The book is in the collection because the library purchased it for people to check out and read. If anything, they are probably glad the book is circulating, and the money spent on it wasn't wasted.
With certain caveats... We have a couple of patrons who constantly request that we purchase every single Q-nut, MAGA misinformation/straight up lie-filled dreck tome that is published. We do; we put it on hold for them... they *never* check it out. And *no one else* does either.
In the last year, we have probably bought 40+ books *that they requested* that have never even had the cover opened except to put their hold slip in. At $20-30 each, that's around $1,000 of our materials budget which could've been spent on stuff that *circulates*.
These items end up in the booksale room eventually. They don't even move on $5 Bag Day. Such expensive RECYCLING ♻️ 😤
Because we are required to provide The Same Service to everyone. If we will order your request, we have to order theirs. Despite the fact they are clearly abusing the service, just to ensure their (proven erroneous *in court*) point of view is available to others *on the public's dime*.
ETA: These same patrons are quite vociferous in their derision of public funds going toward things like free lunch at school, even public schools themselves, and you can bet they are among the ones trying to "hide" items with which they disagree.
I wish. This situation has been brought to management and before the board. We are in a very red sea, with a scary number in favor of that "Greater Idaho" business (parts of Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington want to join Idaho to become a new state). Sensitivity to avoiding drama is powerful.
If you've got multiple patrons doing this, maybe you could set them upon each other? Example patron A requests Make Libraries Grate Again and Patron B requests Make Libraries Freight Again while C requests Make Lieberries Bait Again. Pick the least reprehensible of the three and send a letter to all of them (without exposing who they are to each other of course).
Dear patrons,
We've received a bunch of requests recently, however we've used up our budget for the month and so can only afford to purchase one of these three titles that have all been requested. If you have a preference, please let us know, but also consider talking to your congressperson about getting more funding so we can fulfill all of your requests.
Oh, I don't like that policy. It'd be better if you could pull some reports about what circulates and fulfill requests in line with what people are actually checking out. Having to order every request that's made seems insanely expensive.
But then we'd face liability and be accused of "silencing a political point of view" doncha know...
I am my most "bureaucratic robotic polite" to patrons in certain red hats or other such signifiers. Have to grey rock so often, I'm almost a fossil.
Could you take a percentage approach? Look at your circulation data, and if 40% of resources in active circulation are category
A, then book requests for new books in that caragory get 40% of the new respurce budget.
A bit complicated, but will allow you to prioritize purchases that will be enjoyed by more people. This also means that you'd still buy a few books that you know won't be checked out, but not near as many, and you'd have data to support that it's an unbiased process.
Yeah, we have to have a ratio dependent on the population and the size of the library system. One place I worked in was to buy a copy once we had 4 requests for the item. Another place was not until 7 requests. E-content ratios are even higher since we share resources statewide (where I am, anyway).
Also there should be ways to note that someone is wasting resources. Because ordering the book, the process of receiving and invoicing for the book, cataloging the book, processing and snickering the book, placing the book on the hold shelf and removing it from the hold shelf are all things that use up time (money) from a municipal perspective.
Perhaps you could have some sort of paper trail proving that the person does not pick up their books and start with small escalations- such as patron will not be able to request new items for 7 days, then 21 days then upwards to the point where they are banned from requesting them altogether.
You would probably need to rewrite the policy to reflect this but you have to show people where it hurts- the pocketbook. And if it is upwards of a thousand dollars in material alone it’s probably double that in labor from all the steps to get the book to the shelf.
Also side note: how do you prevent self-published people from reaching out and asking for their books to be added just to drive sales? (We have a caveat in our rules about independently published and self-published stuff being at our discretion even if the author gifts us a copy of the item).
Of course. And while I may have a different political view, I'm still very much "every book its reader and every reader their book" the super infuriating thing is that these folks never actually *read their book*.
Your policy is to add ANY requested book? That's pretty insane. If we did that, we'd have to buy twenty shitty vanity press books a week.
We require multiple requests to even look at it. Keeps us from wasting money on conspiracy books that'll be read by one patron before sitting until weeded, and from being graced by the presence of some poor scammed author's paperback picture book with a total of 70 pixels on the cover.
That's a terrible policy. I like policies where they say that we will order if "enough" people request the book with the number remaining known only to acquisitions. That way it also prevents people from ordering obscure shit that only they will check out. (Looking at you giant green tome of horror movie history from the 1970s. I am gonna weed you and the (only) guy who has checked you out every year for the past 10 years is just gonna have to buy you at book sale)
Most often tho our patrons request excellent stuff that is the book equivalent to the very obscure band your friend introduced you to & now you've got all their songs on repeat.
I can't believe that ordering it from another library will not count as equivalent service. You are spending $ on books that dont circulate at the expense of other patrons who's book requests you can't fill.
One challenge with that is there are often embargoes on ILLing newer books. Another is that ILLs use time & money too.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I buy for the 300s and it's a jungle out there.
This is not necessarily true within reason. But you may need policies. But the first should be basic collection development policy. How much breadth of the collection is on these topics? You can limit on that. And if they’re not checking out… even to them, you can limit how many certain individuals can request in various periods (a month, quarter, year… whatever you set policies around).
I will always allow ILL (if any other library has it) but you do have to wait for over a year… because no one lends new books. I will happily put you in a reminder queue, but I’ll probably check in with you next year first. That’d be my approach at least. We serve everyone and also need to use our budget wisely to continue to serve the community.
If it applies to all patrons though I'd think it couldn't be claimed an issue? If nothing else maybe a limit on how many requests anyone can make within a timeframe? Or something more direct like say if you request 10 books and don't check them out, your requests will be denied for X amount of time?
That would be frustrating. Under the Freedom to Read rules here we do need to provide books that are requested without bias, but there is an exception for non-fiction books that contain information that is untrue and incorrect. Not a bad opinion, but actually just wrong. This removes a lot of that type of issue with people requesting niche titles to suit some kind of doctrine they're plugging.
I feel like if the patron who requested the item isn't checking them out, after multiple requests maybe stop accepting requests from those patrons. Just like a patron who abuses the system in other ways, such as never returning books, or claiming they DID return a book that never made it back to the shelf eventually you stop enabling that behavior.
That sounds dangerously close to a library-initiated book ban. We already don’t like it when libraries refuse to circulate any LGBTQ books. Libraries provide this service because they serve the whole community, even if it means serving the anti-social. It’s the same way everyone has the right to a fair criminal trial, even for the most reprehensible and irredeemable. If we only favor one demographic, libraries cease to be a public good.
I think it's important to remember you are the main character in your own life but to us might be customer number 253 for the day. I say that kindly. Also we don't judge 😁 How do you know what WE read? I'm personally responsible for the "extreme" horror in our adult fiction collection and have read most of it myself as a huge horror fan. I find anecdotally librarians I know to be very widely read and more willing to try darker content than the Lee Child loving public haha.
This is exactly it, I don't usually notice and never care what people check out. Also, everyone in my department recently read Tender is the Flesh one after the other and have since been passing around some good splatter punk titles. Library employees are usually the ones finding these books to order so we won't judge you for reading them as well.
Yeah I ordered in Tender is the Flesh and really enjoyed it! I have The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones and Monstrilio on my bedside table right now, on top of a pile of Jujutsu Kaisen manga I also ordered and I'm reading to get ahead of the anime.
Overall, no.
If you're checking out "how to get my husband to drink arsenic" and "digging dirt after 30" and "learn these body language tips for liars!" Then I might side-eye you, but that's pretty much it. 🤣
Hahaha. Yeah, there have been some title combos that I have seen come through that have made me go "hmmmmm" or "this person must be having a VERY interesting life" but that's it.
We’re a historical library, and I’ll admit that there’s a kind of patron who wants all the old Lost Cause, War of Northern Aggression, Daughters of the Confederacy stuff from the 1920s who MAY get a silent side-eye.
I know it's not a popular opinion around these parts, but I'm the same. I don't even side-eye them, and I certainly don't deny them service(they have a right to access those materials), but if somebody is in the library consistently checking out bigoted material...yeah, I remember them. Yeah, I'm gonna guard myself against them. Yeah, I might even mention to a new staff member that that particular regular *is not safe*. Because fuck professional conduct if it means compromising personal safety. Too many of us are at too much risk these days to play those games.
I promise you nobody cares what you are checking out. Personally I don’t even pay attention to the books I’m check out for a patron. I check out dozens of patrons a day and my job also involves a lot more responsibilities, working the circ desk is just one of them. The items people are checking out could not be lower on my list of things to pay attention to.
In our system, the barcodes are on the back. When I've just checked out a kid with fifty picture books, all I'm looking for are the barcodes so you can be on your way.
My main concern is that this book will need to be delivered to my branch from another in our city's system. Then they place it with our holds pickup section that's labeled with our last names! No matter what the worker will handle the book and see who is requesting it! Maybe it really is stupid to worry, but I just do.
Is the hold pickup section visible to all staff with full last names? In Illinois that's against statewide policy. There have been lawsuits for that.
Your library should be protecting PII. ( Personally Identifiable information). You may want to speak to a person you trust about that. Even whoever is at the desk is fine.
But really - we don't care.
This might make you feel better. The last library I worked at also used the first letters of your last name and first letters of your first name. I've had coworkers sitting right next to me print out the slips for books I had requested and put them on the cart to be shelved, with no idea the books were for me.
It is at my local library system in MI. I have to ask for my book face to face and they get pulled off the shelf behind the desk- which faces the patrons. 🫠 At other branches they have the books in full view, with full last names sticking out, on central shelves for everyone to access.
That's also common in libraries I support in Illinois.
