Library Statistics

As a general rule, most librarians live and breathe circulation statistics. They are one of the few concrete ways to measure how we are serving the communities where we work.

For kicks (OK, so I was bored), I thought I'd run a report and see how many romance paperbacks we currently have checked-out. These are books that are cataloged specifically as romance paperbacks, and I tend to make this a fairly literal section. For instance, I don't put Danielle Steel here. I also don't put JD Robb here. The latter is more of a subversive move on my part, just cuz I like to be sneaky.

Anywho, we have 78 total romance paperbacks checked out right now. Not bad considering my section is rather small (a few hundred total I'm guessing). Out of those 78, 25 are ones that I personally donated. I either read the book then donated it or picked it up for free at RWA in Reno and had no interest in it personally so added it to the collection.

And because I know you're all curious. 12 of those 78 were Nora Roberts titles.

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program

You've had enough positive library stories haven't you? Time to get down and dirty.

Yesterday I had a patron play the race card on me. Why? Because she wanted to get her two children library cards and I asked to see her ID.

Then she started going off (in my incredibly full and busy library) about how we were racist and she was going to call her lawyer.

Okay

You know why librarians want to see ID? We like to verify that you are who you say you are. We also like to make sure we have correct address information on you in the event we need to hunt you down like a dog when you don't return library materials.

Trust me, it ain't got nothing to do with not being white. I'm a bitch to everyone. You have no idea how hard I bit my tongue to not say that. I've pretty much got a bloody stump left. Instead I placated her. I know, I don't feel very good about myself either.

In more pleasant news - I finished Lilith's kick-ass demon hunting librarian manuscript and it was most enjoyable. I have now unearthed To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke from Mt. TBR as I've promised it to send it to Alyssa. One chapter in and I already suspect this is going to be a very, very good book. The hero is an absent-minded professor type, and the heroine is wounded heroine. She's got a dead husband who has left her in debt, a daughter who died in a fire, and scars on her hands from said fire. Oh, and her small East End factory (Victorian London folks) is about to get yanked out from under her.

I'll keep you posted.

Positive Library Stories

I tend to focus a lot on the negative. I know for a fact that I do a lot of good at my job every day. I help a lot of people, I make the library a friendly environment, and I serve a community that really needs a free public library. Trust me.

Unfortunately it's a little hard to remember all that when some asshole walks in and starts screaming at you in nonsensical gibberish because he owes $2.50 on books he returned late.

So I thought I would mention a couple of positive library stories to share with you budding librarians out there. My job isn't all headaches, bureaucracy and frustration.

Last week I had a family come in for library cards. Mom and two kids. Spanish speakers, although Mom has been working on her English - I could tell. So I got them set up with cards, then they went and picked out their books. After I checked them out I explained that "this is your receipt, it shows everything you checked out today and when it's due back." Then Mom points to her young son and says, "He's been so excited to come here every since you spoke to his class."

I'm getting all misty over here. I did that school visit back in August when my children's librarian was on vacation. It was kindergarten orientation, and I thought I got through to several of the parents, but it's hard to gauge with kids. They were all so shy - more to do with the fact that they were "at school" than anything I was saying or doing. And yes, Miss Wendy did read them a story.

So I got to that one kid. And if that one kid can get excited about a public library (of all things!) in this world of video games, TV and movies - then heck, I'm doing my job.

I also helped a little old man today set up his first ever e-mail account. This is something we technically shouldn't be doing, but given that we're a small (5000 sq. ft.) community branch, I tend to help folks on the Internet who really need the extra attention (the elderly, the handicapped etc.)

This man's daughter was in Spain and gave him instructions to "go get e-mail so I can send you pictures and save on long distance phone calls." He mentioned she was a little bossy. I spent a grand total of 20 minutes with him, and I know he appreciated it. He fired off a message to his daughter and said he couldn't wait to tell her when she called tonight.

So see, librarians really do good work every day. I just need to remember these quiet moments when chaos erupts.

Pity Party

Well poop on a stick. I didn't get the job.

I didn't even get a crummy phone call. I got a crummy letter. Many qualified applicants, hard decision, someone who meets our current needs, blah blah blah blah blah.

So I sulked. I'm a champion sulker. I have a theory that this trait is genetically engineered into all middle children actually.

Wallow, wallow, wallow. Sulk, sulk, sulk.

But hey, this is good news for those of you who read my blog for library stories. I would have had no new library stories to tell if I took a job where I didn't deal with the public day in and day out.

*Sob*

The Boyfriend has been trying to cheer me up. It was chinese for dinner and The Incredibles on cable. And Lilith is cheering me up too - although indirectly. What better way to deal with disappointment than to read a manuscript about an underappreciated librarian who becomes a demon hunter?

See, I'm feeling better already.

