April 20th, 2008 Librarians in Literature

Hair in a bun, glasses on a chain, frumpy clothes and sturdy shoes, do you know that stereotype? Yes, I will openly admit to being a librarian, and I frequently have to face some good-hearted bantering and admonishing shhs.

Recently, I attended PLA, a conference for Public Libraries. There were almost 10,000 librarians in attendance, and yes, some of them fit this stereotype, but many didn't. There were high fashion librarians, one with knee high red boots, non-bespectacled men in khaki and loafers, a young woman with bright green hair, even a smattering of suited CEOs, in other words a cross-section of people and personalities. They weren't a quiet bunch, they asked direct questions, stood in line for free merchandise, and cheered for their favorite speakers. Yes, some of the favorites were authors, but that is our stock in trade! One of my favorite sessions was on librarians in literature, and like the conference attendees, these too are a varied bunch. See if you recognize these librarians from books.

What librarians are sleuths, using their natural curiosity to identify the killer?

Helma Zukas is probably the best known crime-solving librarian. She was created by Jo Dereske, a former librarian. In Miss Zukas and the Stroke of Death, Miss Zukas is a conservative, intelligent librarian who is thrown into solving another murder when her flamboyant artist friend Ruth is implicated after body shows up on her lawn. These cozy mysteries are set in Michigan and allow you to experience the quirky world of the library. In Tome of Death, a mystery by D.R. Meredith, librarian Megan Clark, and her Murder by the Yard reading group must unravel the mystery behind a burial site in Palo Duro Canyon. The site containing two corpses--one a human skeleton, the other a mummy in Comanche garb--murdered more than 100 years apart. Elizabeth Peters follows the exploits of librarian Jacqueline Kirby in Die for Love. Jacqueline, a librarian from Nebraska poses as a romance author in order to attend the Historical Romance Writers Conference in New York. She is soon caught up in masquerades, intrigues, and deadly goings-on.

Can you name some Futuristic or Fantastic Librarians?

The Rover by Mel Odom, will set you off on a multi-volume fantasy adventure starring Edgewick Lamplighter, a third-level librarian, in the basement of the Great Library. The bookish, pint-sized fellow's vast knowledge of the world has been acquired through reading, follow him on a journey filled with magic, mystery and self-discovery. In Ringworld, Terry Pratchett creates an epic series, populated by memorable, mystical characters. In it, the Unseen University Library is the repository of magic, its librarian is a wise and brave banana-craving orangutan. Satire and spoofery make this a series to enjoy with gusto. The Greatwinter trilogy by Sean McMullen describes a futuristic Australia including libraries that are exciting places, staffed and fought over by quick-tempered duellists armed with old-style flintlock pistols. Three great characters in the first book, Souls in the Human Machine, will capture your interest. John Glasken, is a likeable rascal with a lust for life, Zarvora Cybeline is the lonely and brilliant head of the library system, and Lemorel Milderelle is a precocious librarian driven mad by the loss of her love.

Are there Romantic librarians?

Yes, many major authors have used librarians as their heroines. Jayne Ann Krentz has Leonora Hutton, reference librarian, in Smoke in Mirrors. Krentz brings a sexually repressed librarian and a handyman venture capitalist together to solve the case of a murderer who possesses the ability to make murder look like suicide. Nora Roberts in her Key trilogy introduces Dana Steele, a librarian who is sure that the key to unlocking the spellbound souls of ancient demigoddesses lies in a book. This is an energetic mix of fantasy and romance that Nora Roberts fans will enjoy. In the Dewey Decimal System of Love, Allison Sheffield, local librarian has been "on the shelf" for fifteen years when she falls madly in love with conductor Aleksi, even though he has a wife. This story is endearing and charming, and a bit kooky. Most people will recognize the stereotypical librarians and public, but will get a good chuckle with this light romance.

Roberta Casella, Librarian