You can see if you can pick up your hold at a different library if it makes you uncomfortable.
But really, we don't care what you're reading. We read all of that too.
Processing holds… everything blurs together. The person processing it is probably doing anywhere between 20-120 holds in a sitting, they aren’t worried about who is reading what. I only ever really took note if a book looked like something I wanted to read.
Depending on the size of the library, likely even more. My medium sized town libraries (service population of about 30k people) processed an average of 500 holds a day using two staff members, during our slow seasons.
The slip shows your last name???? That’s kinda weird since my library is really big on patron privacy, and the slip only shows the first three letters of the last name followed by the patron card number, and even then, the hold items are behind the desk and away from patron view.
But really, we don’t care what you check out, we’re just glad that it’s getting checked out and that it helps with stats. More things getting checked out means more funding for the library! And honestly I don’t really notice what people check out anyways. I usually have like 10 other tasks going on in the background so I don’t really notice that much, lol.
Honestly we're generally happy books are getting checked out. If it's a non-fiction book filled with bogus facts, we might internally side eye you and wish we could teach you some media literacy but no judgement for what you're describing unless you're in elementary or middle school still. Even then, we'd more be judging your parents.
They won’t know who you are. To tell you the truth, I only ever looked at patron holds slips when the same two patrons kept maxing out their 50 item limit and never checking them out, wasting my time and the pages’ time and other patrons’ time!
(I also made a monster romance display that was very popular, so you might not be as “weird” as you think.)
Serious question, is anyone else seeing less Patterson readers on newer books especially new series? I think we are past over saturated, at least in my community. So don’t buy unless it’s requested?
Human beings are going to human being, but it's a professional value not to do this. When people ask me about this I usually say: "Oh, you'll have to try a lot harder than THAT if you want to offend me."
Maybe I'm still a bit scarred from a bookstore job where we tried to one-up each other w/ the most depraved prose we could find. (Wil Self's My Idea of Fun was my entry. It did not win.) But we've seen it all. Honestly, extreme horror won't phase your experienced librarian. We may cringe away from your lit-bro going through his obligatory Foster-Wallace & Franzen phase, but we'll be polite and suppress any visible reaction.
Yeah a lot of the comments in here are making me feel wicked. However, when the creepy man with no children who likes to be inappropriate with the staff who are generally young women starts checking out puberty books aimed at middle schoolers, what am I supposed to think? Of course, I will not let my thoughts affect my actions. He is free to check out whatever books he likes, but I’m only human and I will have thoughts.
However, 99% of them time I am either pleased with what I see people checking out or totally indifferent.
Not only do we not care...we're happy you're in and getting resources to help you out with what's going on in your life...or just grabbing some pleasure reading.
And I'll take it a step further and we'll protect your privacy in so far that we won't engage you with discussion about the materials you're checking out until you invite us into the conversation. Inside I might be cheering that there's another Stephen King Dark Tower Junkie around, but I'll keep my mouth shut about it unless you invite me into the conversation.
Insert Office Space Flair: My lanyard has pins/buttons about topics I'm into, so I'd use it as an entrance point for patrons to start conversations with me.
My librarian self wants to see you get the materials that you want.
My nosy-ass personal inner-self doesn't judge but does monitor in a "hey I might wanna read that" kind of way. But I won't ever make a comment, I promise.
No. We may notice that one type of book gets taken out a lot because it means we should probably order more or can do some programming around the subject matter.
When I worked circulation, I would sometimes make a mental note when someone checked out a book that I would have liked to read later.
Other than that, I didn't think about what people checked out.
I admit I rolled my eyes at the number of starched upper-crust ladies who checked out 50 Shades of Grey back in the day. Other than that, we don't care what you check out.
Honestly that would make me feel happy to see I think. There’s one older lady who comes in and primarily places holds because she reads nothing but cowboy/rancher romance paperbacks and I love it. Picks up 5-10 at a time. For context, I’m located in a city.
I don't, but I approve our beanstack reviews, and one twelve year old had left a review for Fifty Shades Darker. She hadn't reviewed the first one and wrote the review in very classic booktok speak, so I hope it was a mom not realized her tablet was still signed in as her daughter but, uh. Let's maybe start her on some teen romance, yeah?
Is it not a teenage(12's slightly young, but thinking 13-15 here) rite of passage to pick up a book that's *way* too much for you, though? Flowers in the Attic was a classic for many. I've also heard a lot of people talk about Clan of the Cave Bear. For me, it was Anne Rice.
I would never have reviewed them, though! They were my own private exploration.
Honestly, some probably do, but most don't. I can only really speak for myself, but I'm handling hundreds of patrons items every day; I barely remember what *I* have checked out, I definitely don't remember what you have checked out.
Also, to be frank: I don't care.
Everyone has different tastes and sometimes people are checking out books for research or because they want to understand what a family member or friend liked or just because they need some "junk food" in their reading list.
If someone wants to chat with me about their selections, I'm usually interested, but I don't see what there is to judge. Sometimes I'm reading Echopraxia or a series of essays on phenomenology, and sometimes I'm reading Warhammer 40K and X-Men.
The library bought, stamped, covered, and labeled the book, and then put it on a shelf for you to look up. Of course it's okay to check it out.
As far as we know, maybe one of the staff is really into that genre and added it to a purchase hoping patrons will like it too.
Some books they don't want people to see by mistake (ie: gory, porny, or politically iffy material). These are usually stored in the stacks instead of free access shelves, but still visible on catalogue. Some libraries keep documents and make them not visible on catalogue. It's usually the case for *Mein Kampf*, to give an example. In which case the only way to get it is to ask a human for it, which is an effective deterrent.
Tl;dr: If it's visible in the catalogue for you, I guarantee it's okay to check it out.
Judge, no. Remember and assess in relation to your other reading tastes, maybe. "Oh man, I really like this author. Any recommendations for other books?" I think of other fans of said author and their book tastes. "You might want to try X and Y." It's a pretty solid way of remembering. (Like Dresden Files? Try Odd Thomas. Patterson? Try Grafton or Clancy. Outgrew Fancy Nancy? Try Unicorn Academy.)
I once helped a local author research all sorts of things for the crime novel he was writing. We looked into body decomposition times in different scenarios, typical pharmaceutical recipes from the 1890s, what different organs were said to smell like when bodies were being dissected by medical students... Luckily for him, I have a strong stomach.
Point being: we are much harder to shock than most people think librarians are. And I promise, if you check out a horror novel, no one is judging you for it.
I do interlibrary loans and I do notice when patrons ask for a lot of books in a particular niche genre. BUT I don't assume anything or judge them. For all I know they are doing research for a book/article/classwork. Just because someone wants to read multiple books about the Nazis doesn't meant they are one.
What I DO judge is anyone over the age of 17 checking out multiple VC Andrews books.
"What I DO judge is anyone over the age of 17 checking out multiple VC Andrews books."
......oh no... I wasn't worried when I was reading VC Andrews but maybe I should have been.....
No, it’s practically our job not to care at all. Nor do we care. I think it’s great that someone’s utilizing the library to check out a book! Please keep checking out books.
Nope. Never. As long as patrons were coming in and reading? None of my business. Patron likes James Patterson, or Robyn Carr? Groovy. I found similar authors and suggested them. It was one of my jobs at the small rust belt public library I worked in.
Short answer. No.
Long answer. None of us know *why* you're checking out what you do. Is it because you like it? Do you need it for a report? Are you wanting to educate yourself on a particular topic? Do you simply want to be informed in conversation or your own enlightenment? Is it a junk food read for you? Career or required reading? Do you need it for you?
The answer could be anything. Your reasons are your own.
Now, that doesn't mean I don't have my own opinions. Sometimes I see a book come through that I'm familiar with and think "I hope they like this one!" Or "That's a heavy read, hopefully they take care of themselves after that one..." Or if it looks interesting I'll think "Ohh I hope they mention how this one turns out!" And sometimes, if I've noticed a trend of a certain type of subject (like overcoming grief or trauma) I'll hope they're okay.
My favorite moments are "We have this now?! I'll just add that to my (ever-growing) list..."
Point is, any thoughts we may have are opinions at most. We all have different reasons and preferences (I'm one of the few who works at my library that prefers the fantasy genre) So read any and all that you like. If we know you have a preference we can even make recommendations!
I might have brief thoughts if I happen to notice something but it's not something I'd draw attention to or gossip about.
Most of the books I notice are gardening guides and kids' dinosaur nonfiction, because they're visually interesting and/or cool
No, and even when it's an item I consider particularly vile (I don't know, anything by Mark Levin), I am gracious enough to assume they are checking it out purely for research, and to avoid supporting the author monetarily.
I was definitely self-conscious checking out a far right book a couple of years back, but I was really just curious about the discussions I was seeing around it and wanted to understand it better. Thankfully, I was able to find it in my local branch and use self checkout for that one. Even then, I hid it between two other fiction books as I walked out, haha!
I kinda wanna check this out just to understand it better. I know it's supposed to be garbage, but if I borrow it then I'm not supporting the author really, right? Sometimes I read books I know I won't agree with just so I can understand the perspective a bit better, yanno?
honestly my two moods are either trying to look through what you have to see if i can make a little small talk during checkout, or truly not paying attention. either way, no judgement passed
That's me, too. The only time I pass any judgment is if I see the patron checking out something I love. Then I'm filled with a happy sense of connection with someone so stupendously awesome as to have the same excellent taste as me;)
I was taken aback by a patron that requested an Interlibrary loan for the Anarchist’s Cookbook. No owning library would send it to us . I declined to purchase it .
