The Ethicist and Librarians

Recently,  The Ethicist column in the New York Times Magazine tackled a question from a librarian: 

In short, if you believe a patron is being scammed, do you intervene, or does that violate his privacy and professional boundaries? 

It’s a fairly common question among librarians–do you agree with Randy Cohen’s (and the NYPL’s) response? (CJ)

The Author is Listening

Here’s an interesting question:  How would you change your review if you knew the author was reading it, and very likely to respond to it?  Even terrible books often get good reviews, something I cynically attribute to the fact that the literary world is so small.  There’s been interesting discussion around this topic before, in the fact that unsigned Kirkus Reviews tend to be harsher than the signed reviews in Library Journal.

Shortly after I posted the previous bit about Quiet, Please, I got an email from the author.  I had planned to write an eviscerating analysis of the book, but receiving that email took the wind out of my sails.  It probably says more about me than anything else–that I prefer to rant in monologue form, rather than dialogue.

What do you think?  Could you be completely honest in this situation?  What if a colleague you saw regularly wrote a book and you thought it was terrible and were asked to review it?  What if other libraries were making their purchasing decisions based on what you wrote?  Would it be different if you were writing the review anonymously?  (CJ)

Quiet, Please! – Did you Read it?

Resurrecting the Staff Reading and Readers Advisory blog to ask this important question:

Did you read this book?  Quiet, Please : Dispatches from a Public Librarian by Scott Douglas. 

Please comment below if you have!  I feel like this might be a book that would incur some strong reactions. (CJ)

Best New Nonfiction of 2008

While Mary M. is accumulating the Best New Fiction that we’ve all read this year, how about thinking about some Best New Nonfiction?

So, out with it!  What were your favorite nonfiction books of 2008?

Here are my two favorites so far:  

Under a Flaming Sky:  The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894 by Daniel James Brown.   Clearly written, well-reseached and beautifully personal story of the Hinckley fires.  It’s unbelievably absorbing. 

The Birthday Party: A Memoir of Survival by Stanley Alpert.  From the cover:  “On January 21, 1998, federal prosecutor Stanley Alpert was kidnapped off the streets of Manhattan.  This is the story of what happened next . . .” Amazing memoir, unbelievably riveting and wonderfully written.  Impossible to put down.

Now you!  (Carol J.)

Have Yourself a Merry Little . . .

It’s the time of year to turn your attention to the holidays, and, of course, holiday movies.  What’s your holiday viewing pleasure?  What film is part of your holiday rituals?

I’ll start:  My favorites are A Charlie Brown Christmas, if only for the excellent dance scene, and A Very Brady Christmas, that perennial classic.

Also, if you have never read it, Connie Willis has a wonderful short story in her Christmas collection Miracle and other Christmas Stories in which her characters debate the best holiday movie:  It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street.  You may guess by the title which one comes out on top.  (Hint:  The book isn’t called “Wonderful” or “Life.”)

Non-fiction to Fiction – How to Advise?

Carrie W. had an interesting question the other day.  She had a patron who mostly read non-fiction who was interested in switching over to fiction, and wondered what other librarians might ask to get that readers advisory interview started.

So here’s your chance!  Tell us how you would go about helping this patron!  Thanks!  (Carol J.)

Street Lit in the NYT

Urban fiction, street lit, gangsta lit.  Whatever you want to call it (and I think we should all call it gangsta lit.  Say it with me now: GANGsta lit.  Oh yeah, you’re down.), it’s pretty hot even in our suburban library system. 

The New York Times thinks so too, and recently published a story on the topic–From the Streets to the Libraries–which has been making the rounds among librarians in the know. 

It’s an interesting article and gives some interesting perspective about the genre.  But one thing the article kind of skates over is the loss factor.  It’s mentioned briefly: “the library’s embrace has been great for business, since libraries buy multiple copies and reorder when they wear out or disappear.”  But that’s it.  And I think that’s a big concern for many libraries–especially in uncertain economic times when budgets may not allow for replacement.

For more, check out the always entertaining comments section.  (Apparently many readers are a little offended that libraries are still being described as “prim”!  Yeah!)  One commentor also posted a link to ringShout: A Place for Black Literature, which has a great list of contemporary black literature. 

So what are YOUR thoughts on gangsta lit?

Professional Reading – Black Belt Librarians

 For your professional reading enjoyment . . . 

Check out Black Belt Librarians by Warren Graham.  Graham appeared at PLA this year, and reviews of his presentation were extremely favorable.  Graham has 25 years of professional security experience and has spent the last seventeen years as the Security and Safety Manager for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

This is a quick and simple guide to security in the library.  He makes great points about establishing and enforcing rules, training staff, and documenting issues.  Thanks to his martial arts training, he gives excellent advice on addressing behavior problems, how to handle saying “no” to patrons, and ways to approach patrons with a variety of emotional states (anxiety, belligerence, out of control) that are pretty familiar to any library staff member.

Good reading for anyone who has to deal with the public.  Also, it’s only about 56 pages long–and the back cover blurbs includes the word “snappy.”   Also, “readable”–one of the best attributes in a book.  (Carol J.)

Diablo on Judy

Diablo Cody, author of Candy Girl and screenwriter of Juno, writes a column in Entertainment Weekly called Binge Thinking.  Her most recent column was in praise of children’s/young adult author Judy Blume.  Check out “In Praise of Judy Blume” for Cody’s unique take and appreciation of Judy Blume and her work.  The comments section also makes for good reading–Blume’s work really seems to leave a lasting impression on readers. 

And if that’s not enough Judy appreciation for you, check out the book of essays Cody mentions in the article called Everything I Need to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume.   Authors (mostly chick lit) like Meg Cabot and Megan McCafferty talk about how Judy Blume’s books affected their lives.  Fun reading, though it’s amazing how many authors talk about Deenie.  (My personal favorite–and Cody’s–is Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself.)  (Carol J.)

Connecting via the Internet — and a Darker Side

Clive Thompson recently wrote an in-depth article on Facebook for the Sunday’s New York Times titled “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy.”  The online headline reads “I’m So Totally, Digitally Close to You.”  It’s a pretty interesting look at the history and uses of Facebook.  The history is particularly interesting to those of us who are joing Facebook already in progress.

And, if you were feeling all good and love about the Internet, another New York Times article may stop you short in your tracks.  Written by Mattathias Schwartz, check out The Trolls Among Us, which is a truly disturbing look at those who deliberately use the Internet to cause others pain and distress, not mention annoyance.  Thanks to Charles Mosner for pointing out this article!

Interesting stuff!  Only tangentially related to books and reading, but quite related to library life.  (Carol J.)