Try To Remember
As a children's librarian a certain percentage of my time is dedicated towards helping people locate that book from their childhood they vaguely remember but can't quite recall the name of. The easiest of these was when this punk rock, heavily pierced, tattooed fellow came up to my children's desk and asked if I knew of a black and white picture book that could be read forwards and then upside down. Thank God he was from my generation. The guy was practically in tears when I was able to hand him the Ann Jonas book in question.
But sometimes (mostly, in fact) I don't know what that book was that you read as a kid. Fortunately, there are some solutions at hand. A librarian can always ask the Pubyac listserv and take the advice of librarians nationwide. Or you can go to a site like Stump the Bookseller which is published by Loganberry Books. Any and all other solutions are welcome.
posted by fusenumber8 @ 12:01 AM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
There was one time when the fact that the person remembered the cover was green was the key to figuring the identity of the forgotten book. Of course, now I can't remember what that book was, but it was a sweet moment.
Stump the Bookseller has found several books for me (including "The Majesty of Grace" and "What's for Lunch, Charley?").
A friend of mine back in Minnesota had a similar experience. A high school student came up to him and asked for "the orange book". The guy actually had had the book when HE was in high school and was able to find it.
My co-workers know to come to me with the stumpers. Someone can't think of a title, can't describe the plot nor the characters, but swears there was a yellow feather on the cover. They freak out when I find the right book . . . and have a fit when I can't. Luckily, on some rare occasions, I've had co-workers still standing beside me or in the immediate area when said fits happen and pipe up, "If _she_ doesn't know what the book is, then _no one_ will."
-- Little Willow, for whom Blogger is being EVIL
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