You know what, I’m so happy that I’m gonna pack on some more oo to that woo:
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
A couple weeks ago I started working as a library page, and I ~love~ it.
A page is someone who does the sorting and shelving of returned books. This job was seriously made for me. I have the kind of brain that gets SO AMPED by sorting things, it’s ridiculous. The process of alphabetizing a cart of books makes me feel both energized and calm at the same time. I don’t know how that’s possible but it’s the combo punch of awesome.
Other things I love about the job:
The most obvious one… I am surrounded by books! Simply being in an environment where these beauteous page-filled wonders are on all sides of me is such a happy feeling.
My coworkers and boss are are all super nice. I’m not surprised. Bookish people tend to be nice people.
I get to help others, which my friendly side appreciates, yet also work independently, which my introverted side appreciates.
When I put returned books back on the shelves, I sometimes discover ones that make me go, “Hmmm, this looks good…” I have a feeling my to-read list is going to get even longer.
Basically, it’s perfect. I was born to work here. 🙂
Tell me, what are your favorite things about libraries?
Pointing Telescopes | S. Noel Brady 
Sounds great! Congratulations!
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Thanks!
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Great to be around books, especially old ones! I love the smell of an old book.
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Me too! It’s my favorite smell. Books have the perfect shape for stuffing your face into and inhaling.
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Congrats! Must be a wonderful feeling to get up and go to work safe in the knowledge you love your job. It’s not a feeling I’ve had for a while so I’ll just live vicariously through you for a bit thanksalot…! I haven’t been to a library in such a long time but my favourite thing about a library these days is the fact the my little boy goes there with his school on a Friday morning so we get new things to read at bedtime each week 🙂
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Aww, I’m glad your son’s school does that. 🙂 Story time with my mom was one of my favorite times as a kid. I like peeking at the picture books as I shelve them – not planning on any children on the near horizon, but it’s fun to imagine which books I’d pick for them if I had any.
I’m sorry you’re not loving your job. 😦 What’s your line of work? I’ve had crappy jobs in the past so I know the feeling.
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Yeah it’s very sweet – and great that he loves books at such an early age (we’ve started making up stories together now – five year olds have crazy brains). If you ever have kids stay away from Roald Dahl at bedtime unless you are really REALLY good at making harrowing situations sound light hearted and funny 🙂
I’ve been in business intelligence and data warehousing for years – many roles but latterly project management and solution architecture. Just fallen out of love with it all – especially the corporate nonsense and politics – but not sure what else to do to pay the bills. Still…all the more reason and incentive to write I guess 🙂
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Awwww, making up stories with kids sounds so fun! One of my writer friends brought his son (7 or 8?) to critique group awhile back and his son was telling me a story he made up. It was the craziest, most nonsensical, but most AWESOME story ever. 😀 Zombies and a dragon were involved. His enthusiasm was the best part. He started out all quiet and shy, but as I asked him questions he got more and more amped up and was all “AND THEN THE DRAGON…! AND THEN THE ZOMBIES…! AND THEN AND THEN…!!” I loved it.
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Brilliant! It’s so much fun. We have a special African engine who helps out Thomas the Tank Engine on busy days and a family of bees that have amazing adventures (Boris, Bella and their three kids Horace, Beatrix and Boris Junior aka Boju). I’ve started writing a few down – the one where the bees and the spiders save Father Christmas is a classic!
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Omg, I love your son’s brain already. I hope he never loses that creativity. 🙂
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I’ve always wanted to work in a library too. That would be so cool. I think I would do the same thing where I kept updating my list of books to read.
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It’s so hard to not just stand there reading back covers and first pages while I’m working. Must… resist… !
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That would be a challenge. But you would never get any work done. I would just love the quiet of the place. Much better than the busy loudness of my job.
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Oh yes, the quiet is great. I’m not a fan of busy loudness either. You have my sympathy. 😦 What’s your job again?
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A introverts dream. Customer service.
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Oof 😦
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I am jealous of you in the best possible way! Congratulations! Also, make your own library themed exercise video, I would buy it.
