Adventures of working at the library

When I first started working at the library last year I thought I was going to be very productive and get a lot of homework accomplished while working at the Circulation Desk. The opposite could not have been truer. Instead of working on my academics at work I learned a lot of other new things, most importantly improving my social life. When I walk into the library I always see a friendly face and that is what I love about Coe College; there is always a friend wherever I go, whether it is at the library, in the cafeteria or workout.
Working at the circulation desk there is never a dull moment, there is always someone to greet when someone walks in the door or say bye to when leaving. I am constantly learning new things about books and authors because everyone likes to share a story about their favorite book or author when checking a book out. There is always something to explore when shelving books or dusting. Sometimes when I am straightening the books on the shelves or doing inventory I pull out an interesting book just take a few minutes to read the back out of curiosity.
People not only come to the library to study and do their homework but some people come to the library to be social. I have seen many friends sit in a study room or at a study table chatting or playing card games. I have also seen people napping at a desk or sleeping on a couch. Many people bring food into the library as a snack; I have even seen Jimmy John’s and Pizza Hut being delivered here for dinner. There is always something interesting going on in the library and a great place to be! ~Taylor W.

Did Monkeys Invent the Monkey Wrench-Book Review

Ever wonder what it's like to visit an old hardware store? Ever wonder how rubber came to be or who invented the Vice Grips? Look no further than the book, Did Monkeys Invent the Monkey Wrench, by Vince Staten. This book is chalk full of witty humor along with quite an insight into the world of selling nuts and bolts. Believe me, this is not a book that will bore you to sleep. It may just keep you up in the wee hours of the night, just like the running toilet did in your home. This easy to read book is perfect for those that like tinkering with hand tools, even if you are not very successful. Even the author claims to not be a handyman, but he has a plethora of knowledge on the tools handy persons use. Pick up this book and get a glimpse into a culture that may one day be gone. Tyler G.

Freebies at the Library

Free VHS tapes available in the Circulation Area of the library.  Located on the first floor and on an orange double-sided cart.  Take as many as you wish.

More notes from a Circ worker...

My name is Bellamy and I’m an Elementary Education major at Coe. This is my second year working at the library and I love it. This semester I’m taking a class on children’s literature that requires me to read and bring in a selection of children’s books to class every Friday. I’ve been able to find all of my literature selections for this class from the children’s section of the Coe library. This area is located in the basement of the library and houses picture books on one side and chapter/young adult books on the other. At first I wasn’t sure if the library’s children section would have enough of a variety for all of different types of genres that I had to obtain. But now it’s halfway through the semester and week after week, I’ve been able to find great quality children’s literature books. The children’s section in the library may appear small, but there’s lots of great material!

Productivity

The study rooms are really nice to be able to work, by yourself or with a group, without any distractions. It's also helpful because if you need a book, you're already in the library! And, my personal favorite, you don't feel like people are staring at you and silently judging you. That's always a plus. So use the study rooms! Be productive! Yay, productivity!~~~~Angela

He's not so ghostly now since Annabeth Hampton has found the Phantom of the Opera squirrel.

The Phantom of the Opera tells a tale of love, mystery, and deceit .. in an opera house! With Opera!

Useful Website

In a class I'm taking this semester called Fundamentals in Exercise and Nutrition, we came to the library to use the computers. Our class needed the computers to fill out a health assessment called the RealAge Test. The test asks questions regarding one's health, feelings, fitness, and diet. The results the test gives varies depending on your answers to the questions. For example, my current age is 19.6 but based on my answers to all the questions, my RealAge is 18.7. The assessment gives you your RealAge and then it breaks down all of your answers and tells you whether you need to make changes or if you need to maintain your current choices. For example, there was a question in the diet section about the amount of grains I consume each week. From my answer the test told me that I need to eat more grains. It was a great assessment that made it easy to evaluate my current health and identify any changes that need to be made.
~Nathan

Study, Study, Study!

Stewart Memorial Library offers many wonderful study areas to choose from.  If you need complete quietness, then the third floor would be best for you.  However, if you are like me and need background noise in order to function then choose the first floor.  Often, I can be found with my head in my book at a round table towards the back!  I also enjoy studying in the study rooms that the library offers on 2nd floor and in the basement. ~Petreece

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Oscar season is over, but I stumbled across this winner the other day, and couldn't help but share.  The Oscar winner for the best animated short for 2012 was "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore" a charming cartoon inspired by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books.  If that mix of inspirations doesn't intrigue you I don't know what will.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adzywe9xeIU?rel=0]
To learn a little more about the film I would suggest reading Mat Goldberg's article "Must-Watch: Best Animated Short Oscar Winner, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" on Collider.com.  Want to know more about the Oscar's Animated Short category?  Peruse "Best Animated Short", by Richard Corliss on Time Entertainment, for a few facts and a rundown of the 2012 contenders.

Next week... well I don't know what I'll post next week.  You'll have to check back to find out.

