Great questions.
I realize this will vary greatly from library to library, but are there any services your library offers that you want more people to know about and utilize?Well, I originally posted this thread to see if there were other librarians on Lit these days. That didn't really pan out, so instead, I'm going to turn this into a AMA style thread for anyone curious about libraries and librarians. Obviously, I will respect my own and other people's privacy, but apart from that, go ahead and ask a librarian!
SM
One of the supercool things that many libraries have started in recent years are Seed Libraries. You "check out" a packet of seeds for your garden, can be flower or veggies, and then at the end of the season, you collect seeds from what you've grown and "return" them.
That is very cool about the genealogy research, I hadn’t heard of that before!
Haha. No lost fees. It's usually an honor system with the hope that enough people have success and it evens out.That is very cool about the genealogy research, I hadn’t heard of that before!
I had heard of seed libraries, but am curious…what about those people (like me) who are bad with plants? What if we fail to grow plants that produce new seeds? Is there a lost book fee equivalent for lost seeds?
Ooh, this is a good one. I worked at a catholic university for several years. Their collection went back to the 1800s and was originally started by priests donating their personal libraries to start it.
Unfortunately, these things can't be avoided. Especially these days. If the patron deface a book enough, they will be charged the replacement cost. If they refuse to pay, their borrowing privileges can be revoked.
Your grandma, too?! My paternal grandmother had boxes upon boxes of dime store romance novels stored in the basement. She was a "God fearing Christian," but the pastor would not have approved of her choice in literature. (Or of me doing communion grape juice shots on the church steps, but that's another story.)I love the little old ladies that check out romance novels by the armful. Kind of the reverse of Mrs Grundys. My grandmother had a whole closet full of romance novels. Probably why I ended up on lit. Thanks Grandma for all the books about throbbing manhood and glistening petals.
No question, just an observation.
Yep. When I worked in the public library, it was older women who checked out stacks of Harlequin romances and older men who checked out stacks of westerns. We had some patrons who read so many of them, they would leave initials or marks on the inside cover so they could tell if they'd already read it before.I love the little old ladies that check out romance novels by the armful. Kind of the reverse of Mrs Grundys. My grandmother had a whole closet full of romance novels. Probably why I ended up on lit. Thanks Grandma for all the books about throbbing manhood and glistening petals.
No question, just an observation.
Absolutely. Especially when I worked college library til close at midnight. Caught a couple mid-blowjob in an often unused stairwell. Startled them to the point I was surprised the guy wasn't bite. Saw girls flashing guys. Got propositioned once. Very flattering, but I needed the job more than the sex.
Sadly, I have a lot of friends in states where simply giving a person under the age abook about gender/sexuality puts that librarian at risk of being criminally charged.
So Goodreads does book giveaways, usually when publishers want to promote an up-and-coming author in the hopes of launching with positive reviews already penned. I entered for all kinds of giveaways, and the first I actually won was Forgotten Bookmarks, which shows some really odd, interesting and historical things the owner of a used bookstore in NY has found over the years!
