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Free for All

3.48 of 5 stars 3.48 · rating details · 1,707 ratings · 532 reviews

Not long ago, the public library was a place for the bookish, the eggheaded, and the studious--often seeking refuge from a loud, irrational, crude, outside world. Today, libraries have become free-for-all entertainment complexes filled with rowdy teens, deviants, drugs, and even sex toys. Lockdowns and chaperones are often necessary. What happened? Don Borchert was a short...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published November 13th 2007 by Virgin Books

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Feb 12, 2008 The Book Maven rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

I've never met the author of this book; never been to his library, never even heard of him, but I am willing to swear to his honesty and authenticity: Everything you read in it is true. Fecal-covered dildoes tossed into the bookdrop? Oh yeah, not surprising. Punk-assed kids using the library as a base of operations for god-knows what? All in a schoolday's work. People refusing to be held accountable for their fines? People falling in love? Perverts exposing themselves? Housewives attacking each...more I've never met the author of this book; never been to his library, never even heard of him, but I am willing to swear to his honesty and authenticity: Everything you read in it is true. Fecal-covered dildoes tossed into the bookdrop? Oh yeah, not surprising. Punk-assed kids using the library as a base of operations for god-knows what? All in a schoolday's work. People refusing to be held accountable for their fines? People falling in love? Perverts exposing themselves? Housewives attacking each other in the parking lot? Ho-hum.

I have to give this book five stars out of professional solidarity, and even if I didn't have the professional solidarity thing, I'd still give it five stars for being a great book. It shows the human face of librarians--cussing, swearing, disgruntled librarians who would throw down if the city would give them half the chance, thankyouverymuch.

Those of us "in the know" will relate to it and know it to be the "Everylibrarian"'s memoir, and know that what the author tells is so completely par for the course in the day of a public library.

Those of you not in the biz will be shocked, appalled that this sort of nonsense goes on in the library; but you will also be entertained, amused, and hopefully inspired by the shit we put up with, and the smiles that come to our face with the inadvertent kindness and appreciation of some of the patrons who make our time in the profession worthwhile. At times, the book makes you want to cry; it effectively illustrates the ignorant bureaucracy, the patience and generosity of under-paid civil servants, and the painful, pathetic pathos of underprivileged, sometimes unbalanced men, women, and children who view the library as their haven, comfort, and last resort.

And if you have read Unshelved, you will end with a sneaking suspicion that the author brought the characters of the comic strip to life. The author could be Dewey, and Terri could be Tamara's twin sister. If Mel were a little more Machiavellian, she would be Juanita through and through.

Everyone should read this book: librarians, for comfort, solidarity, and the reminder that they are not alone; non-library users, so they could realize how stupid they are with their preconceived notions of who librarians are and what they do; politicians, so that they can see how much they fuck themselves and society with each budget cut they approve; beaureaucrats, so that they might see how ludicrous, ignorant, and counter-productive so many of their measures are; and library users, so that they can be aware of, and appreciate, how hard it might be for us to smile some days.

And yet we keep on smiling.(less)

19 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2008 Cheryl rated it 1 of 5 stars

Yes, I can relate to the lingo and overall unpredictable atmosphere of the public library that Borchert describes, but just a plain 'ol memoir without analysis on how to cope with or improve the system is plain 'ol boring for me. I don't want to get hierarchical over job titles but I'm miffed that the book is marketed as a "mild mannered librarian tell[ing] all" and that's not the case; Borchert is not a librarian, has no interest in getting a library degree, and doesn't come off as being partic...more

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2008 Gale rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I tell people I work in a library, they say "What a nice quiet job" or "It must be nice to read all day".

I'm going to hand them this book and tell them this is what my job is REALLY like. Working with the public in a library is more like working as a mediator, a security guard, a psychologist, a baby sitter, a computer expert or a counselor, none of which most of us have degrees or experience in. And oh yes, now and then we get to answer a few informational questions.

Hat's off to ya, Don, y...more

18 likes · like · see review

Jan 30, 2008 Rolf rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Frequent users of the public library and those who are thinking about becoming librarians

Librarians and library workers will find no surprises in this book other than a satisfaction that they are not alone. Library users on the other hand may be alternately fascinated, repelled, and touched by the stories that Mr. Borchert relates, as he delves into the kind of things that really go on in public libraries.