~Sara Pitcher, Archives Assistant

Bibliotaphy

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Bibliotaph - Someone who "buries", or hides and hoards, books by keeping them under lock and key. (from: http://wordinfo.info/unit/208)

No this is not another word for archivist.  Archivists preserve books and information so they are available for research and future reading.  But, it is something that many a busy book lover can be accused of, unless I am the only one that buys books with the intent of reading them and then leave them on my shelves for a rainy day.  The story of a true bibliotaph can be read on project Gutenburg.  A paragraph of "The Bibliotaph and Other People", by Leon H. Vincent, can be read below, but the full book is completely free and just a click away.

"The most genial lover of books who has walked city streets for many a day was a bibliotaph. He accumulated books for years in the huge garret of a farmhouse standing upon the outskirts of a Westchester County village. A good relative 'mothered' the books for him in his absence. When the collection outgrew the garret it was moved into a big village store. It was the wonder of the place. The country folk flattened their noses against the panes and tried to peer into the gloom beyond the half-drawn shades. The neighboring stores were in comparison miracles of business activity. On one side was a harness-shop; on the other a nondescript establishment at which one might buy anything, from sunbonnets and corsets to canned salmon and fresh eggs. Between these centers of village life stood the silent tomb for books. The stranger within the gates had this curiosity pointed out to him along with the new High School and the Soldiers' Monument."

Next week I will take a break from biblio words to share a "must-watch" Oscar winning animated short.

~Sara Pitcher, Archives Assistant

Bibliokleptomania

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Bibliokleptomania - an abnormal compulsion to steal books. (from The Free Dictionary by Farlex)

This bibliomania is a true mental illness, though it isn't a good insanity defense in court.  In medieval times books were protected from bibliokleptomainiacs by book curses which were written in a book, most often the colophon, and promised bodily harm and damnation to the thief.  Such curses are rarely used today when libraries and book collectors depend on security systems and locked doors to protect their rare collections.

To hear some tales about notorious bibliokleptomaniacs I would suggest reading Lindra Henrick's Cerebral Boinkfest blog post from January 1st, 2011 titled "Bibliokleptomania".  She relates the stories of a thief who stole books from a neglected monastic library in order to restore and preserve them, and a book seller who murdered his customers in order to get his books back from them, among other true tales of bibliokleptomania.

To read a few examples of book curses see the blog post from June 10, 2012 titled "Book Curses, Medieval Scribes and a thought on book care…" on Lux Mentis, Lux Orbis...Rare Books, Random Thoughts.

Next week I will continue the exploration with Bibliotaphy, book hiding.

~Sara Pitcher, archives assistant

Bibliophagy

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Bibliophagy - The consumption of, or the devouring (figuratively), of books. (from English Word Information)

Few would blink an eye lash at some one figuratively devouring a book, but an odd look would be warranted if the book was literally being consumed.  Unless of course the one consuming the book was a child.  Bibliophagy is sometimes recorded in children but, according to my brief (10 minutes) internet research on the matter, rarely occurs past childhood.  Though if you have a sudden craving there is an Edible Books Festival celebrated around the world on April 1st.

To find out more about Bibliophagy and the Edible Book Festival I would suggest reading Blake Eskin's essay "Books to Chew On" published in the New York Times on March 26, 2006.

Next Thursday a few words on Bibliokleptomania to keep with the theme of the last few weeks.

~Sara Pitcher, Archives Assistant

Bibliomania

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Bibliomania - excessive fondness for acquiring and possessing books. (dictionary.com)

No this is not another word for librarian. We like to collect and share information in all its forms. Bibliomania according to the revered Wikipedia "is characterized by the collecting of books which have no use to the collector nor any great intrinsic value to a genuine book collector. The purchase of multiple copies of the same book and edition and the accumulation of books beyond possible capacity of use or enjoyment being frequent symptoms." This doesn't mean a bibliomaniac couldn't en-mass a significant collection of valuable books.  In fact I am going to disagree with Wikipedia and say they can be genuine collectors.  This was true in at least one case of Bibliomania.

Sir. Thomas Phillipps who was born in 1792 in Manchester, England, was a known bibliomaniac before the term was coined (he actually called him self a velo-maniac because of his love of velum). During his lifetime he acquired over 40,000 printed books and 60,000 manuscripts. Causing him to live at the edge of bankruptcy despite a sizable inheritance. His collection was so large it took over a hundred years to fully disperse it after his death. His collection is noted as having helped preserve the writings from the monastic libraries after the French Revolution. The dispersal of these libraries, and the low cost of velum, are noted as the reason for his success as a collector. To find out more about Thomas Phillipps you can read the rest of his article from Wikipedia, which I have highlighted here, or find a more reputable resource from Worldcat.org.

Check back next Thursday to learn a little about Bibliophagy, the compulsive eating of books.

~Sara Pitcher, Archives Assistant