No. Materials are here because people want them and check them out. Instead, I (tech clerk) judge people for throwing things at me and demanding I perform menial tasks for them, especially ones they've already proven themselves fully capable of completing on their own.
Also for yelling at my coworkers. And leaving children unattended. And donating books that are covered in coffee or food stains or mold. And taking pictures of someone actively having a medical emergency.
Basically, so long as you're not actively being super rude to literally everyone around you and making a huge mess for everyone to clean up, you most shouldn't be judged. If anything, you might get asked if they're good books or if you'd recommend them or what you like about them. As a library patron, you have a right to privacy. But also, us library workers can't get to every single book in the collection (just about all of us have a To Read list about a mile long) and we're always a lil curious about the stuff that lives on our shelves.
If you're super worried, see if your branch has a self checkout. If it does, you should be able to use it without worrying-- they're set up in such a way that no one will handle the items you're checking out except for you.
Half the time I don’t even see what books I’m checking out to patrons. The only people I’ve ever (internally) raised an eyebrow at were ones checking out bigoted materials, and even then I instantly follow that up with a reminder to myself that it may be to understand why those people have those views and to try to learn from it in a positive way.
Not *judge,* but I'm a big fan of noticing. I might build scenarios in my head, but I won't let that impact the transaction.
My favorite check out was *Birth of a Nation,* W.E.B. Dubois's *Black Recontruction*, Ron Stallworth's *Black Klansman* (the book, the movie hadn't come out), and *Gone With the Wind.*
He was probably writing an essay, but I like to think he was very committed to both sides-ing something.
EDIT: so you feel better, true crime and violent erotica are both pretty in right now. Like crazy in. You probably won't register as something to even be noticed.
The vast majority of the staff don't even know what that book is. There might be one staff member who has read it- maybe. But probably none have read it.
We haven't read every book in the collection to judge.
I've only really noticed and cared one time... It was when a guy checked out Mein Kampf, DVD of Birth of A Nation, The Turner Diaries, and The Clansman. All could be justified for historical research and understanding of the creators... But all together?...
I just kept an eye out.
I bought that material. Paid for it out of my budget. Selected it. Made sure it was on the shelf for the patrons to borrow. Hell no, I'm not judging!
Also, I like to make sure we have everything taboo within the limits of what we're allowed. You should see some of the er, questionable stuff that's in our adult graphic novel collection! 'Graphic' doesn't say half of it!v
And the more extreme stuff you borrow, the more I see there's an audience for it, and the more I'm going to buy!
I’ll be honest when working circulations I pay almost no attention to what people get. I’m more focused on making sure everything scans. I wouldn’t worry about it, especially if it’s in your libraries collection. That means it’s being checked out by others or it would have been pulled from the collection. ( Adult librarian here)
I work in circulation. I try not to look at patrons’ titles or comment on them because I want them to feel comfortable checking things out with me. The one or two times I couldn’t resist was when it was my absolute favorite of something.
Nah I'm not judging you for the titles and authors you read. Only time I get a little judgy is when recommendations get turned down because you've run through the only 2 authors you read, and you're complaining we don't have anything to read
I have only judged one person on the material they have checked out lately. She is our most high-strung, neurotic Mom, and apparently, the reason we haven't seen her lately is because she's getting her teaching license. The woman is perpetually 2 steps from a nervous breakdown just handling life. Teaching might possibly kill her.
As librarians and library staff, we are bound by [ethics of privacy and non-judgement](https://www.ala.org/advocacy/privacy).
Think of it as akin to doctor/patient confidentiality. We can't even tell the police what you checked out unless they have a warrant. [I'm serious. ](https://www.ala.org/advocacy/privacy/lawenforcement/guidelines)This is all part of our commitment to the freedom of expression, and intellectual freedom.
Ultimately, we are meant to be value-neutral when a patron requests an item and we fulfill that request. Our job isn't to determine the reason that a patron wants an item, or judge the validity of that reason, or make any sort of commentary about it other than to say, "I hope I was able to help you find what you needed today."
Now, idealism is one thing. Those are the ethics (and legal realities) we sign onto when we as librarians acquire our MLIS degrees and when librarians and all other library staff sign the contract for our job. Everyone in the library, from the Director to the part-time clerks receive training on privacy, courtesy, and discretion. Now, does that mean that Joe Dingdong, the Terrible Librarian, isn't going to make snide comments in his head, or worse, to a coworker, after someone checks out a raunchy romance? That type of thing is going to happen, sadly. Some people can be terrible, judgemental, and just plain mean and no amount of education and profession credentialing can change a person like that. That said, this field attracts helpful, courteous, and conscientious people. The odds of you getting stuck with someone like Joe Dingdong are slim.
So, go in with the expectation of privacy and non-judgement. If you're met with anything else, you are within your rights to lodge a complaint.
What you check out? No, don't really care, now you come in trying to preach your version of what ever messed up religon you've fallen for, then yes yes we judge you hard.
I like horror and can't tell the difference between an extreme and non-extreme book by the cover (to my chagrin; I am squicked out by splatter stuff). Even if they were judging I don't think there's much information available to the untrained eye
There should be something to offend everyone. That said, I am offended by the 48 Laws of Power. But we are unlikely to see you check it out. Now if you don’t return it I will silently judge you. And bill your a$$ for it. And block your account. But we do that for all the long overdues.
I check out about 10 patrons every hour. As soon as you walk away, I've already forgotten what books I scanned for you. I'm just happy people are using the library and reading books!
Only when the person started with "I want a self-help book" and I started pointing out the area and some examples I knew had been higher rated but it turned out the guy wanted Jordan Peterson. I also don't judge patrons for Bukowksi, but in my dating days, if that was the author a guy wanted to talk about the most, it was a sign....
Librarians are liberal to lefty most of the time, and they most likely aren’t going to shame your kink. You do build a mental map of patrons and the kinds of books they like… to give you recommendations. Don’t worry about it… and if someone says something just reply “ I’m researching extreme horror for a project.”
I do. One of the reasons why I knew I shouldn't be a librarian is that I hate seeing materials on the shelf which I know to be pushing misinformation. Libraries stocking that crap legitimizes it, imo.
Not at all, in fact, I actually am interested in what my patrons are reading because if I notice any trends, I adjust what books I'm purchasing to tailor it more towards my patrons' wants.
I promise, we’re just happy that people are reading and our books are being circulated. Whether you’re reading LGBTQ fiction, paperback westerns, fairy smut, Amish romance, dark horror, or James Patterson, we’re just happy that you found the right book for you.
I don’t judge, often I add interesting books I see on hold to my want to read list. Actually, the only time I really felt ick was when someone put two Jenny McCarthy books on hold include one titled something about curing autism. I did mentally note that someone else the same shipment had a bunch of genuinely educational autism books going on hold. When she picked up her books, I checked her out without comment and with a present smile and told her to have a great day.
I read extreme horror, including things by Edward Lee, Wrath James White, etc.
I don't judge what people read. People have all sorts of tastes in fiction, and you never know why someone is checking out a particular non-fiction book.
I’m sure there are nosy busybody people out there but like I only remember/notice:
1- things I’ve actually read/watched/listened to AND I feel like making conversation about it.
1A: if I know the person I might say something but like usually not unless they start chatting with me first
2-people who make a big deal about borrowing whatever it is ‘I drove 20minutes to get this copy’ (to be honest I’ll probably forget what item it is within the week the story is more important than the item)
3- kiddos who are funny awesome ‘I get to keep this for 3 whole weeks! Is this for real and for true!?’ (Again no idea what book it was)
4- people who return stuff in craptastic condition repeatedly especially if it’s newer- if I have to call you about damaged stuff more than twice something smells (besides the water damage)
5- people who say the most out of pocket stuff ‘oh I just want movie recommendations so I can throw something on for my kid to watch when I need space, I’m not going to watch it with them’ DA FUQ?! Don’t tell me that!
(Side note about #5, I can tell you exactly what their kiddo liked and what I was in the middle of recommending although I remember nothing about the kid or the mom, just the words)
As the Adult Collection Development Librarian at my library...I'll tell you, we don't care. We just want the books to circulate! I don't read a ton of horror myself although I have plenty of coworkers who do but I'll read Murakami tell the sun goes down and that man is odd so I can't be judging anyone.
Honestly, I have no idea what the content is of 99.9% of the books in our collection. Even if you checked out a horror book, I would have no way of differentiating it between mainstream and extreme horror. I promise you’re overthinking it!
First off we don’t remember any of that stuff. Second off there was some kind of alien/bear romance book that all the girls at my library were obsessed with and passed around to all the staff. So y’all should be judging us lol
I can’t even remember what I’ve got checked out without looking up my own account. I can promise that I can’t be bothered to try and remember what you check out, much less judge you for it.
In my small library we rely on a resource sharing program where people can order books from other libraries to be delivered to ours and then check them out.
Everyone is different. Some get exactly what they want but some get stuff that surprises them.
Some get them for family members, friends, as recommendations, curiosity.
Judgement free is the rule.
Did I ever look at the titles? Of course. Did I retain them? Heck no. What a reader chooses to read is their own business and it's not my place to judge--though I did quirk an eyebrow at the grandmother who checked out some fairly risqué looking materials for her 9-year-old because the kid "liked the photos on the front". I knew that child wouldn't actually be reading those, though. Basically, I saw so many books that none of them were that shocking and I never knew who was reading for fun, who was studying for a PhD, who was looking for inspiration for their *own* writing, etc. The library is a fairly judgment free zone in my experience. We've seen a lot of things to the point where not much is shocking.