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 16, 2008 Robert Chartrand rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who works in a library or ever wondered what it would be like to work in one

Shelves: adult, non-fiction

The book is told from the point of view of the author, Don Borchert, who is a library assistant at a California public library. Each chapter focuses on either a different aspect of the library world, a different issue a library may face, or a different staff position. There didn't seem to be too much of an order to the chapters, it just kind of jumped from one topic to another, which I didn't mind at all. Some of the stories are funny, some are heart-wrenching, and others are just plain aggrava...more

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Dec 15, 2007 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was mildly amusing. The point of view was just really white-guy, though. It makes sense due to Borchert's being a white guy, but still, the overtones of sexism and amaaaaaaazement at other cultures disappointed me. Also, I don't think public librarians are a great audience for this book, which is funny; it's like, oh, you got war stories, huh. So do I and I've been working in the PL for less than 6 months. Yawn.

8 likes · like · see review

Feb 09, 2008 Jen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jen by: Katie Hilles

I just didn't like the writer's tone; I felt like he was trying overly hard to shock and dismay. It's hard enough keeping up your own morale sometimes, and to go home and read about all the negative aspects of library work from a bitter cranky guy seems defeating. Also he complained about kids and teens a lot, which bugged me - I don't think he ever called them "hooligans" but he came close.

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 26, 2008 Meredith rated it 3 of 5 stars

I imagine I'm reacting to this book with a mixture of what all the other public librarians who have read it (and who else is interested in reading it, really?) have said about it. There are parts of it that had me nodding, saying "oh yeah, I've been there"...and I was touched in some places but the earnest care Borchert brings to the job, felt empathy for his bafflement at the certain ways in which the system perpetuates illogical procedures. In all, it was a nice little book. A rambling of some...more

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Jun 15, 2008 Yosafbridg rated it 2 of 5 stars

sounds somewhat more interesting than it actually is…

(i, at least, have managed to bite my tongue before the curse words actually emerge, or at least muttered them under my breath)
Free for All: oddballs, geeks, and gangstas in the public library is a book that i saw somewhere and thought would be somewhat entertaining (i, like many others like me, snap up those tales of libraries and bookstores for the camaraderie, relatability, or something like that.) Dan Borchert
“was a short-order cook, doo...more sounds somewhat more interesting than it actually is…

(i, at least, have managed to bite my tongue before the curse words actually emerge, or at least muttered them under my breath)
Free for All: oddballs, geeks, and gangstas in the public library is a book that i saw somewhere and thought would be somewhat entertaining (i, like many others like me, snap up those tales of libraries and bookstores for the camaraderie, relatability, or something like that.) Dan Borchert
“was a short-order cook, door-to-door salesman, telemarketer (did a bit of that myself back in the day...), and Christmas-tree-chopper before landing work in a California library. He never could have predicted his encounters with the colorful kooks, bullies, and tricksters who fill the pages of this hilarious memoir.”
(Some note should be made here that Borchert isn’t a MLS degreed librarian~nor did he ever call himself a librarian in the book~apparently there has been some not-mild controversy surrounding this because in his marketing or publicity interviews or some such, he has been called a librarian; and of course many librarians, having worked hard and paid much for that grad school degree, resent people taking the title librarian unjustly~let me just say here, that, tho i am among those~to a certain extent~who cling to that title so proudly and possessively, i’m not sure if this is his mistake or those marketing him and i’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and much of the public is unawares so that can’t really be blamed [to a certain extent~i believe it is at least partly our job to educate the public…] {and we have a librarian assistant at my library without whom i would be lost~but she's still not a librarian~perhaps Borchert's system should put a firmer delineation between tasks that various job functions perform than they currently seem to~because his book makes it appear a little haphazard...and maybe it is...})

Having got that out of the way, Free for All was quite a bit less than i wanted it to be. As many other librarians have said i have much more humorous (and frightening~though a few of his were unique in some respects~i'm sure every librarian has at least a few of those...) tales to tell {and is this really an urban Los Angeles library~it sounds a bit more like a smaller town~or is that just my cynical jaded self?}) I must say i was not overly impressed with Borchert’s writing ability either (nor his seeming equation with the way things are done at his library, in his system with the way things are done in all systems~such as who does what and way as well as the way his bureaucracy function.) I’m not a big fan of the book's organizational scheme either. It wasn’t a complete waste of time, though, and there were some amusing moments. Perhaps this would actually be of more interest to those who do not work in libraries to discover that all is not quiet in the library or that we do not "just sit around and read all day, perhaps for me it is more like a “busman’s holiday” for me
http://talesofarampaginglibrarian.blo...(less)

