According to the diploma I obtained at uni, I’m a librarian. I mean, information scientist, to be precise. Although I have always dreamed about working in a library, spending time among books, I’ve never actually had a job in one. Based on all the stories I’ve read involving librarians, I probably romanticized the idea way too much.
Part of one my uni assignments was to spend sixty hours in our town’s library, and damn, was it awful! I admit, I probably wouldn’t have hated it so much if I got a placement in a nicely equipped library, packed full with all the latest tech, but the lack of working equipment and the constant darkness (the building was an old synagogue) put me off pretty well. We still used those old school index catalogues that were basically little printed index cards in a massive chest of drawers. Good luck finding shit! Before anyone quips in that it was perfectly acceptable in the ’80s, let me make one thing clear: we are talking about 2007.
So, for now I’m just going to stick to books about librarians and quirky little bookstores, where my sentimental ideas live on uninterrupted.
The Library of Shadows by Mikkel Birkegaard
A mystery set in Coppenhagen. After the violent death of Luca Campelli his son, Jon, inherits Luca’s bookshop Libri di Luca, and all sorts of suspicious stuff starts happening.
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Danger, clues, secret societies are only a few things Irene, a spy for the mysterious Library, will face in this story while collecting books from other realities.
Adrian Mole: The Capuccino Years by Sue Townsend
Adrian Mole, whom we first met when he was 13 and 3/4 years old, is now all grown up and is working in a book shop. He still writes his diary, and he’s still an annoyingly funny intellectual. I have read this book many times, but I’m tempted to pick it up again.
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan
Lydia, a bookstore clerk, investigates the death of a customer after she inherits his books filled with mysterious and disturbing messages.
Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine
Jess Brightwell, son of a black market book smuggler, is sent to apply for a scholar position at the Library, where they value knowledge more than human life.
Reading Under The Blankie 
I think Ink and Bone is on my “want to read”-shelf on Goodreads and I had yet to find a book for the bookstore/library prompt! Might have to get myself a copy!
~ You kind of saved me the hassle of having to look for a book for this one, haha! Thank you!
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Haha, you are welcome 🙂 I’m glad you found something nice for this prompt, and I hope Ink and Bone is as good as they make it sound!
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Oh thanks for the insight to your degree. I’m looking at going back to study to do a masters in library info this year even though I know finding a job can be a struggle.
Have you read any of these? I tend to add book books to my TBR but then realise in hindsight they don’t interest me, really.
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I’ve read the entire Adrian Mole series, multiple times. I don’t know what about it, but I just love it to bits. It starts off with Adrian at 13 and 3/4 years old, and goes into his forties. He’s such a lovely dork! Proper wiseass too, mind you 😀
The good thing about library studies, that you can look for reasearch jobs as well. So won’t necessarily be stuck in some dusty library 😀
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Ooh I might check it out then.
And you’re right. I put off the study for so long because of it being hard to get into the field but I realise that I don’t wanna compromise what I want to do anymore. So we will see what happens 🙃
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