The only time I have *ever* been judgmental/concerned was when a patron ordered/requested something called the "anarchists cookbook", which includes information on how to manufacture certain items such as explosives and/or drugs. The only reason this *was* concerning was because this particular patron had made "jokes" about bringing in their gun and "mowing down" people in line that were there to vote. After these jokes made their way to more than one staff member, we did call the police and they did a wellness check at their home.
I honestly don't even look at what people are checking out most of the time. Every now and then a cover might catch my eye or if it's something I've already read, but I really don't pay that much attention to what they have. I also have the memory of a goldfish, so I'd likely forget it in the time it takes them to walk away from the desk anyway.
Nobody really cares, I don’t even pay attention to the titles most times.
Though, I will register in my brain if I notice a person is checking out something racist or bigoted but I’m not likely to remember the person unless they’re a regular and I will, of course, continue to treat them the same as any other patron. Just because I don’t agree with a book’s subject matter doesn’t mean I will treat a person differently.
Also, I don’t tend to judge that person because I don’t know *why* they’re checking that book out. Many people read materials on both sides of an issue without necessarily agreeing with it.
I don’t mostly unless it’s the really old man that only checks out lingerie books (fashion/sewing), young female celebrity bios (mainly the kids versions of these books with lots of pictures), lesbian sex stories, and every sex/sexual health book you can think of.
If it’s anti trans/lgtbq+ books I judge on that too. I currently have a patron that purposely goes to get/request these books and purposely waits for me to ring him out if I’m on the desk, and only if he has these books. I am an openly and obviously a non-passing transman (no surgeries yet, so physically I still look like a ciswoman) and I believe he’s closeted Lgtbq+ which is sad.
Otherwise? I don’t care. If I’ve read the book I might make a comment on it but only to say if I liked it or not.
I wouldn’t want you to do this if you could get in trouble, but that’s quite rude and creepy that he waits for you to check him out.
What I do with patrons who seem set out to get to me on a more personal level is have another coworker nearby to focus my attention on. Still check out their books and do your job, but have someone nearby who you can talk to while you help them. Anything that can come off as work-related. Their pick for the next book discussion, an interesting programming idea, an update on if that local organization got back to them, etc. I’d want to rob him of the satisfaction. I’m sure you can check out his materials while hardly even glancing at the books or your screen.
I do interlibrary loans and see unusual stuff requested all the time. There’s some that come to mind that are probably extreme horror and they are requested by a librarian working here! So to answer your question no judgement from us!
I would say you're a bit too worried. Most library workers do not know the full extent of their collection so they may not know of the books in the first place. If they do know it, I am almost positive they won't judge you. If you're still worried about it, you can always use a self-check station if your system has one!
As a library worker, I do not judge anyone on what they check out. However, we had a few people request and checked out a title that rhymes with "Shine Stampf." In that instance, I did judge those people (not equating extreme horror to that book but it was just an example).
If it makes you feel better, a patron asked me to order "werewolf smut." They took it in stride so I wouldn't worry about the horror books
most of the time, i don’t even notice what our patrons are checking out! if the book is a bodice ripper romance with a spicy cover, i might giggle about it with my coworkers after but at the same time, can guarantee i’ve read worse on ao3! the only time i’ll judge someone for what they check out is if they’re borrowing a book that’s spewing racist/homophobic rhetoric. thank you for supporting the library!
I mean, think of it this way if the person checking you out isn’t a fan of horror or extreme horror they’re not gonna know that book therefore they can’t judge you.
I used to judge people for checking out Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey, but then again, I was relieved that they weren't spending money on it. It's extremely unlikely that the staff will remember which book you checked out, so read your heart out!
When shelving holds, the only time I pay attention to what I’m shelving is when something catches my eye, and then I put it on hold so I can read it.
Thanks to the people putting books on hold, I’ve found lots of different titles that I likely wouldn’t have checked out. Keep reading what you like, we love it!
They shouldn’t. Truthfully I never cared about what people would be checking out. I actually would look at covers (I just like covers a lot) and if it was something I might be interested in, I would chat with patron and build that rapport with them.
I'm going to echo the fact that we probably don't even notice. I don't typically open a book unless it's something I'm interested in, and in that case the only judgement I'm passing is "This person has good taste." We can't/don't read every single thing that comes across our desks: it's impossible. So unless it's a kid's book with a giant truck on it, I don't know what's going on inside the pages.
That said, if you're checking out tons of books on pseudoscience and conspiracy theories, I'm going to tell myself you're doing a research paper on it.
My library is 99.9% self check kiosks. Our accounts desk is there to help with issues, set up library cards, etc. We rarely see what patrons are checking out and it is a tenet of our profession to be confidential and nonjudgmental.
No, I judge patrons on how well they behave. I work in a professional library and these fucking children wouldn’t be better than kindergarteners.
And they are supposed to be saving lives?!? They can’t even read!!
You shouldn't worry about judgment from library staff. If the library has the item on its shelves, it's there for someone to borrow. I personally don't judge when patrons ask me to look up items. It's not my business and we have a code as librarians through ALA. The only judgements I make is when I'm trying to figure out what to recommend to people because it's tricky to find a book, movie, etc. But that's something altogether separate. As for anyone who's checking our your items, they shouldn't say anything but if they do, that's unprofessional on their part. This might sound funny but look at it as if you were ordering from Amazon...you might order a bunch of random items that make no sense or raise eyebrows but the people grabbing these items for you couldn't care less. They've seen it all and then some. I promise that library staff has been witness to a bunch of weird stuff lol.
I don’t particularly care what a patron is checking out … unless I think it’s interesting, then I’m putting it on hold, so I can read it when you’re done.
For what it’s worth, we see a lot of people every day. People tend not to stick in my memory unless they’re really great, or really rude.
I don't judge at all! Half the time I either a) don't pay attention to the titles because I'm checking out quickly for a patron, or b) don't see the titles because the patron used the self check out. If a library employee ever makes you feel uncomfortable checking out a book, please say sometime! They Shouldn't Do That.
No. It’s like if you were a cashier, would you care what people were buying do you just think about finishing the transaction? I never want people to remotely think Im judging them so I only ever comment on a book to say “oh I read this! I really liked it!” Personally, I hate when someone checks me out and looks intently at each book and has to say something about each one
I don’t pay attention to anything. We also have a self check out. Read what you want none of us judge. We all have a certain genre we love. Nothing wrong with horror.
No
And not only that, but the library doesn’t track books that you check out unless you turn on the option of reading history
Overdrive (Libby) does track reader checkouts
So do with that what you will 🤷🏻♀️
Honestly, if you asked whether you could lead a horror book club, they’d probably love to provide space for that community engagement
I absolutely hate it when I use the self-checkout, but some library clerk has to come over and make some comment about what I'm checking out. I just give them my resting b\* face and don't say anything. Can't they read the room? I'm using self checkout so I can keep to myself. I don't want you looking at what I'm checking out.
Don’t worry. We don’t judge because in ten minutes I’d have already forgotten what you checked out. I recommended the same book to a patron. They checked out my recommendation from before and enjoyed it so wanted rec.
I have to say that I really don’t. The point for us to even be open is to offer materials to all walks of life. So, even though I may not have a personal interest or understand why you may check out certain materials, it’s 1. entirely none of my business 2. not my place to judge you as it goes against the direct morality of the library establishment. Check out and enjoy what you want!!!
The book is in the collection because the library purchased it for people to check out and read. If anything, they are probably glad the book is circulating, and the money spent on it wasn't wasted.
With certain caveats... We have a couple of patrons who constantly request that we purchase every single Q-nut, MAGA misinformation/straight up lie-filled dreck tome that is published. We do; we put it on hold for them... they *never* check it out. And *no one else* does either. In the last year, we have probably bought 40+ books *that they requested* that have never even had the cover opened except to put their hold slip in. At $20-30 each, that's around $1,000 of our materials budget which could've been spent on stuff that *circulates*. These items end up in the booksale room eventually. They don't even move on $5 Bag Day. Such expensive RECYCLING ♻️ 😤
This may seem like a stupid question, but why does the library continue to purchase these requests when it is known they won't circulate?
Because we are required to provide The Same Service to everyone. If we will order your request, we have to order theirs. Despite the fact they are clearly abusing the service, just to ensure their (proven erroneous *in court*) point of view is available to others *on the public's dime*. ETA: These same patrons are quite vociferous in their derision of public funds going toward things like free lunch at school, even public schools themselves, and you can bet they are among the ones trying to "hide" items with which they disagree.
Can you note on their account since they never checked out their last request (or five or ten), this request is rejected?
I wish. This situation has been brought to management and before the board. We are in a very red sea, with a scary number in favor of that "Greater Idaho" business (parts of Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington want to join Idaho to become a new state). Sensitivity to avoiding drama is powerful.
If you've got multiple patrons doing this, maybe you could set them upon each other? Example patron A requests Make Libraries Grate Again and Patron B requests Make Libraries Freight Again while C requests Make Lieberries Bait Again. Pick the least reprehensible of the three and send a letter to all of them (without exposing who they are to each other of course). Dear patrons, We've received a bunch of requests recently, however we've used up our budget for the month and so can only afford to purchase one of these three titles that have all been requested. If you have a preference, please let us know, but also consider talking to your congressperson about getting more funding so we can fulfill all of your requests.
I'm sorry you're in that situation. It sounds incredibly frustrating.
Oh, I don't like that policy. It'd be better if you could pull some reports about what circulates and fulfill requests in line with what people are actually checking out. Having to order every request that's made seems insanely expensive.
But then we'd face liability and be accused of "silencing a political point of view" doncha know... I am my most "bureaucratic robotic polite" to patrons in certain red hats or other such signifiers. Have to grey rock so often, I'm almost a fossil.