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Dec 30, 2008 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

In my experience, any time you put a bunch of library staff in a room together, no matter what the purpose -- meeting, holiday party, professional conference, anything -- eventually the conversation will turn towards weird patron stories. This book reads like a compendium of one library worker's entire career's worth of weird patron stories: the really hilarious, really unbelievable stuff that gets framed into biting yet quasi-treasured anecdotes and then passed around to others to blow off stea...more

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Nov 05, 2008 Audrey Tolle rated it 2 of 5 stars

While this quasi-memoir definitely had its moments, I think it lacked the depth that would have made for a memorable and more meaningful story. As a librarian, I can appreciate the descriptions of crazy happenings at his workplace, and I think he made the most of some funny situations. It's too bad he didn't dig a little deeper, explore some characters or relationships more, or try to tie some things together in the second half of the book.

I was also annoyed that, even though he apparently hadn...more

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Feb 12, 2008 Trishia rated it 2 of 5 stars

My recent phase of reading books about books/book-related topics began with this memoir of a library assistant's experience in a California public library. The book starts off with a great quote about why we read as well as a few surprising stories about the happenings at the author's workplace, including an "unexpected discovery" found between books that had been dropped off. Also, I found myself laughing out loud at the author's commentary. To my disappointment, halfway through, the book jumps...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 17, 2011 Margaret Sankey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy behind the scenes memoirs of jobs, but this has special relevance as a long-time library devotee. All the stuff I suspected happens with juicy stories--terrible stuff found in the book drop, the craziest excuses for not paying fines, fights in the parking lot, glitter eruptions, very strange reference questions and book donations, why most library payphones do not allow anyone to call in, story time performers who will never be invited back, the arcane politics of the Friends of t...more

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Jan 09, 2008 Hadley rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book had some genuinely funny moments, but overall the experience of reading it was like talking to someone with severe ADD. Some reviews of this book have criticized the author's lack of credentials, but I just think his writing could use some serious work. There was a lot of rambling and many moments that tried to be funny that were just...not. Maybe there aren't enough memoirs of public library employees in existence, because most of the reviews I've seen of this book have been positive,...more

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Feb 10, 2008 Sean Duffy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is more a book about what it's like to work at a library, and less about the oddball patrons as promised in the title. Still, the book has a lot going for it, including the fact that the author is a much better writer than I expected. I did expect more in the way of crazy stories, especially for a California library. The patrons are surprisingly tame compared even to the smalltown library where I work. I have stories that would make Borchert's weirdest patrons seem relatively harmless. High...more

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Dec 03, 2007 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Borchert gives an interesting blow-by-blow account of the happenings and mishaps in the branch library where he serves as an assistant librarian. He covers everything from the culture of working in a civil service position, to irate library patrons, to what happens to all of those books that are donated to the library. His writing was very easy to read, with a warm, conversational style. I have a particular familiarity to his branch since I lived in the same area and frequented that library for...more

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Feb 24, 2008 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: library lovers, those considering a library career

Shelves: culture

I value this author for his candor and think he does a lovely job revealing the dark underbelly of the library world. The book seems a good balance of the virtues and vices of the public library - what could have easily turned into a biblio bitch-fest is softened by stories of latch-key kids and off-beat patrons that are more than their quirks.

As to the debate surrounding "is he a real librarian?" Borchert has done his tour of duty long enough to capture the nuances of public libraries. High ma...more

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May 02, 2013 Life Between Coffee Spoons rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was assigned to read a couple chapters of this for my public library management class, and I liked them enough to pick up the full book. A few chapters in, I came to Goodreads to read some of the reviews and thought some of them sounded a little harsh because I had enjoyed what I'd read so far. I apologize for that -- you were right.

The longer I read, the more uncomfortable it got. I have no problem with coarse language, really, but those were some of the most awkward f-bombs I've read in a wh...more I was assigned to read a couple chapters of this for my public library management class, and I liked them enough to pick up the full book. A few chapters in, I came to Goodreads to read some of the reviews and thought some of them sounded a little harsh because I had enjoyed what I'd read so far. I apologize for that -- you were right.

