library degree, there's no way to be promoted.

The Miss Zukas series by Jo Dereske.

One I enjoyed was Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck. It is an amusing story of small town Indiana in 1914 when autos were becoming popular. Historical fiction for older elementary students and teens.

Not sure if this one has been mentioned but The Giant's House: A Romance by Elizabeth McCracken is charming and heartbreaking.

Murder in the Library of Congress by Margaret Truman

ladedi

The Vanished Library by Luciano Canfora attempts to reconstruct, from primary sources, the great Library of Alexandria and what happened to it.

I don't think anyone has mentioned The Librarian, by Larry Beinhart. Very funny, librarian-by-day, action-hero by night story. Lots of political intrigue. (The same author wrote a book that was turned into the movie Wag the Dog that featured many Hollywood stars, including Dustin Hoffman and Robert DiNiro.)

I think that Anita Brookner has also written several books featuring librarians.

I enjoyed reading Garth Nix's Lirael...and the rest of that series, of course. I LOVE that library that she works in...wish mine were as interesting and exciting, but it's just a regular public library, unfortunately. ; ) I had forgotten all about the Sword of Maiden's Tears by Edghill, though...and I even own the darned book. I'll have to re-read those soon, I guess.
Also, I think that I'll have to get The Vanished Library sometime soon--it sounds quite fascinating! This is a great thread, everyone! : )

Of course, there's also A Gentle Madness, nonfiction about book collecting, along with its two sequels. I found the first to be captivating, and have the second and third volumes, but have yet to read them.

As I recall, as it's been many many years since I read it, but I did love it, Restoree by Anne McCaffrey had a librarian protagonist, even if she wasn't in a library during the story.

Library Lady by Kate Kellogg which seems to be a romance novel, but it strange in so many, many ways. 1970 copyright, but possibly written by a very old person? I re-read it every once in a while for the philosophical entertainment value.

Between The Stacks by Barry Bowes. Everyday happenings in a branch library - very funny, and containing characters that we all recognise...

Library: An unquiet history is a fantastic book about the history of libraries.

Rex Libris rocks as well :p

You're not the only one whose read the Seneca Falls series. I've read those mysteries as well. I agree that the mystery is just the background to the history that surrounds Tryon. I enjoyed them.

I've read the first title in Ian Sansom's mobile library series. The characters are so quirky. I love it. I have the second one on my shelf but haven't gotten around to it.

I also love, love, love The Dewey Decimal System of Love by Josephine Carr. Hilarious! I recommend it to all the hip librarians I know.

I always have to smile to myself when reading about The Librarian in Terry Pratchett's books, although admittedly these aren't books about librarians or libraries - or should I truncate to librar*? ;-).

Does no-one else fantasize about rummaging through L-space?

Oook.

#76 all the time, I am also curious to one day find a portal inside an old bookshop which may connect me with an other-worldly library. But they'd probably still not have a current subscription to the journal I want!!
On the whole archivist's question, in the UK there are indeed completely separate programmes for achive students.
I work in a library and love the Unshelved comics and the discworld's portrayal of libraries and books in general (eg Magrats cottage being suitable for a bookish witch.)

I have this book on order at my local Barnes & Noble:

"Books on Fire: The Destruction of Libraries throughout History"
by Lucien X. Polastron

My favorites are Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi, Housewrights by Art Corriveau, and the Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken. Incidentally, McCracken used to work at my library (but way before my time). I just read that book and loved it.

Ooh just remembered

But excuse me that is my book by Lauren Child

I cant get enough of Charlie and Lola they are fantastic, funny and brilliant. Not just for kids!

Also my librarian is a camel a great book that tells you about libraries around the world. The lengths us library staff will go to to get books out to the people!

My favorite librarian character is the Cat Formerly Known as Cheshire in Lost in a Good Book and The Well of Lost Plots. One that's been on my list for a while and I eventually need to read is Casanova was a Librarian.

For non-fiction books devoted to libraries, I love The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World. The pictures are breathtaking. I don't think most people realize the architectural integrity and abundance of artistic designs in many exisitng libraries around the world.

