Disapproval

The librarian disapproved of my reading choices today. I handed back the newest Eric Jerome Dickey (not worth the bother) and took out French Kiss by Aimee Friedman (a young adult book; they tend to be fun) and Tight by Patrick Sanchez (about three women; the title refers to plastic surgery). She looked down at them, clicked her tongue and said: "I can't believe you read these books. You don't look..."

(Meaning: the books look raunchy and I look like a "good girl".)

I thought it was rather out-of-hand for her to comment on my choices, but I protested: "It's YA, it's just silly."

The librarian muttered something else under her breath, looked at D and said, "Well, I bet he doesn't mind."

When we left, D said, "I bet she liked the books. It's what she would read if she could."

OUCH!

Bear in mind I have a somewhat troubled history with this librarian. My local library is, um, special, and some of the librarians have a bit of a 'tude. The troubled history goes as follows (this happened a couple of weeks ago):

Me: Hi. I'm returning these and checking these out. They were on hold. I'm giving this one back, though. ["This one" was on hold but I decided I didn't want it because it turned out to be 1000 pages.]

Her: OK, I'm going to have to check it out to you though.

Me: You're going to check it back in, right?

Other librarian: Why don't you just delete it?

Me: Yeah, that seems to make more sense.

First librarian: No! That won't work! (Getting all worked up.)

Me: OK, I believe you.

First librarian: Here's my supervisor! She'll back me up. Do I check it out to her or just delete it?

Other librarian: I always just delete it.

Supervisor: Either one.

Oy.

But anyway, I assured D that she is able to read, because she has to have a degree in library science!! I learned this from Party Girl. D thinks the clerks don't have to, but I think they do.

Comments

Ashley Beth said…
OH MY! What a cranky beast!

It seems like she's one of those people who likes to pick fights, just to pick them.

Whether she can read or not, I guarantee she doesn't have as many friends as you!
Elsa said…
I can't believe she would make comments like that to you! I think that is highly unprofessional and uncalled for (and rude) - no matter what you were checking out of the library.
Bearette said…
NM - isn't she? ;) thanks, that's very sweet of you :)

Elsa - I agree. I wish they would get a nice, cozy librarian!
Caro said…
She sounds like she has a dirty mind!

I wish I could visit and check out a copy of Kama Sutra or some such title.
Bearette said…
heh...love to see how she'd react to that one.
Lora said…
Sounds a little OCD to me.

I'm pretty sure the aides who do most of the clerking here, don't need degrees.
Anonymous said…
You know, in this age where reading has become way out of style, you'd think the librarians would encourage reading just about anything! I'd hate for an actual young adult to pick out a book and have the librarian snub their choice. Who knows who she might be turning away from the library and reading.
Anonymous said…
I agree with Carolyn. Put on hold the "Karma Sutra," as well as "A Journal of Love: The Unexpurgated Diary," by Anais Nin, and "Chocolate Flava" by Zane. When you go to pick them up, tell the librarian that you don't want them after all.
verniciousknids said…
What is her deal?! Maybe she's just living up to the "cranky New Yorker" stereotype ;o
bdogg_mcgee said…
Boy, I don't know what I'd do if my librarians commented on my reading choices.

Sometimes I am a little embarassed at some of the things I check out, but they never say anything untoward.

I bet you're burning to know what I was embarassed to check out, right? Well, it was the Paris Hilton book "Confessions of an Heiress." I was curious, but the book sucks.
Lisa said…
I've been checking out a lot of graphic novels lately and I keep waiting for one of the clerks to comment on them. So far they've only commented on the quantity of books I check out---not the quality!

And my aunt is a library clerk in NY and does not have an MLS.
Bearette said…
Kitkat - for some reason I feel like she just does it to me. Maybe I'm paranoid...

A - LOL. I'll have to do that next time...

VK - maybe that's her goal ;)

Bdogg - I saw that book! It looks like it's all pictures. She is the vainest person ever.

Lisa - Nothing wrong w/ graphic novels. I guess the movie was wrong, after all...they told Parker Posey that everyone needed an MLS.
Michelle said…
I am SO glad that my library system has gone to self-checkout. I can't remember the last time I talked to a librarian. But shouldn't librarians be reading everything just in case someone asks? I mean, they should love books - ALL of them.
Anonymous said…
Yikes, it was so unprofessional for that employee to comment on your choices. I hope it wasn't an MLS-holding librarian, because that's one of the first things you learn- it's none of your business what people read or why they read it. Remain neutral at all times, no matter what they ask you for. :)

Library assistants/clerks don't have to have an MLS. Usually they can answer certain kinds of questions (directional, etc), but are supposed to refer any reference questions to the librarians.

I listen to Dickey's books on CD sometimes. They can be steamy!
Anonymous said…
I remember once when I bought a sex book in a bookstore. The teenage boy who was ringing me up was more embarrassed than I was. :)
Bearette said…
Michelle - Sadly, my library doesn't have that option.

Liz - I bet she didn't have her MLS then ;) Funny about the boy in the bookstore. When I was in high school, a friend and I got a book called "Boys and Sex" and the cashier smirked and said, "Enjoy!"
Ed said…
Wow, that's just wrong.

You could have played dumb and said "what do you mean these books? You seem to know a lot about them. Can you explain what they are about?"
Perplexio said…
It's not really any of the librarian's business what gets signed out by the library's patrons nor do the reasons behind why people sign out certain books.

I occassionally make small talk about books/DVDs/whatever I'm signing out, at which point I'm making my reading/viewing choices the librarian's business and thus he/she is welcome/free to comment-- but, unless the patron "opens that door" the librarian has no business commenting on the reading choices of the person signing out the books.

I just finished and wrote a review on one of my blogs for Tim Dorsey's The Big Bamboo and I'm debating what to read next-- I'm torn between Adam Davies Goodbye Lemon (fiction) and Bruce Bartlett's Imposter (political)...
Bearette said…
Oh, I've heard of Goodbye Lemon. He wrote The Frog King before that, which was good if bizarre (not necessarily a bad thing). Maybe you should read that one...of course I always vote for the fiction ;)

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