QUIET, PLEASE! DISPATCHES FROM A PUBLIC LIBRARIAN (Scott Douglas)

If you are a librarian or, in fact, someone who has worked in a public library in any capacity, this book will hold a special place in your heart. Scott Douglas traces his path from library page, through his decision to earn his master's in Library Science, to his work as a full-fledged public librarian in Anaheim, California.

Every library is different, serving a specific demographic and catering to a certain type of clientele. Two things that all public libraries have in common, though, in addition to the obvious materials, services, and budget issues that are universal to all, are quirky customers and equally quirky staff. Who among us (in any profession) hasn't worked with someone who constantly criticizes and downgrades, blaming their own lack of promotion on the stupidity of those in power, or a sweet but clueless person who listens intently to every directive and then proceeds to do something completely different? Fortunately OUR library boasts a fabulous staff that truly understands the meaning of teamwork and customer service, so we don't have to deal with this sort of personality at the moment! Everyone has worked at some point for the boss who just doesn't get it or the coworker who seems to be operating in a parallel universe and Douglas does a great job of describing his dealings with these sorts of people and the evolution of his own attitudes in a way to which the reader can easily relate. When it comes to customers, his stories are both poignant and hilarious. In a city library staff are much more likely to deal with the homeless and mentally ill, while here in Windsor Locks our problems usually extend no further than unruly pre-teens and the occasional curmudgeon. Naturally we deal with the disgruntled, the dishonest, and the clueless on a regular basis as well, but for the most part our patrons are friendly, charming, and honest to a fault, a pleasure to work with.

Overall, I would recommend Scott Douglas' book to anyone interested in what goes on inside an individual librarian's head. I found as I was reading that I wanted to rewrite the book from my own perspective because my experiences, though similar, have taken me on a slightly different, more upbeat path through a librarian's career.