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literallykalasin's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not sure who exactly this is aimed at, because the author is known for his inside-baseball memes, but this seems like an intro to library life for people who have never been inside of a library.
greenvillemelissa's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting insight by a librarian about library happenings. Quick read.
bookboy_troy's review against another edition
4.0
A super enjoyable and delightful read for library workers, librarians, and readers who would like to know some behind the scenes of the profession. I laughed out loud and shared many of the stories with my friends, coworkers and partners! Highly recommend. Reading about Ottens’ experiences in public libraries mirrored some of my own and were great to learn about.
karaby's review against another edition
4.0
It is what it is-tales from librarians. Some humorous, some administrative. A light read for aspiring and advanced librarians.
jessicawithabook's review
3.0
I feel like this may be a niche book for people with library experience but I definitely caught myself laughing out loud a few times. This is based on the blog Librarian Problems which my new coworkers shared with me when I started and it’s worth the read!
sleightoffeet's review against another edition
3.0
This book was definitely a fast read, but much lighter than I expected. (And I had already expected it to be light). The funny stories weren't that funny, and the interesting stories weren't that interesting. It seemed like a blog (which is exactly where the material came from).
We learn about William Ottens and his discovery of library sciences and onto his quest to become a librarian. Then we learn about all of the challenges and strange people one comes across while working there. Sounds amazing, right?
Well, over and over, it read like the answer to the age old job interview question: Tell us about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it? Most of the anecdotes were written in this formula, where our librarian was always the hero, and it got old quickly.
The author is most likely and excellent librarian, and seems like he would be a fun person to hang out with (many librarians that I know are), but I don't think it translates as well to the book.
We learn about William Ottens and his discovery of library sciences and onto his quest to become a librarian. Then we learn about all of the challenges and strange people one comes across while working there. Sounds amazing, right?
Well, over and over, it read like the answer to the age old job interview question: Tell us about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it? Most of the anecdotes were written in this formula, where our librarian was always the hero, and it got old quickly.
The author is most likely and excellent librarian, and seems like he would be a fun person to hang out with (many librarians that I know are), but I don't think it translates as well to the book.
nikkibristol's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
tjkaiser's review against another edition
3.0
There's a few stories that are gems in here but it's mostly just an overview of how libraries work and the author's journey from library school through his different job titles.
robotswithpersonality's review against another edition
A lot of valuable info, but much of it felt like a rerun for me. Anybody curious about the in and outs of a public library? Enjoy! I think this could be a good resource, first look for a young adult looking to get into public librarianship.
Doubtless the author puts a positive spin on his experiences, but they do cover the realities:
What training/experience you'll need or try to get, what schooling, the difficulties inherent in breaking into a field with less open positions than existing people with degrees/experience looking for jobs, the ups and downs associated with any department/position within a library: circulation, reference, collections, tech support, youth/children services, director...
If you're looking for an anecdote-filled fun time however, I would suggest 'I Work at a Public Library' by Gina Sheridan.
Ottens shares moments throughout his ten year career and a few excerpts from his blog, but it's less of a compilation of stories or even a memoir than an introduction to working in public libraries.
I did appreciate the enlightened hindsight: in recounting a discussion on fines, he talked about the barrier to people living in poverty to library use when there are fees; when talking about hiring when he was a director he acknowledged a testing practice that would be redesigned with accommodations for those with disabilities if done today.
Doubtless the author puts a positive spin on his experiences, but they do cover the realities:
What training/experience you'll need or try to get, what schooling, the difficulties inherent in breaking into a field with less open positions than existing people with degrees/experience looking for jobs, the ups and downs associated with any department/position within a library: circulation, reference, collections, tech support, youth/children services, director...
If you're looking for an anecdote-filled fun time however, I would suggest 'I Work at a Public Library' by Gina Sheridan.
Ottens shares moments throughout his ten year career and a few excerpts from his blog, but it's less of a compilation of stories or even a memoir than an introduction to working in public libraries.
I did appreciate the enlightened hindsight: in recounting a discussion on fines, he talked about the barrier to people living in poverty to library use when there are fees; when talking about hiring when he was a director he acknowledged a testing practice that would be redesigned with accommodations for those with disabilities if done today.