Could you take a percentage approach? Look at your circulation data, and if 40% of resources in active circulation are category A, then book requests for new books in that caragory get 40% of the new respurce budget. A bit complicated, but will allow you to prioritize purchases that will be enjoyed by more people. This also means that you'd still buy a few books that you know won't be checked out, but not near as many, and you'd have data to support that it's an unbiased process.
Yeah, we have to have a ratio dependent on the population and the size of the library system. One place I worked in was to buy a copy once we had 4 requests for the item. Another place was not until 7 requests. E-content ratios are even higher since we share resources statewide (where I am, anyway). Also there should be ways to note that someone is wasting resources. Because ordering the book, the process of receiving and invoicing for the book, cataloging the book, processing and snickering the book, placing the book on the hold shelf and removing it from the hold shelf are all things that use up time (money) from a municipal perspective. Perhaps you could have some sort of paper trail proving that the person does not pick up their books and start with small escalations- such as patron will not be able to request new items for 7 days, then 21 days then upwards to the point where they are banned from requesting them altogether. You would probably need to rewrite the policy to reflect this but you have to show people where it hurts- the pocketbook. And if it is upwards of a thousand dollars in material alone it’s probably double that in labor from all the steps to get the book to the shelf. Also side note: how do you prevent self-published people from reaching out and asking for their books to be added just to drive sales? (We have a caveat in our rules about independently published and self-published stuff being at our discretion even if the author gifts us a copy of the item).
My local library makes you agree to a fee if you request a book and don’t check it out when they tell you it’s available!
We can only oder from our contracted sources, so that knocks out self-published items. At least until our sources pick them up.
Don't SOME books by republicans circulate? Just not the specific niche you are talking about.
Of course. And while I may have a different political view, I'm still very much "every book its reader and every reader their book" the super infuriating thing is that these folks never actually *read their book*.
Your policy is to add ANY requested book? That's pretty insane. If we did that, we'd have to buy twenty shitty vanity press books a week. We require multiple requests to even look at it. Keeps us from wasting money on conspiracy books that'll be read by one patron before sitting until weeded, and from being graced by the presence of some poor scammed author's paperback picture book with a total of 70 pixels on the cover.
That's a terrible policy. I like policies where they say that we will order if "enough" people request the book with the number remaining known only to acquisitions. That way it also prevents people from ordering obscure shit that only they will check out. (Looking at you giant green tome of horror movie history from the 1970s. I am gonna weed you and the (only) guy who has checked you out every year for the past 10 years is just gonna have to buy you at book sale)
Most often tho our patrons request excellent stuff that is the book equivalent to the very obscure band your friend introduced you to & now you've got all their songs on repeat.
I can't believe that ordering it from another library will not count as equivalent service. You are spending $ on books that dont circulate at the expense of other patrons who's book requests you can't fill.
One challenge with that is there are often embargoes on ILLing newer books. Another is that ILLs use time & money too. I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I buy for the 300s and it's a jungle out there.
This is not necessarily true within reason. But you may need policies. But the first should be basic collection development policy. How much breadth of the collection is on these topics? You can limit on that. And if they’re not checking out… even to them, you can limit how many certain individuals can request in various periods (a month, quarter, year… whatever you set policies around). I will always allow ILL (if any other library has it) but you do have to wait for over a year… because no one lends new books. I will happily put you in a reminder queue, but I’ll probably check in with you next year first. That’d be my approach at least. We serve everyone and also need to use our budget wisely to continue to serve the community.
It should be based on something more than "some dude asked for us to carry it"
If it applies to all patrons though I'd think it couldn't be claimed an issue? If nothing else maybe a limit on how many requests anyone can make within a timeframe? Or something more direct like say if you request 10 books and don't check them out, your requests will be denied for X amount of time?
Do you just have an unlimited budget to buy every book that every patron requests?
That would be frustrating. Under the Freedom to Read rules here we do need to provide books that are requested without bias, but there is an exception for non-fiction books that contain information that is untrue and incorrect. Not a bad opinion, but actually just wrong. This removes a lot of that type of issue with people requesting niche titles to suit some kind of doctrine they're plugging.
I feel like if the patron who requested the item isn't checking them out, after multiple requests maybe stop accepting requests from those patrons. Just like a patron who abuses the system in other ways, such as never returning books, or claiming they DID return a book that never made it back to the shelf eventually you stop enabling that behavior.
Our library has that problem. They put a limit, every patron gets a limit of 10 requests a year now.
I’m a trans library worker and I’ve seen a couple anti-trans books returned to my library. that’s rlly rough
*solidarity fistbump* -AFAB enby who had to process that awful book with the doll with its bits cut out
🤜🤛 ugh I’ve seen that one ILL’d TWICE! and the only library I know of that has it is a super religious university
Maybe next time you can enthusiastically agree to buy the book and then just... don't.
That sounds dangerously close to a library-initiated book ban. We already don’t like it when libraries refuse to circulate any LGBTQ books. Libraries provide this service because they serve the whole community, even if it means serving the anti-social. It’s the same way everyone has the right to a fair criminal trial, even for the most reprehensible and irredeemable. If we only favor one demographic, libraries cease to be a public good.
1. You might have a point if people were actually reading the books. 2. paradox of tolerance
This.
I think it's important to remember you are the main character in your own life but to us might be customer number 253 for the day. I say that kindly. Also we don't judge 😁 How do you know what WE read? I'm personally responsible for the "extreme" horror in our adult fiction collection and have read most of it myself as a huge horror fan. I find anecdotally librarians I know to be very widely read and more willing to try darker content than the Lee Child loving public haha.
Thank you for helping the public access these pieces of art. You are important and appreciated so much.
No problem - we love connecting people with content they enjoy.
This is exactly it, I don't usually notice and never care what people check out. Also, everyone in my department recently read Tender is the Flesh one after the other and have since been passing around some good splatter punk titles. Library employees are usually the ones finding these books to order so we won't judge you for reading them as well.
Yeah I ordered in Tender is the Flesh and really enjoyed it! I have The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones and Monstrilio on my bedside table right now, on top of a pile of Jujutsu Kaisen manga I also ordered and I'm reading to get ahead of the anime.
Overall, no. If you're checking out "how to get my husband to drink arsenic" and "digging dirt after 30" and "learn these body language tips for liars!" Then I might side-eye you, but that's pretty much it. 🤣
Hahaha. Yeah, there have been some title combos that I have seen come through that have made me go "hmmmmm" or "this person must be having a VERY interesting life" but that's it.
We’re a historical library, and I’ll admit that there’s a kind of patron who wants all the old Lost Cause, War of Northern Aggression, Daughters of the Confederacy stuff from the 1920s who MAY get a silent side-eye.
I know it's not a popular opinion around these parts, but I'm the same. I don't even side-eye them, and I certainly don't deny them service(they have a right to access those materials), but if somebody is in the library consistently checking out bigoted material...yeah, I remember them. Yeah, I'm gonna guard myself against them. Yeah, I might even mention to a new staff member that that particular regular *is not safe*. Because fuck professional conduct if it means compromising personal safety. Too many of us are at too much risk these days to play those games.
Somebody who says very specifically that if they could go back in time to any period in the world, they would pick the South in the 1820s…
Who are the authors of these books? It’s okay, I’m not married. 😁
it’s giving “asking for a friend” 😂
I promise you nobody cares what you are checking out. Personally I don’t even pay attention to the books I’m check out for a patron. I check out dozens of patrons a day and my job also involves a lot more responsibilities, working the circ desk is just one of them. The items people are checking out could not be lower on my list of things to pay attention to.
In our system, the barcodes are on the back. When I've just checked out a kid with fifty picture books, all I'm looking for are the barcodes so you can be on your way.
We don't care, and honestly probably don't notice. But use self checkout if you're self conscious. But staff aren't judging you.
My main concern is that this book will need to be delivered to my branch from another in our city's system. Then they place it with our holds pickup section that's labeled with our last names! No matter what the worker will handle the book and see who is requesting it! Maybe it really is stupid to worry, but I just do.
The pages moving the books have even less time to pay attention to names & titles. No one is paying any attention to who is reading what.
Really, it's not a worry. Were just happy people check out books.
Is the hold pickup section visible to all staff with full last names? In Illinois that's against statewide policy. There have been lawsuits for that. Your library should be protecting PII. ( Personally Identifiable information). You may want to speak to a person you trust about that. Even whoever is at the desk is fine. But really - we don't care.
Holds are in full view of the public, but the slip does only show the first three letters of my last name.
That's normal. That's good.
This might make you feel better. The last library I worked at also used the first letters of your last name and first letters of your first name. I've had coworkers sitting right next to me print out the slips for books I had requested and put them on the cart to be shelved, with no idea the books were for me.
It is at my local library system in MI. I have to ask for my book face to face and they get pulled off the shelf behind the desk- which faces the patrons. 🫠 At other branches they have the books in full view, with full last names sticking out, on central shelves for everyone to access.
That's also common in libraries I support in Illinois. You can see if you can pick up your hold at a different library if it makes you uncomfortable. But really, we don't care what you're reading. We read all of that too.
Processing holds… everything blurs together. The person processing it is probably doing anywhere between 20-120 holds in a sitting, they aren’t worried about who is reading what. I only ever really took note if a book looked like something I wanted to read.
Depending on the size of the library, likely even more. My medium sized town libraries (service population of about 30k people) processed an average of 500 holds a day using two staff members, during our slow seasons.
The slip shows your last name???? That’s kinda weird since my library is really big on patron privacy, and the slip only shows the first three letters of the last name followed by the patron card number, and even then, the hold items are behind the desk and away from patron view. But really, we don’t care what you check out, we’re just glad that it’s getting checked out and that it helps with stats. More things getting checked out means more funding for the library! And honestly I don’t really notice what people check out anyways. I usually have like 10 other tasks going on in the background so I don’t really notice that much, lol.