I'm Too Damn Old For This Sh*t

So I wrapped up Hot Tamara by Mary Castillo this afternoon while The Boyfriend was napping in front of the ballgame (Damn you Yankees! Damn you!).

OK, um where to start.

First, I met Castillo at a booksigning this past spring, which is why I bought her book. She was really nice and I think she's talented. I mean, Hot Tamara is well written and features a hero I'm ready to run away and make babies with.

So what's the problem?

I'm too old.

Either that or I'm an overachieving geek-a-zoid. You be the judge.

Tamara is 26 and has been dating the same guy for 10 years. She lives at home with her parents. Mom got her a great teaching job. Mom thinks Tamara should get married and start squirting out babies. Tamara wants to go to grad school, move to Los Angeles and work in an art gallery. But her mother is pressuring her....

Oh the pressure!

Someone please shoot me now.

I don't understand story set-ups like this one. Maybe because my own mother knew enough to never forbid her children to do something. The minute you forbid your child to do something they run out and become Satan spawn. Also, hello?! Tamara, sweetheart, you're pushing 30! And you're living at home? You can't tell Mommy and Daddy to sod off? Um, you're an adult, act like one!

But this is coming from the girl who knew at 16 that she was "meant" to be a librarian. Who at 23 had her Master's degree (yeah, I'm a total dork), moved back in with Mom and Dad for 4 months after graduation to save money, then promptly got her own apartment. Hell, I even had a job that my parents didn't have to find for me.

I'm probably being too harsh on poor Tamara. I mean, she does have the stones to land a totally hot guy. Trust me, Will is majorly hunkalicious. The only thing holding me back from packing my bags and ditching The Boyfriend is that Will is a fictional character. Minor detail that. And Tamara does find her own way - but damn, hello?! 26!

Maybe I'm just not wired right for these types of plots. Seriously.

Nip/Tuck Baby!

Yes, the only show worth watching will be back for it's 3rd season tonight.

And in honor of the occasion, why not read part of Wendy's "exclusive" (cough, cough, funny ha ha) interview with uber-hottie Julian McMahon.


Julian: So tell me Wendy, what don't you like about yourself?

Wendy: Well frankly Julian I dont' like my clothes.

Julian: Your clothes?

Wendy: Yes, I think I would be much happier naked

Julian: Why not become a nudist?

Wendy: Actually I don't think that will help me.

Julian: Well what will?

Wendy: You, me, no clothes, a very large bed and a couple of cans of Ready-Whip whip cream.

Julian: Oh, is that all?

Wendy: Isn't that enough?

Good Book Alert

I was finally able to wrap up Naked Truth by Amy J. Fetzer over the weekend - and you know what? It's really good. This coming from someone who normally doesn't go for military themed romances.

Why?

Because the heroines tend to drive me nuts.

Romance Novel Pet Peeve #27:
The author tells me over and over again that the heroine is "tough" and 'kick-ass" but she keeps doing stupid shit that the hero has to rescue her from.

Blessedly, while the hero does do a little rescuing in Naked Truth - the heroine really is kick-ass. She shoots at people - and isn't afraid to do so. She survives torture for cripes sake. Nasty torture that involves her head getting dunked under water repeatedly. Trust me, Fetzer did not make this sound like a barrel of laughs. I'm glad I didn't go into the military or CIA because I'm just way too wussy.

So anywho, our heroine, Alexa Gavlin, is a CIA undercover operative who wakes up naked (and tied down) in a Columbian sugar cane field. Not cool. What's also really not cool is that her informant is lying dead next to her with her knife sticking out of his chest.

Oopsie.

But it's not until Alexa visits another informant that she learns what deep shit she's in. The last 4 weeks of her memory has been chemically wiped away. And when she tries to return to CIA HQ in Columbia? Oh, her own people start shooting at her!

The hero, Killian Moore (only in a romance novel would this name exist), is a former Marine who now works in the private sector as a retrieval expert. The CIA deputy director shows up and essentially blackmails him into bringing in Alexa, dead or alive. See, Killian's reputation was toast after a DEA bust went bad. Now the DD is saying that Alexa is the reason why.

So Killian goes to Columbia, finds Alexa, loses Alexa, realizes the DD fed him bullshit, finds Alexa, loses her, rescues her and they fall in love. Ahhhhh.

I liked that Alexa was really tough. I really liked that Killian was a yummy Alpha hero but not a domineering asshole jerk. I really liked the action-packed storyline. This book just zips right along.

What's not so good? Well the romance doesn't hold up quite so well. Alexa and Killian spend a lot of time apart. Oh sure, there are a couple of really hot sex scenes here, but that doesn't make a romance. But given that they're trying to stop terrorists, find Alexa's memory and clear their names - well there's not exactly time for heart-to-heart soul searching.

But dang, this is such an exciting story that it's hard to quibble. If you go for military romances look no further. This one is great.