The longer I read, the more uncomfortable it got. I have no problem with coarse language, really, but those were some of the most awkward f-bombs I've read in a while. In most instances in life where others see racism or sexism, I think no such thing exists, but this book left an odd taste in my mouth. Sure, in fully describing the story it may be necessary to mention someone's physical characteristics, but many of these references seemed to emphasize it a little too much. Not saying the author is racist, just that the writing style came off that way at certain points. I'm pretty used to them by now, but the homeschooling digs were generally unnecessary, stereotyping, and distracting. This is especially true given how supportive of libraries this group generally is and the broad range of political/religious reasons you now find in the community.

But it was chapter 25 (if I remember correctly) that finally cemented my 2-star rating. The way he discussed his boss and other senior librarians was downright offensive. There is clearly some resentment, bitterness, and/or jealousy directed toward those with advanced degrees or any ambition in their careers. After his description in the beginning of all the jobs he has held combined with the rest of the book, I finally began to see the picture that a library is just another place into which he fell. If he does have true passion for the ideals of libraries and the patrons we serve, that certainly didn't come across the longer I read this book. This facet could have benefited from a little more depth to the stories, which by about halfway through were just randomly plopped into short chapters that were barely connected.

I had numerous other random annoyances throughout. One of the biggest was in the same chapter I just referenced, where he talked about Christian fiction. I am a Christian fiction reader, I'll say that upfront; however, I will admit as much as the next person that a lot of it is badly written crap. What made me so mad was the bald-faced lie that it's a genre that didn't exist "five years ago" (which would have been 2002 from this publication date). Sorry, Mr. Borchert, but seeing as you've been working in the library for significantly longer than that, you should know this. I heavily patronized my local library in the late 1990s for these materials (with minimal research one can even find that Janette Oke's Love Comes Softly is considered the start of the genre in 1979, but I wouldn't expect that). Also, just a tip from a lowly MLS student: maybe instead of charging patrons to put holds on items (which I have never run into at any of the numerous libraries where I've been a patron, including California locations) you should just actually enforce your fines. It really came across to me that they were far too lax in forgiveness.

Even when it was charming or frustrating to read about the experiences of one employee in this particular library, there was also an overshadowing element that this is standard at all libraries. If I've only learned one thing in grad school it's that every library does things differently. More admission that this was only one "librarian's" experience would have probably bumped this to 3-stars.(less)

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Jan 02, 2009 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cautionary-tales, customer-service, funny, librarians, libraries, nonfiction, work, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Don Borchert works at his local public library and has collected a number of stories – hilarious, scary, and otherwise – of people, programs, and goings on at the library. Anyone who has worked at a library (or even in customer service) will recognize some of the characters that make life, well, more interesting. There are the kids, for instance, who come to the library straight from school and stay there until closing time, because their parents or guardians work or can’t be bothered to pick th...more Don Borchert works at his local public library and has collected a number of stories – hilarious, scary, and otherwise – of people, programs, and goings on at the library. Anyone who has worked at a library (or even in customer service) will recognize some of the characters that make life, well, more interesting. There are the kids, for instance, who come to the library straight from school and stay there until closing time, because their parents or guardians work or can’t be bothered to pick them up. They’re bored, antsy, and full of boisterous energy that isn’t appropriate to the library setting – and, yet, somehow they have to be accommodated. There are the chronic offenders who apply for library cards under new names, rack up fines, disappear, and then start the whole process all over again. There are the crazy, or mentally unstable individuals who just freak you out.

Borchert describes several youth programs that took place in his library branch, one of which involved an outgoing policeman and his drug-sniffing dog, Raffles. The cop put Raffles through his paces by having one of the kids hide a marijuana-scented sock somewhere in the library. When he was directed to ‘find’ the drugs, Raffles brought back a purse belonging to a twenty-something year old woman. Without looking inside the purse, the cop returned the woman’s property and said she might want to “wait outside.” She was long gone when the program ended.

Borchert really manages to capture the nature of the library environment – it’s a wonderful and welcoming place, a community space that gives people access to lots of free stuff – books, movies, music, the Internet. It’s warm in the winter, cool in the summer, the people who work there can help you find whatever information you’re looking for, they offer cheap entertainment, learning opportunities, employment, and sanctuary. And at the same time these things can make it chaotic, stressful, and even frightening at times. The people staffing the front lines get worn out, worn down, by too many responsibilities, too much work, and too much contact with the public. There are situations and people that you can do very little about besides hoping that they’ll resolve themselves; people will move away. The reality of working in such an environment is sometimes not all it’s cracked up to be. And, sometimes it’s so much more. You get regulars that you love to see, get to watch your young patrons grow up and become awesome adults, get the occasional opportunity to really help someone or make a difference in someone’s life.

