I went to the library this evening, in anticipation of going sailing and having time to read for the next couple of weeks. That would also mean that my currently extremely sporadic blog posts will not be happening at all for the next little while!
The Toronto Public Library is simply fantastic. Best I have ever been to. A delight and a treasure that I do wish I could use and visit more.
While I was there looking for books to read (I got 14, here's hoping) a girl went by shelving books. Now, she was fairly young, but hard to say exactly how young, so I asked her if she had any recommendations as I am a little out of date as to what the latest books are. Comes from living away so long!
Turns out she doesn't read much, and I should ask one of the librarians. This leads me to believe that she may be doing some of her community hours that are required for high school graduation, though she looked a little old for that, and I do have high school aged kids, or something similar.
I do wonder how she ended up there though. I mean, for me, it would be a kind of dream summer job, better even than a book store as I would be able to take some money home at the end of the month. How do you end up working in a library if you 'don't read much'? How does that make you feel when surrounded by passionate readers? Superior? Inferior? Nothing at all? I felt a tremendous urge to grill her and try to find the perfect book that would draw her into a lifetime of reading. Really, I do think that is possible. But, I didn't. She gave this kind of half shrug and slipped away hurriedly.
Weird and odd.
Still a fantastic library though.
Truly.
6 comments:
Sooo what did you pick in the end? I also took advantage of my vacation to read a bit more (catching up on some Discworld, I hadn't read the Tiffany Aching series yet).
Oh, and I went on a sailboat for a day :p.
For that girl, I guess some people get some jobs because they have to somewhat feed themselves, any job will do. I've seen people in the software industry who were actually mechanical engineering majors, but ended up there because "well, you gotta pay the bills at the end of the month", and who didn't particularly enjoy working with computers...
I'll make a list.....a fairly random cross section, though I was looking for Toni Morrison's new book, and couldn't find it.:-(
Actually lots of people who work in public libraries don't read much. Some do, some don't. I have a lot of colleagues who don't read a lot
Hi there just been catching up with you. I think you are sailing now! All that running - so impressed. I got behind - things happening here - you'll see when you catch up with me! But anyway I am still in Cornwall and leaving next Friday to drive back in the van with La Bonnie and La Val - my friend.
Pep is there already and trying to get things cool before we arrive.
Hope you are having a great time - look forward to seeing you soon. Love to Chuck Kxxx
Helen, I do have to say that I find that odd......it would be such a dream job in so many ways, clearly not in others, but still....
Kate, SO looking forward to seeing you again, have a safe and enjoyable drive back. Bonnie is a doll.
xxxxxx O
Hello Speaking of which, try to find
"The Reading Promise" ...
you will love it...
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