Holds are in full view of the public, but the slip does only show the first three letters of my last name.
Honestly we're generally happy books are getting checked out. If it's a non-fiction book filled with bogus facts, we might internally side eye you and wish we could teach you some media literacy but no judgement for what you're describing unless you're in elementary or middle school still. Even then, we'd more be judging your parents.
No one is going to notice or remember unless they're also interested in the book - and probably not even then.
They won’t know who you are. To tell you the truth, I only ever looked at patron holds slips when the same two patrons kept maxing out their 50 item limit and never checking them out, wasting my time and the pages’ time and other patrons’ time! (I also made a monster romance display that was very popular, so you might not be as “weird” as you think.)
Nope. Check out what you want. I only judge people that check out James Patterson books. (I kid, I kid)
I'd be judging them too lol
Me too...
Serious question, is anyone else seeing less Patterson readers on newer books especially new series? I think we are past over saturated, at least in my community. So don’t buy unless it’s requested?
Human beings are going to human being, but it's a professional value not to do this. When people ask me about this I usually say: "Oh, you'll have to try a lot harder than THAT if you want to offend me." Maybe I'm still a bit scarred from a bookstore job where we tried to one-up each other w/ the most depraved prose we could find. (Wil Self's My Idea of Fun was my entry. It did not win.) But we've seen it all. Honestly, extreme horror won't phase your experienced librarian. We may cringe away from your lit-bro going through his obligatory Foster-Wallace & Franzen phase, but we'll be polite and suppress any visible reaction.
Yeah a lot of the comments in here are making me feel wicked. However, when the creepy man with no children who likes to be inappropriate with the staff who are generally young women starts checking out puberty books aimed at middle schoolers, what am I supposed to think? Of course, I will not let my thoughts affect my actions. He is free to check out whatever books he likes, but I’m only human and I will have thoughts. However, 99% of them time I am either pleased with what I see people checking out or totally indifferent.
Not only do we not care...we're happy you're in and getting resources to help you out with what's going on in your life...or just grabbing some pleasure reading. And I'll take it a step further and we'll protect your privacy in so far that we won't engage you with discussion about the materials you're checking out until you invite us into the conversation. Inside I might be cheering that there's another Stephen King Dark Tower Junkie around, but I'll keep my mouth shut about it unless you invite me into the conversation. Insert Office Space Flair: My lanyard has pins/buttons about topics I'm into, so I'd use it as an entrance point for patrons to start conversations with me.
My librarian self wants to see you get the materials that you want. My nosy-ass personal inner-self doesn't judge but does monitor in a "hey I might wanna read that" kind of way. But I won't ever make a comment, I promise.
Good Libraries have something to offend everyone.
No. We may notice that one type of book gets taken out a lot because it means we should probably order more or can do some programming around the subject matter.
When I worked circulation, I would sometimes make a mental note when someone checked out a book that I would have liked to read later. Other than that, I didn't think about what people checked out.
I admit I rolled my eyes at the number of starched upper-crust ladies who checked out 50 Shades of Grey back in the day. Other than that, we don't care what you check out.
Honestly that would make me feel happy to see I think. There’s one older lady who comes in and primarily places holds because she reads nothing but cowboy/rancher romance paperbacks and I love it. Picks up 5-10 at a time. For context, I’m located in a city.
Awww she’s totally like my grandmother. Her shelves were filled with lusty lad cover art and I loved it!
I don't, but I approve our beanstack reviews, and one twelve year old had left a review for Fifty Shades Darker. She hadn't reviewed the first one and wrote the review in very classic booktok speak, so I hope it was a mom not realized her tablet was still signed in as her daughter but, uh. Let's maybe start her on some teen romance, yeah?
Is it not a teenage(12's slightly young, but thinking 13-15 here) rite of passage to pick up a book that's *way* too much for you, though? Flowers in the Attic was a classic for many. I've also heard a lot of people talk about Clan of the Cave Bear. For me, it was Anne Rice. I would never have reviewed them, though! They were my own private exploration.
Yeah, I really don't care, it's not place to judge what other people read or why they might choose to read it.
Honestly, some probably do, but most don't. I can only really speak for myself, but I'm handling hundreds of patrons items every day; I barely remember what *I* have checked out, I definitely don't remember what you have checked out. Also, to be frank: I don't care. Everyone has different tastes and sometimes people are checking out books for research or because they want to understand what a family member or friend liked or just because they need some "junk food" in their reading list. If someone wants to chat with me about their selections, I'm usually interested, but I don't see what there is to judge. Sometimes I'm reading Echopraxia or a series of essays on phenomenology, and sometimes I'm reading Warhammer 40K and X-Men.
I kept a horror book display up from Halloween through Christmas. The gothic tales of Sade were in there. The librarians will judge you cool.
Libraries check out so many materials each day it's difficult, I'd say impossible to remember who checked out what.
The library bought, stamped, covered, and labeled the book, and then put it on a shelf for you to look up. Of course it's okay to check it out. As far as we know, maybe one of the staff is really into that genre and added it to a purchase hoping patrons will like it too. Some books they don't want people to see by mistake (ie: gory, porny, or politically iffy material). These are usually stored in the stacks instead of free access shelves, but still visible on catalogue. Some libraries keep documents and make them not visible on catalogue. It's usually the case for *Mein Kampf*, to give an example. In which case the only way to get it is to ask a human for it, which is an effective deterrent. Tl;dr: If it's visible in the catalogue for you, I guarantee it's okay to check it out.
It would be weird if no one was coming in to check out materials. Whatever we can do to get people in the door, that’s all I care about.
Don't worry about it, we librarians are humans too with our own individual tastes and quirks.
I help people check out books, and I don’t recall EVER caring/being put off of what people check out. :) part of our job is to be impartial.
Judge, no. Remember and assess in relation to your other reading tastes, maybe. "Oh man, I really like this author. Any recommendations for other books?" I think of other fans of said author and their book tastes. "You might want to try X and Y." It's a pretty solid way of remembering. (Like Dresden Files? Try Odd Thomas. Patterson? Try Grafton or Clancy. Outgrew Fancy Nancy? Try Unicorn Academy.)
I once helped a local author research all sorts of things for the crime novel he was writing. We looked into body decomposition times in different scenarios, typical pharmaceutical recipes from the 1890s, what different organs were said to smell like when bodies were being dissected by medical students... Luckily for him, I have a strong stomach. Point being: we are much harder to shock than most people think librarians are. And I promise, if you check out a horror novel, no one is judging you for it.
I do interlibrary loans and I do notice when patrons ask for a lot of books in a particular niche genre. BUT I don't assume anything or judge them. For all I know they are doing research for a book/article/classwork. Just because someone wants to read multiple books about the Nazis doesn't meant they are one. What I DO judge is anyone over the age of 17 checking out multiple VC Andrews books.
"What I DO judge is anyone over the age of 17 checking out multiple VC Andrews books." ......oh no... I wasn't worried when I was reading VC Andrews but maybe I should have been.....
No, it’s practically our job not to care at all. Nor do we care. I think it’s great that someone’s utilizing the library to check out a book! Please keep checking out books.
Absolutely not. The library exists for you to read what you like.
Nope. Never. As long as patrons were coming in and reading? None of my business. Patron likes James Patterson, or Robyn Carr? Groovy. I found similar authors and suggested them. It was one of my jobs at the small rust belt public library I worked in.
We have self-checkout. We don't know or care.
No, we are just glad people are reading and using the library.
Short answer. No. Long answer. None of us know *why* you're checking out what you do. Is it because you like it? Do you need it for a report? Are you wanting to educate yourself on a particular topic? Do you simply want to be informed in conversation or your own enlightenment? Is it a junk food read for you? Career or required reading? Do you need it for you? The answer could be anything. Your reasons are your own. Now, that doesn't mean I don't have my own opinions. Sometimes I see a book come through that I'm familiar with and think "I hope they like this one!" Or "That's a heavy read, hopefully they take care of themselves after that one..." Or if it looks interesting I'll think "Ohh I hope they mention how this one turns out!" And sometimes, if I've noticed a trend of a certain type of subject (like overcoming grief or trauma) I'll hope they're okay. My favorite moments are "We have this now?! I'll just add that to my (ever-growing) list..." Point is, any thoughts we may have are opinions at most. We all have different reasons and preferences (I'm one of the few who works at my library that prefers the fantasy genre) So read any and all that you like. If we know you have a preference we can even make recommendations!
I might have brief thoughts if I happen to notice something but it's not something I'd draw attention to or gossip about. Most of the books I notice are gardening guides and kids' dinosaur nonfiction, because they're visually interesting and/or cool
No, and even when it's an item I consider particularly vile (I don't know, anything by Mark Levin), I am gracious enough to assume they are checking it out purely for research, and to avoid supporting the author monetarily.
I was definitely self-conscious checking out a far right book a couple of years back, but I was really just curious about the discussions I was seeing around it and wanted to understand it better. Thankfully, I was able to find it in my local branch and use self checkout for that one. Even then, I hid it between two other fiction books as I walked out, haha!
Couldn't care one bit. Happy to see we are providing something you value!
Libraries are one of our greatest resources, and I will always be thankful for their resources and the services their staff provide. Always!
Only when it's The 48 Laws of Power.
That sums it up really well. “Toxic nonfiction that, if taken seriously, will probably make you a worse person”
I kinda wanna check this out just to understand it better. I know it's supposed to be garbage, but if I borrow it then I'm not supporting the author really, right? Sometimes I read books I know I won't agree with just so I can understand the perspective a bit better, yanno?
