Fifty shades of Grey has been pulled from another US library:

“It’s quite simple — it doesn’t meet our selection criteria,” said Cathy Schweinsberg, library services director.

“Nobody asked us to take it off the shelves. But we bought some copies before we realized what it was. We looked at it, because it’s been called ‘mommy porn’ and ‘soft porn.’ We don’t collect porn.”

But…

Copies of “The Complete Kama Sutra” are available through the Cocoa Beach, Mims/Scottsmoor, Palm Bay and Titusville branches. Also up for grabs countywide: “Fanny Hill,” “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” “Fear of Flying,” “Tropic of Cancer” and “Lolita.”

So what makes “Fifty Shades of Grey” different?

“I think because those other books were written years ago and became classics because of the quality of the writing,” Schweinsberg said. “This is not a classic.”

So it’s been pulled because it’s porn? Or because it’s considered too poorly written to one day qualify as a “classic”?

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

A reference enquiry I answered yesterday:

“I’m looking for a book. I can’t remember the title, but it’s only three words.”

“Eat, pray, love.”

“That’s it! How did you do that?”

I’m a librarian. It’s my job.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Libraries raised me. I don’t believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students don’t have any money. When I graduated from high school, it was during the Depression and we had no money. I couldn’t go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years.

- Ray Bradbury

via A Literary Legend Fights for a Ventura County Library – NYTimes.com.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

A recent reference enquiry:

THEM: Do you have any books on baby names?

ME: Come to the shelf with me… looks like someone has cleared us out. How about I get some in from another branch for you?

HER: That would be great. Thanks.

HIM: Sure.

ME: OK, I can get you “Brilliant baby names”, “Baby names for Australia”, “The complete book of baby names”

HER: Thanks.

ME: Oh, it looks like there’s one called “7,000 baby names” and another one “75,000 baby names for the 21st century” that are available. Shall I get those too.

HER: That sounds great, can you get all of them for us.

HIM: Do you have one that’s just got, like, 8 baby names in it?

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Last year I had someone bring back a couple of library books she’d found when moving house. They were books she had borrowed for a high school project and she is now in her mid twenties.

This guy leaves her for dead:

Thomas McArdle did a naughty thing 74 years ago. As a sixth grader at Chestnut Street Elementary School in Scottdale, PA, he checked out Laura Orvieto’s The Birth of Rome to complete a class assignment—and he never gave it back.

via School Library Book Returned 73 Years Overdue – 1/7/2010 – School Library Journal.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

I spent today visiting three of our libraries, each of which hosted a group of students from grades 1-3 who were very excited to be hearing Andrew Plant speak.

Andrew is a trained zoologist who actually works as an author and illustrator and also does theatre work. He is also a dinosaur nut. He knows heaps about dinosaurs. His sessions were engaging, entertaining and informative. The kids (and teachers, and librarians) laughed and learned. The end of the session involved Andrew walking the kids (and teachers, and librarians) through some simple steps to drawing a dinosaur.

I thought I’d give him a plug in case any Melbourne based librarians or teachers are reading. He really is worth having to your school or library, as long as you give him enough time to get through what is a wealth of information.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Tomorrow I will be spending the day visiting three of our libraries with author, illustrator, zoologist and dinosaur nut Andrew Plant as he speaks to groups of students and teaches them to draw dinosaurs.

I figure after that going to all three sessions means I’ll be quite the artist by the end of the day.

Or not.

Either way, I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again one day, I rather like my job.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Some time ago I wrote an apology to the person who found this blog by searching for the words “I hate being a librarian”.

In the last week or so, people (or person) have again found the blog with searches for “hate being a ya librarian” and “hate being a children’s librarian”.

If by any chance you are still reading, or if someone now finds this post by searching for these terms, I’d love to know what you’re looking for exactly.

Just curious.

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net

Melbourne Library Service are offering free wireless on a trial basis for four weeks from March 11. This applies to all three branches (City Library, North Melbourne and East Melbourne) and they have asked for people to come and try the service to see how well it works. Given how many people come into the libraries where I work asking if we have wireless access, I suspect this may be a hit.   Don’t forget that even if your local library doesn’t have wireless, they still probably offer free internet access on their own computers. 

Wherever you happen to be reading it now, Jonathan published this post at: BookBoy.net