The Librarian's Book of Lists

by George M. Eberhart (Editor)

After years spent editing American Libraries and the many editions of The Whole Library Handbook, George Eberhart has collected a raft of arcane librariana and amusing trivia for this endlessly browsable volume. Equally suitable for the reference shelf and the staff lounge, the dozens of wide-ranging lists in this book include * 14 ways libraries are good for the country * How to say “Where is the library?” in 50 different languages * 10 intriguing paper defects * 6 library-related birdsongs * Top 12 silly reasons to ban a bookThe mixture of serious topics, tongue-in-cheek items, and outright silliness provides something to please everyone familiar with libraries, making a fun read and a wonderful gift.

Genres: Nonfiction, Library Science, Books About Books, Librarianship, Adult

118 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book you peruse rather than read. Some of the lists I enjoyed were libraries world-wide, library blogs among others. The lists of books about librarians wasn't as interesting to me--some I've read, some I'm not interested in. It is definitely a book that would be interesting mostly to librarians, I think. Since I have a number of librarian friends here on Goodreads, here are my favorites from Martha SPARES reasons to be a librarian:
1. It's ever-changing and renewing
2. Romance -- we meet exciting colleagues
3. Great conferences -- what better way to see the world and recharge your professional batteries
4. A job with scope; it's not just a desk job
5. Good working conditions: we are clean, dry, warm and working with people who are generally happy to be there.
6. Grande purpose: We support the freedom to read and the right to access information for all people.
And I would add a profession that you can continue working part-time after you retire.
To add a bit of humor, these are my picks from Scott Douglas's reasons to be and not to be a librarian.
1. You totally get to classify things
2. Where else are you going to ruin a person day over a $.20 fine.
3. You can make up whatever you want, and people will believe you just because you're a librarian.
4. You get first Dibs on unclaimed items in the lost and found box
5. You get to spend two hours designing a sign that says the library will be closed for the holidays!

[Readergeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, but out of date in places just like anything printed about technology would be in this day and age. The things that are eternal - the historical facts, the opinions, the advice - were spot on though, and amusing in places, informative in others. There were a couple of places where I found the links or apps to actually no longer be in use, but otherwise there were a few good things to try out in here so it was still worth a look!

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Eberhart has collected amusing trivia and arcane librariana over his years editing American Libraries and the many editions of The Whole Library Handbook. This collection is a nice mix of fun and serious topics. It's a fun read for anyone interested in books and libraries.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute. I want an updated version.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love lists; I don’t love every list in this book, but I pulled something interesting or fun from every one.

[Dudee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little book of factoids about libraries. Published in 2010, so many of the lists can be updated. It is really for peruse.

[Sandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the researched lists were good, such as for history of libraries.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the introduction the author speaks of his love of making lists, and I share that enthusiasm. Why didn't I think of compiling something like this? It made for interesting reading, though I think, because of the inclusion of lists of "best" web sites, it could become outdated quickly. There were a few lists, such as "10 Unusual Rare-Book Genres" and "10 Intriguing Paper Defects," that I would have liked to have been accompanied by more pictures. On the whole, however, this book left me wanting to investigate further into a good number of the web sites, books, and facts mentioned here. Recommended reading for librarians!

[shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I can thank for this book for introducing me to the term "librariana." Doesn't that roll off the tongue nicely?

Overall, it's a cute book. There were a few lists that did not withstand the test of time (for example, references to Google Reader and Google Wave LOL), but there's good info sprinkled through. I definitely found some books I'd like to read (Women Librarians in the American West? Yes, please!) and websites I want to check out if they're still around.

Either way, it's an easy, quick read for those who nerd out about libraries and those who work within them.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun, especially if you work in a library related field. This guide had some totally random lists, but I enjoyed most of the them (some were a tad boring). My favorite lists were: Martha Spear's Top 10 Reasons to Be a Librarian; Scott Douglas's 10 Reasons to Be (and Not to Be) a Librarian; the ones with librarian in popular culture, and 10 Book Curses. The editor also included quite a few websites, that I just HAD to check out. Well worth reading.

[Stephanie Jobe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Santa… sooo we’re not even going to discuss what this book has done to my poor Amazon wish list. Everything from the historical to the informational to the geeky to the just plain funny. The total geek outs involved in this book definitely gave me the reaction that I am in the right line of work now. I actually read this over quite a bit of time spread out. A fun little volume for really any book geek but especially the librarians in your life and I’ve come to realize we all have them.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't expect this book to be great, but I was hoping to be entertained. No such luck. Very few of the lists were worth reading, and I found myself flipping through page after page merely glancing at the content. Although I didn't have very high expectations to begin with, this book was disappointing.

[Danica Midlil]

Never finished

[marmix · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book to browse in-between helping patrons on the public desk. You can always make a case for professional development, right?

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little book full of fun and useful information. I especially appreciated the lists of blogs to follow (though some no longer exist) and tools to make a librarian's life easier.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun! Not sure which is my favorite: How to ask where the library is in 50 languages or Top 10 library music videos. lol

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun lists. Some a bit dated now.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my life, my soul, my love, and my mind. I love lists, books, and librarians. It's even published through the ALA and printed on archival acid-free paper. Oh, what a book!

[Jessica]

Southbury PL

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the whole thing, so I guess I liked it well enough.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, informative, and enlightening for a soon-to-be library science student.

[Mandy Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun for librarians of all kinds!