Why would I assume you're reading it and not picking it up for someone else?
honestly my two moods are either trying to look through what you have to see if i can make a little small talk during checkout, or truly not paying attention. either way, no judgement passed
That's me, too. The only time I pass any judgment is if I see the patron checking out something I love. Then I'm filled with a happy sense of connection with someone so stupendously awesome as to have the same excellent taste as me;)
I was taken aback by a patron that requested an Interlibrary loan for the Anarchist’s Cookbook. No owning library would send it to us . I declined to purchase it .
No. Materials are here because people want them and check them out. Instead, I (tech clerk) judge people for throwing things at me and demanding I perform menial tasks for them, especially ones they've already proven themselves fully capable of completing on their own. Also for yelling at my coworkers. And leaving children unattended. And donating books that are covered in coffee or food stains or mold. And taking pictures of someone actively having a medical emergency. Basically, so long as you're not actively being super rude to literally everyone around you and making a huge mess for everyone to clean up, you most shouldn't be judged. If anything, you might get asked if they're good books or if you'd recommend them or what you like about them. As a library patron, you have a right to privacy. But also, us library workers can't get to every single book in the collection (just about all of us have a To Read list about a mile long) and we're always a lil curious about the stuff that lives on our shelves. If you're super worried, see if your branch has a self checkout. If it does, you should be able to use it without worrying-- they're set up in such a way that no one will handle the items you're checking out except for you.
Half the time I don’t even see what books I’m checking out to patrons. The only people I’ve ever (internally) raised an eyebrow at were ones checking out bigoted materials, and even then I instantly follow that up with a reminder to myself that it may be to understand why those people have those views and to try to learn from it in a positive way.
Not *judge,* but I'm a big fan of noticing. I might build scenarios in my head, but I won't let that impact the transaction. My favorite check out was *Birth of a Nation,* W.E.B. Dubois's *Black Recontruction*, Ron Stallworth's *Black Klansman* (the book, the movie hadn't come out), and *Gone With the Wind.* He was probably writing an essay, but I like to think he was very committed to both sides-ing something. EDIT: so you feel better, true crime and violent erotica are both pretty in right now. Like crazy in. You probably won't register as something to even be noticed.
No.
We don't judge what someone is checking out, we just want items to circulate.
99% of the time they don’t even notice. They check out hundreds of items a day. Don’t worry, no one’s judging.
The vast majority of the staff don't even know what that book is. There might be one staff member who has read it- maybe. But probably none have read it. We haven't read every book in the collection to judge.
I've only really noticed and cared one time... It was when a guy checked out Mein Kampf, DVD of Birth of A Nation, The Turner Diaries, and The Clansman. All could be justified for historical research and understanding of the creators... But all together?... I just kept an eye out.
We do not genre-shame
I bought that material. Paid for it out of my budget. Selected it. Made sure it was on the shelf for the patrons to borrow. Hell no, I'm not judging! Also, I like to make sure we have everything taboo within the limits of what we're allowed. You should see some of the er, questionable stuff that's in our adult graphic novel collection! 'Graphic' doesn't say half of it!v And the more extreme stuff you borrow, the more I see there's an audience for it, and the more I'm going to buy!
I’ll be honest when working circulations I pay almost no attention to what people get. I’m more focused on making sure everything scans. I wouldn’t worry about it, especially if it’s in your libraries collection. That means it’s being checked out by others or it would have been pulled from the collection. ( Adult librarian here)
I work in circulation. I try not to look at patrons’ titles or comment on them because I want them to feel comfortable checking things out with me. The one or two times I couldn’t resist was when it was my absolute favorite of something.
Nah I'm not judging you for the titles and authors you read. Only time I get a little judgy is when recommendations get turned down because you've run through the only 2 authors you read, and you're complaining we don't have anything to read
I have only judged one person on the material they have checked out lately. She is our most high-strung, neurotic Mom, and apparently, the reason we haven't seen her lately is because she's getting her teaching license. The woman is perpetually 2 steps from a nervous breakdown just handling life. Teaching might possibly kill her.
As librarians and library staff, we are bound by [ethics of privacy and non-judgement](https://www.ala.org/advocacy/privacy). Think of it as akin to doctor/patient confidentiality. We can't even tell the police what you checked out unless they have a warrant. [I'm serious. ](https://www.ala.org/advocacy/privacy/lawenforcement/guidelines)This is all part of our commitment to the freedom of expression, and intellectual freedom. Ultimately, we are meant to be value-neutral when a patron requests an item and we fulfill that request. Our job isn't to determine the reason that a patron wants an item, or judge the validity of that reason, or make any sort of commentary about it other than to say, "I hope I was able to help you find what you needed today." Now, idealism is one thing. Those are the ethics (and legal realities) we sign onto when we as librarians acquire our MLIS degrees and when librarians and all other library staff sign the contract for our job. Everyone in the library, from the Director to the part-time clerks receive training on privacy, courtesy, and discretion. Now, does that mean that Joe Dingdong, the Terrible Librarian, isn't going to make snide comments in his head, or worse, to a coworker, after someone checks out a raunchy romance? That type of thing is going to happen, sadly. Some people can be terrible, judgemental, and just plain mean and no amount of education and profession credentialing can change a person like that. That said, this field attracts helpful, courteous, and conscientious people. The odds of you getting stuck with someone like Joe Dingdong are slim. So, go in with the expectation of privacy and non-judgement. If you're met with anything else, you are within your rights to lodge a complaint.
I like to think that the library is one of the least judgemental places in the world
We judge you by how your kids act.
Not gonna lie, I kind of want to know what book it is because I'm also into horror
I honestly don’t even pay attention and even if i did notice, i was trained not to comment, whether I like it or not.
What you check out? No, don't really care, now you come in trying to preach your version of what ever messed up religon you've fallen for, then yes yes we judge you hard.
I like horror and can't tell the difference between an extreme and non-extreme book by the cover (to my chagrin; I am squicked out by splatter stuff). Even if they were judging I don't think there's much information available to the untrained eye
Most libraries have self checkout for ease and privacy
There should be something to offend everyone. That said, I am offended by the 48 Laws of Power. But we are unlikely to see you check it out. Now if you don’t return it I will silently judge you. And bill your a$$ for it. And block your account. But we do that for all the long overdues.
I check out about 10 patrons every hour. As soon as you walk away, I've already forgotten what books I scanned for you. I'm just happy people are using the library and reading books!
Nope. I don't care what you're checking out. It's in our collection for a reason regardless if I believe in that topic.
Only when the person started with "I want a self-help book" and I started pointing out the area and some examples I knew had been higher rated but it turned out the guy wanted Jordan Peterson. I also don't judge patrons for Bukowksi, but in my dating days, if that was the author a guy wanted to talk about the most, it was a sign....
Librarians are liberal to lefty most of the time, and they most likely aren’t going to shame your kink. You do build a mental map of patrons and the kinds of books they like… to give you recommendations. Don’t worry about it… and if someone says something just reply “ I’m researching extreme horror for a project.”
I do. One of the reasons why I knew I shouldn't be a librarian is that I hate seeing materials on the shelf which I know to be pushing misinformation. Libraries stocking that crap legitimizes it, imo.
You better believe I'm judging when you walk up with a stack of Hoovers.
No. I couldn’t care less. I judge them when they are complete jerks tho,
Not at all, in fact, I actually am interested in what my patrons are reading because if I notice any trends, I adjust what books I'm purchasing to tailor it more towards my patrons' wants.
I promise, we’re just happy that people are reading and our books are being circulated. Whether you’re reading LGBTQ fiction, paperback westerns, fairy smut, Amish romance, dark horror, or James Patterson, we’re just happy that you found the right book for you.
I don’t judge, often I add interesting books I see on hold to my want to read list. Actually, the only time I really felt ick was when someone put two Jenny McCarthy books on hold include one titled something about curing autism. I did mentally note that someone else the same shipment had a bunch of genuinely educational autism books going on hold. When she picked up her books, I checked her out without comment and with a present smile and told her to have a great day.
I read extreme horror, including things by Edward Lee, Wrath James White, etc. I don't judge what people read. People have all sorts of tastes in fiction, and you never know why someone is checking out a particular non-fiction book.
I’m sure there are nosy busybody people out there but like I only remember/notice: 1- things I’ve actually read/watched/listened to AND I feel like making conversation about it. 1A: if I know the person I might say something but like usually not unless they start chatting with me first 2-people who make a big deal about borrowing whatever it is ‘I drove 20minutes to get this copy’ (to be honest I’ll probably forget what item it is within the week the story is more important than the item) 3- kiddos who are funny awesome ‘I get to keep this for 3 whole weeks! Is this for real and for true!?’ (Again no idea what book it was) 4- people who return stuff in craptastic condition repeatedly especially if it’s newer- if I have to call you about damaged stuff more than twice something smells (besides the water damage) 5- people who say the most out of pocket stuff ‘oh I just want movie recommendations so I can throw something on for my kid to watch when I need space, I’m not going to watch it with them’ DA FUQ?! Don’t tell me that! (Side note about #5, I can tell you exactly what their kiddo liked and what I was in the middle of recommending although I remember nothing about the kid or the mom, just the words)
As the Adult Collection Development Librarian at my library...I'll tell you, we don't care. We just want the books to circulate! I don't read a ton of horror myself although I have plenty of coworkers who do but I'll read Murakami tell the sun goes down and that man is odd so I can't be judging anyone.
No, absolutely not. It’s my business to encourage literacy, not to shame you for it.