Librarians and library employees will all appreciate the stories Borchert tells in this collection, but a wider audience of people who have worked in bookstores, or any retail/customer service oriented field will also find something here that they can relate to. And it probably wouldn’t hurt the everyday patron to pick this up, as well, if only to get a glimpse at the real, inner workings of an environment most patrons take for granted. Maybe it will help them realize and cherish the special, rare, and precious space that libraries are.(less)

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Oct 30, 2010 Cornmaven rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult

This a really a memoir and not necessarily a treatise about libraries, although that does filter in. I was disappointed in this fact, because the title implies otherwise. I think my husband thought the same, because he bought me the book.

Too many times the author moves to a different topic, spending way too much time describing his vacation in Hawaii, when the chapter was supposed to be about the problem of taking vacation when you work in a library, or a long story about the makeup of his neigh...more

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Jul 15, 2010 ICPL Staff Picks added it

Shelves: staff-picks-blog, nonfiction, maeve

Ok, so maybe a book about working in a public library isn’t for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Borchert works in a branch of a suburban public library in southern California and his tales of the trials and tribulations are often entertaining and sometimes heartwarming and even frightening. He is a front line worker, dealing with the public at their best and worst. There are encounters with them when they have fines, act in inappropriate ways or view the library as a home away from home....more

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Apr 11, 2008 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this, and I actually think that someone who doesn't work in a library might love it, too. There's such a nice understated sense of humor about it - just sort of the right balance of self-mockery and heart - a voice I will always associate with Max Miller's "I Cover the Waterfront." A book I would have liked to have written, and an attitude I aspire to, rather than the library-pious 'tude that is so easy to adopt in our line of work.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 10, 2012 Stacy Rideout rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

i almost threw this book across the room when the author wondered why libraries were mainly staffed by women - he thought perhaps it was because all of the men went off to WWII. so you're writing a book about the library and you didn't bother to do any research? you didn't bother to find out that the first library schools were all-female? you didn't bother to do any reading about Dewey and the establishment of library schools and how Dewey felt it was a perfect profession for college-educated wo...more

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Apr 29, 2008 Patricia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Patricia by: Carol P.

Shelves: non-fiction

While a true account of the various happenings, trials, and tribulations of working in a public library, this book barely skims the surface. I expected to laugh, cry, wince, or snicker much more than I did - I know first-hand what library life is like and the author left out a lot. But, for someone who isn't an insider, it's a decent if skimpy introduction to the "quiet" (HA!) life of a public librarian.

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Dec 30, 2012 Lora rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, nonfiction

Add this to the required-reading list for anyone considering working in a public library. Some of the stories I've told elsewhere about 'unusual' things that have happened in our library would fit right in here. The only real difference I see between the author's library and mine is the staffing numbers and arrangement, and the fact that it's pretty much a union shop. Otherwise...yep. I can relate to everything in the book. I even laughed at his description of catalogers, which is far from comp...more

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Aug 29, 2009 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-books, non-fiction

I have mixed feelings on this book - on one hand, I think Borchert does a phenomenal job describing what an amazing resource a library can be and the power of books. But on the other hand, this isn't the tell-all book I thought it would be. It's part memoir of his work in a library and part commentary on the state of various topics such as latchkey kids, race relations, and public schools. But the commentary is very rarely spoken outright; oftenimes it's more implied.

At any rate, some chapters w...more

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Jan 08, 2008 Chloe rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who want to understand what we public servants go through.

As a public librarian, the anecdotes in the book felt a little too familiar to me. I suppose that speaks to the authenticity of the author's voice, but really, I could have just been sitting at my desk in the back room, listening to my male co-worker talk about his day. My husband got a kick out of it though, so maybe this book is a better read for non-librarians.

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Jul 23, 2012 Bea Bolinger rated it 2 of 5 stars

I love working for the library, and there is nothing in this book that I haven't witnessed myself but the problem I have with it is the author's negative voice. I work in circulation and see almost every book returned and I've had to stop myself from putting everything I find interesting on hold for myself but when I saw this book I made an exception. I know bad things happen in the library and that the public isn't demanding their politicians better fund this amazing institution but if working...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Kristine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

I was assigned to read a couple chapters of this for my public library management class, and I liked them enough to pick up the full book. A few chapters in, I came to Goodreads to read some of the reviews and thought some of them sounded a little harsh because I had enjoyed what I'd read so far. I apologize for that -- you were right.