My favorite thing about libraries? Wandering around the non fiction section waiting to get inspired.
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Chance findings are the best. I’ve been looking at the dewey decimal categories and thinking I might do a reading challenge of sorts: read one book from every category – one from the 100s (psychology), the 200s (religion), etc. To make it more fun, I’m not going to pick the books in advance, but instead find them by chance by wandering the library aisles exactly like you said. 🙂
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That is the BEST idea. I may have to steal it!
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Steal away! We can even do the challenge together and compare reads! *hops excitedly*
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That would be amazing! I would absolutely love that, you wouldn’t even know. You may receive random messages about books I have checked out, you have been warned.
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Weee!
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read Asimov. He’s written books published in 9 out of the 10 major categories.
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Wow, really? I’d prefer to read an array of authors, but that’s interesting.
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Probably more interesting to read a bunch of different authors. But it’s a fun factoid.
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Tis!
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I also work in a library, so know what you are talking about. However, if your library doesn’t do so already, you should be washing your book covers before reshelving them. (Then you won’t have to worry about slimy kid books! 😉 )
I love knowing the sorts of things patrons are reading about. I am actually doing a library read through at the moment (and blogging about it) that sounds a lot like your reading challenge!
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I took a peek at your post about reading through the entire nonfiction section. Give me a second to pick my jaw up off the floor!
Wow. That is quite the challenge. You must read very fast! Will you be finishing each one or will you put some down if you’re not liking them?
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I do read several from each section all the way through. Some, however, are skim read and others are put back because they just didn’t “grab” me. I do, however, make an honest effort to read several representatives from each section. Yes, I am currently reading through the adult nonfiction, but I intend to go through the ENTIRE library and take advantage of as many things as possible (there are many library resources that aren’t JUST books). I do read fairly fast, but I’m not a speed reader.
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I commented too soon. 😛 I read the full post (and the others on your blog), and saw that you won’t be reading literally EVERY book, just certain ones from each section. That’s still a feat! I’m excited to see what books you pick.
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Thank you. It is definitely an ambitious project! I will be commenting from time to time on specific books but I didn’t want my entire blog to be one big book report since I want to take advantage of all aspects of the library. I am more likely to comment on the subjects of various books. Thanks so much for your interest!
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Looking forward to it!
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I grew up in libraries, my mother having been a librarian (and a damn good one). I envy you your new job! Pro tip: hand sanitizing gel. It’s not just kids who leave germs.
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Oh yes, I’ve been frenziedly pumping the hand sanitizer. Our library has a cupboard stocked full of giant bottles, hehe.
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Very necessary. Any unusual bookmarks turned up yet?
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Ah, you mean bookmarks left in returned books? Nothing yet. Found a slip of paper that had something school-related on it, but not interesting. I LOVE found texts – have a collection actually of unique and personal writings found on scraps of forgotten paper – so I’m eagerly awaiting something like that, but so far nothing.
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That’s awesome, congrats!!! I love books. I love libraries. I love bookshops. It sounds like a wonderful job! For some reason reading this I imagined you as a scriv working in the Archives like Fela in “The Name of the Wind”.
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Thanks! I haven’t read The Name of the Wind, is it good?
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Yessssss. I mean if you like fantasy! It’s currently my favorite fantasy series…
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Nice! I’ll check it out.
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I’m so happy for you! That sounds amazing. I absolutely loooove libraries (and obviously books) 😆👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎉
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Sounds like you’ve found a job that’s a great fit for you. I always loved shelving books when I was in college and worked at the library. That job was enough to get me a job later in life at a university library’s circulation desk. It was one of my favorite jobs. Best of all, I could order books through the library for a huge discount! Of course, I cancelled out the discount by having to buy more book shelves for all my new acquisitions.
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Haha, sounds like me – I’m officially in need of another bookcase. I mean, I’ve been needing one for a while now but I’ve been shifting things around to make room. But now it’s OFFICIAL-official. 😛
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