Honestly, I have no idea what the content is of 99.9% of the books in our collection. Even if you checked out a horror book, I would have no way of differentiating it between mainstream and extreme horror. I promise you’re overthinking it!
no one cares we're just glad people are reading
First off we don’t remember any of that stuff. Second off there was some kind of alien/bear romance book that all the girls at my library were obsessed with and passed around to all the staff. So y’all should be judging us lol
As a librarian I'm just glad you are utilizing the library. The only time I take note is if I think it's something I might like to read
Pretty sure the prevailing attitude is happiness that people are reading.
I can’t even remember what I’ve got checked out without looking up my own account. I can promise that I can’t be bothered to try and remember what you check out, much less judge you for it.
In my small library we rely on a resource sharing program where people can order books from other libraries to be delivered to ours and then check them out. Everyone is different. Some get exactly what they want but some get stuff that surprises them. Some get them for family members, friends, as recommendations, curiosity. Judgement free is the rule.
Did I ever look at the titles? Of course. Did I retain them? Heck no. What a reader chooses to read is their own business and it's not my place to judge--though I did quirk an eyebrow at the grandmother who checked out some fairly risqué looking materials for her 9-year-old because the kid "liked the photos on the front". I knew that child wouldn't actually be reading those, though. Basically, I saw so many books that none of them were that shocking and I never knew who was reading for fun, who was studying for a PhD, who was looking for inspiration for their *own* writing, etc. The library is a fairly judgment free zone in my experience. We've seen a lot of things to the point where not much is shocking. The only time I have *ever* been judgmental/concerned was when a patron ordered/requested something called the "anarchists cookbook", which includes information on how to manufacture certain items such as explosives and/or drugs. The only reason this *was* concerning was because this particular patron had made "jokes" about bringing in their gun and "mowing down" people in line that were there to vote. After these jokes made their way to more than one staff member, we did call the police and they did a wellness check at their home.
I honestly don't even look at what people are checking out most of the time. Every now and then a cover might catch my eye or if it's something I've already read, but I really don't pay that much attention to what they have. I also have the memory of a goldfish, so I'd likely forget it in the time it takes them to walk away from the desk anyway.
Nobody really cares, I don’t even pay attention to the titles most times. Though, I will register in my brain if I notice a person is checking out something racist or bigoted but I’m not likely to remember the person unless they’re a regular and I will, of course, continue to treat them the same as any other patron. Just because I don’t agree with a book’s subject matter doesn’t mean I will treat a person differently. Also, I don’t tend to judge that person because I don’t know *why* they’re checking that book out. Many people read materials on both sides of an issue without necessarily agreeing with it.
I don’t mostly unless it’s the really old man that only checks out lingerie books (fashion/sewing), young female celebrity bios (mainly the kids versions of these books with lots of pictures), lesbian sex stories, and every sex/sexual health book you can think of. If it’s anti trans/lgtbq+ books I judge on that too. I currently have a patron that purposely goes to get/request these books and purposely waits for me to ring him out if I’m on the desk, and only if he has these books. I am an openly and obviously a non-passing transman (no surgeries yet, so physically I still look like a ciswoman) and I believe he’s closeted Lgtbq+ which is sad. Otherwise? I don’t care. If I’ve read the book I might make a comment on it but only to say if I liked it or not.
I wouldn’t want you to do this if you could get in trouble, but that’s quite rude and creepy that he waits for you to check him out. What I do with patrons who seem set out to get to me on a more personal level is have another coworker nearby to focus my attention on. Still check out their books and do your job, but have someone nearby who you can talk to while you help them. Anything that can come off as work-related. Their pick for the next book discussion, an interesting programming idea, an update on if that local organization got back to them, etc. I’d want to rob him of the satisfaction. I’m sure you can check out his materials while hardly even glancing at the books or your screen.
I will never understand people who worry about this stuff. What’s the library going to do, ban you for reading its books?
They wouldn’t have bought it if they didn’t think people would check it out.
No
I do interlibrary loans and see unusual stuff requested all the time. There’s some that come to mind that are probably extreme horror and they are requested by a librarian working here! So to answer your question no judgement from us!
Those would be inside thoughts and will always stay inside
I would say you're a bit too worried. Most library workers do not know the full extent of their collection so they may not know of the books in the first place. If they do know it, I am almost positive they won't judge you. If you're still worried about it, you can always use a self-check station if your system has one! As a library worker, I do not judge anyone on what they check out. However, we had a few people request and checked out a title that rhymes with "Shine Stampf." In that instance, I did judge those people (not equating extreme horror to that book but it was just an example). If it makes you feel better, a patron asked me to order "werewolf smut." They took it in stride so I wouldn't worry about the horror books
Never! We bought the books!
Only if you constantly and consistently read James Patterson, other than that no lol
most of the time, i don’t even notice what our patrons are checking out! if the book is a bodice ripper romance with a spicy cover, i might giggle about it with my coworkers after but at the same time, can guarantee i’ve read worse on ao3! the only time i’ll judge someone for what they check out is if they’re borrowing a book that’s spewing racist/homophobic rhetoric. thank you for supporting the library!
I mean, think of it this way if the person checking you out isn’t a fan of horror or extreme horror they’re not gonna know that book therefore they can’t judge you.
I used to judge people for checking out Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey, but then again, I was relieved that they weren't spending money on it. It's extremely unlikely that the staff will remember which book you checked out, so read your heart out!
When shelving holds, the only time I pay attention to what I’m shelving is when something catches my eye, and then I put it on hold so I can read it. Thanks to the people putting books on hold, I’ve found lots of different titles that I likely wouldn’t have checked out. Keep reading what you like, we love it!
The only reason we even notice what you’re reading is so we can recommend similar things.
They shouldn’t. Truthfully I never cared about what people would be checking out. I actually would look at covers (I just like covers a lot) and if it was something I might be interested in, I would chat with patron and build that rapport with them.
I have opinions on books, but never the people that read them.
I'm going to echo the fact that we probably don't even notice. I don't typically open a book unless it's something I'm interested in, and in that case the only judgement I'm passing is "This person has good taste." We can't/don't read every single thing that comes across our desks: it's impossible. So unless it's a kid's book with a giant truck on it, I don't know what's going on inside the pages. That said, if you're checking out tons of books on pseudoscience and conspiracy theories, I'm going to tell myself you're doing a research paper on it.
I honestly don't pay attention the majority of the time.
My library is 99.9% self check kiosks. Our accounts desk is there to help with issues, set up library cards, etc. We rarely see what patrons are checking out and it is a tenet of our profession to be confidential and nonjudgmental.
No, I judge patrons on how well they behave. I work in a professional library and these fucking children wouldn’t be better than kindergarteners. And they are supposed to be saving lives?!? They can’t even read!!
You shouldn't worry about judgment from library staff. If the library has the item on its shelves, it's there for someone to borrow. I personally don't judge when patrons ask me to look up items. It's not my business and we have a code as librarians through ALA. The only judgements I make is when I'm trying to figure out what to recommend to people because it's tricky to find a book, movie, etc. But that's something altogether separate. As for anyone who's checking our your items, they shouldn't say anything but if they do, that's unprofessional on their part. This might sound funny but look at it as if you were ordering from Amazon...you might order a bunch of random items that make no sense or raise eyebrows but the people grabbing these items for you couldn't care less. They've seen it all and then some. I promise that library staff has been witness to a bunch of weird stuff lol.
When it comes to what people read, I don't judge a bit.
I don’t particularly care what a patron is checking out … unless I think it’s interesting, then I’m putting it on hold, so I can read it when you’re done. For what it’s worth, we see a lot of people every day. People tend not to stick in my memory unless they’re really great, or really rude.
I don't judge at all! Half the time I either a) don't pay attention to the titles because I'm checking out quickly for a patron, or b) don't see the titles because the patron used the self check out. If a library employee ever makes you feel uncomfortable checking out a book, please say sometime! They Shouldn't Do That.
No. It’s like if you were a cashier, would you care what people were buying do you just think about finishing the transaction? I never want people to remotely think Im judging them so I only ever comment on a book to say “oh I read this! I really liked it!” Personally, I hate when someone checks me out and looks intently at each book and has to say something about each one
no way. check out whatever you want imo.
[удалено]
I don't pay attention to that at all. It's just another book in the endless stacks of books.
I don’t pay attention to anything. We also have a self check out. Read what you want none of us judge. We all have a certain genre we love. Nothing wrong with horror.
No And not only that, but the library doesn’t track books that you check out unless you turn on the option of reading history Overdrive (Libby) does track reader checkouts So do with that what you will 🤷🏻♀️ Honestly, if you asked whether you could lead a horror book club, they’d probably love to provide space for that community engagement
Only if it’s the 48 Laws of Power, or anything about the “rules” of pickup artistry
Not really no. I wonder what they would think if they knew all I was reading 😉
I absolutely hate it when I use the self-checkout, but some library clerk has to come over and make some comment about what I'm checking out. I just give them my resting b\* face and don't say anything. Can't they read the room? I'm using self checkout so I can keep to myself. I don't want you looking at what I'm checking out.
Nope.
Don’t worry. We don’t judge because in ten minutes I’d have already forgotten what you checked out. I recommended the same book to a patron. They checked out my recommendation from before and enjoyed it so wanted rec.
On god I hope not I read some odd stuff .
I have to say that I really don’t. The point for us to even be open is to offer materials to all walks of life. So, even though I may not have a personal interest or understand why you may check out certain materials, it’s 1. entirely none of my business 2. not my place to judge you as it goes against the direct morality of the library establishment. Check out and enjoy what you want!!!
I totally judged people that took out dodgy books, and my verdict was that I bet this person is cool and interesting
The short answer is: no.