The longer I read, the more uncomfortable it got. I have no problem with coarse language, really, but those were some of the most awkward f-bombs I've read in a w...more I was assigned to read a couple chapters of this for my public library management class, and I liked them enough to pick up the full book. A few chapters in, I came to Goodreads to read some of the reviews and thought some of them sounded a little harsh because I had enjoyed what I'd read so far. I apologize for that -- you were right.

The longer I read, the more uncomfortable it got. I have no problem with coarse language, really, but those were some of the most awkward f-bombs I've read in a while. In most instances in life where others see racism or sexism, I think no such thing exists, but this book left an odd taste in my mouth. Sure, in fully describing the story it may be necessary to mention someone's physical characteristics, but many of these references seemed to emphasize it a little too much. Not saying the author is racist, just that the writing style came off that way at certain points. I'm pretty used to them by now, but the homeschooling digs were generally unnecessary, stereotyping, and distracting. This is especially true given how supportive of libraries this group generally is and the broad range of political/religious reasons you now find in the community.

But it was chapter 25 (if I remember correctly) that finally cemented my 2-star rating. The way he discussed his boss and other senior librarians was downright offensive. There is clearly some resentment, bitterness, and/or jealousy directed toward those with advanced degrees or any ambition in their careers. After his description in the beginning of all the jobs he has held combined with the rest of the book, I finally began to see the picture that a library is just another place into which he fell. If he does have true passion for the ideals of libraries and the patrons we serve, that certainly didn't come across the longer I read this book. This facet could have benefited from a little more depth to the stories, which by about halfway through were just randomly plopped into short chapters that were barely connected.

I had numerous other random annoyances throughout. One of the biggest was in the same chapter I just referenced, where he talked about Christian fiction. I am a Christian fiction reader, I'll say that upfront; however, I will admit as much as the next person that a lot of it is badly written crap. What made me so mad was the bald-faced lie that it's a genre that didn't exist "five years ago" (which would have been 2002 from this publication date). Sorry, Mr. Borchert, but seeing as you've been working in the library for significantly longer than that, you should know this. I heavily patronized my local library in the late 1990s for these materials (with minimal research one can even find that Janette Oke's Love Comes Softly is considered the start of the genre in 1979, but I wouldn't expect that). Also, just a tip from a lowly MLS student: maybe instead of charging patrons to put holds on items (which I have never run into at any of the numerous libraries where I've been a patron, including California locations) you should just actually enforce your fines. It really came across to me that they were far too lax in forgiveness.

Even when it was charming or frustrating to read about the experiences of one employee in this particular library, there was also an overshadowing element that this is standard at all libraries. If I've only learned one thing in grad school it's that every library does things differently. More admission that this was only one "librarian's" experience would have probably bumped this to 3-stars.(less)

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Jan 30, 2008 Leslie rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: librarians, or those who have worked in libraries. No one else will get it.

The title of this book is the perfect way to describe a public library! So, based on the title alone I had high hopes for this book. While I can appreciate all of the stories presented here simply because I am a public librarian, I thought it would be funnier. There were a few laugh out loud moments, but for the most part I was not all that impressed.

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Interview -- NPR, Bryant Park Project, 11/20/2007...	1	11	Apr 28, 2008 08:32am
Interview with Don Borchert from USA Today 11/19/2007	2	14	Mar 24, 2008 02:01pm

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About Don Borchert

Don Borchert is a library assistant in suburban Los Angeles. He lives in Lomita, California.

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Books by Don Borchert

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Undead

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Quotes from Free for All

“I do not understand people who will lustily throw $40,000 at the shiny red automobile of their choice, but well up with tears and become outraged when they are asked to pay $5 for a damaged videotape. Either they are fucked up and their priorities are fucked up or I am fucked up and my priorities are fucked up. Because I am me, I think it is them.” — 34 people liked it

“She still remembers the effect a certain book can have on people at the right time in their lives. A book, at its most mundane,can be a loaded gun. At its most powerful, it can split the trunk of a tree, mend a broken heart, heal the sick, and topple a corrupt government.” — 16 people liked it

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avg rating	preview: Free for All Goodreads rating: 3.48 (1707 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1970282.Free_for_All?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312039985l/1970282.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1970282.Free_for_All?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Free for All by Don Borchert[/url]

Free for All

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