The Collectors by David Baldacci

The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians

I read this book, The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton this summer and loved it. I thought it was a very touching story and I've been recommending it all over PA. I bought it in South Africa when I was there for IFLA. It was great way to remember the trip and mix work, travel and reading. Dan

"The shadow of the wind" and "La Secte des égoïstes" or "Die Schule der Egoisten" by Eric Emmanuel Schmitt

Ditto the above mentions of The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and the story "The House of the Seven Librarians" by Ellen Klages in the anthology Firebirds Rising. I've read the Niffenegger more than once, and will read both of these again in the future.

(By the way, poster of message #40, it would be nice to place a spoiler warning before revealing so much about the end of the book. Yes, the reader sees some of it coming, but not all of it! Sorry if I'm oversensitive about spoilers; I just want people to have the chance to experience a book the way it's meant to be experienced.)

I read and enjoyed The Dewey Decimal System of Love, but didn't like it so much that I'm likely to re-read it.

I like the way the library is portrayed in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, another book I've read numerous times.

It's not the main focus, but libraries play an important role in The Ballad of Lucy Whipple, a children's book by Karen Cushman.

I had never heard of The Grand Complication, but I've just requested it from the library. Thanks to everyone who mentioned it -- I'm looking forward to reading it!

I just finished reading Library Confidential by Don Borchett and I really enjoyed it. Borchett tells anecdotes of his life as an assistant librarian. Something many of us can relate to.

In one book I read as a child, two people communicated secretly by leaving written messages in a book shelved on a library bookshelf - obviously, some unpopular volume that nobody ever borrowed.

I can't remember the book, so it can't have been too memorable except for that. However, it did prompt my best friend and me to spend a few happy months leaving secret messages for each other inside a shelved library book that we (accurately) predicted nobody else would ever be interested in opening.

Afterthought: It would be a lot of fun to have a library display of books about librarians and libraries (especialily fiction books).

Years ago I read with great delight the Lord's Motel by Gail Donohoe Storey. Very funny story of a librarian who serves the un-served during the day and jumps out of cakes at stag parties at night. Great fun.

Let's mention Alberto Manguel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Manguel) who is a great author from Argentina.

I love that book! "Library Lill" & "I Took My Frog to the Library" are great ones! "B is for Bookworm" by Sleeping bear press is awesome! I highly recommend it for all children's departments! God Bless!

I just finished Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson. It's about evil librarians that rule the world, but it's so much fun!

The Historian, though we all joked at the time that it made our profession seem very, very dangerous! Did you notice that any librarian, archivist, etc. got killed off? There was a James Rollins I read, too, where it didn't pay to have anything to do with books, though the book wasn't about libraries.

The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians is a very cute children's book, as is The Library Dragon (touchstone isn't working on that second one- go here: http://www.amazon.com/Library-Dragon-Carmen-Agra-Deedy/dp/156145091X). A colleague's husband joked that the former must be a horror story!

A Gentle Madness, which someone also mentioned earlier, is very good nonfiction.

Dewey Decimated holds a special place in my heart for favorite title.

Did anyone else love the librarians in Un Lun Dun?

Oops! Almost forgot: when I'm feeling like a depressed librarian, I read Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth for the depressing library parts. The part at the end about the "broken wall of books, imperfectly shelved" is my favorite.

This has been really useful as we are doing a display in our library of books set in a library!
Thamks everyone

It is not set in a library nor is a librarian a central character, but the starting point of Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader is a bookmobile. A sharply satiric and hugely funny look at our culture, but beneath that Bennett makes a serious statement about the importance of books and reading.

dulcibelle, I also like the Glynis Tryon mystery series, especially Seneca Falls Inheritance, because Monfredo does good work combining "real" and fictional characters.
Recently, I enjoyed the funny and heart-warming "supper club mysteries" by J.B. Stanley - don't be put off by the titles: carbs and cadavers, fit to die and chili con corpses
Seajack, I am also a big fan of the Miss Zukas mysteries by Jo Dereske - e.g. Catalogue of death or Miss Zukas and the library murders.

Sounds like I'd only read mysteries, which is not true, but there are so many featuring librarians - maybe because they are plausible as hobby-investigators and know a lot about their respective communities.