{"id":47009,"date":"2023-04-24T06:00:12","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T11:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/?p=47009"},"modified":"2023-03-06T17:06:53","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T23:06:53","slug":"books-about-libraries-and-librarians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/books-about-libraries-and-librarians\/","title":{"rendered":"Books about Libraries and Librarians"},"content":{"rendered":"

In honor of National Library Week, which is celebrated from April 23 to April 29, we have gathered some fiction and nonfiction books about libraries and librarians (that we haven’t written about yet on the blog!). The descriptions provided below were provided by the publishers. Be sure to let us know in the comments what your favorite library\/librarian books are!<\/p>\n

Fiction<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Librarian Spy<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Madeline Martin<\/p>\n

Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.<\/em><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It\u2019s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.<\/em><\/p>\n

As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war.<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Librarian of Burned Books <\/a><\/strong><\/em>by Brianna Labuskes<\/p>\n

For fans of The Rose Code and The Paris Library, The Librarian of Burned Books is a captivating WWII-era novel about the intertwined fates of three women who believe in the power of books to triumph over the very darkest moments of war.<\/em><\/p>\n

Inspired by the true story of the Council of Books in Wartime\u2014the WWII organization founded by booksellers, publishers, librarians, and authors to use books as \u201cweapons in the war of ideas\u201d\u2014The Librarian of Burned Books is an unforgettable historical novel, a haunting love story, and a testament to the beauty, power, and goodness of the written word.<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Library of Lost and Found<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Phaedra Patrick<\/em><\/p>\n

Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people\u2014though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she\u2019s invisible.<\/em><\/p>\n

All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend\u2014her grandmother Zelda\u2014who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda\u2019s past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever.<\/em><\/p>\n

Filled with Phaedra Patrick\u2019s signature charm and vivid characters, The Library of Lost and Found is a heartwarming and poignant tale of how one woman must take control of her destiny to write her own happy ending.<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Library of Legends<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Janie Chang<\/p>\n

China, 1937. When Japanese bombs begin falling on the city of Nanking, nineteen-year-old Hu Lian and her classmates at Minghua University are ordered to flee. Lian and a convoy of students, faculty and staff must walk 1,000 miles to the safety of China\u2019s western provinces, a journey marred by the constant threat of aerial attack. And it is not just the refugees who are at risk; Lian and her classmates have been entrusted with a priceless treasure: a 500-year-old collection of myths and folklore known as the Library of Legends.<\/em><\/p>\n

Her family\u2019s past has made Lian wary of forming attachments, but the students\u2019 common duty to safeguard the Library of Legends forms unexpected bonds. Lian finds friendship and a cautious romance with the handsome and wealthy Liu Shaoming. But after one classmate is murdered and another arrested, Lian realizes she must escape from the convoy before a family secret puts her in danger. Accompanied by Shao and the enigmatic maidservant Sparrow, Lian makes her way to Shanghai, hoping to reunite with her mother.<\/em><\/p>\n

During the journey, Lian learns of the connection between her two companions and a tale from the Library of Legends, The Willow Star and the Prince. This revelation comes with profound consequences, for as the ancient books travel across China, they awaken immortals and guardian spirits who embark on an exodus of their own, one that will change the country\u2019s fate forever.<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Last Chance Library <\/a><\/strong><\/em>by Freya Sampson<\/p>\n

Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.<\/em><\/p>\n

Joining a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, June opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand. The kindhearted lawyer\u2019s feelings for her are obvious to everyone but June, who won\u2019t believe that anyone could ever care for her in that way.<\/em><\/p>\n

To save the place and the books that mean so much to her, June must finally make some changes to her life. For once, she\u2019s determined not to go down without a fight. And maybe, in fighting for her cherished library, June can save herself, too.<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

Nonfiction<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/em>The World’s Strongest Librarian<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Joshua Hanagarne<\/p>\n

A funny and uplifting story of how a Mormon kid with Tourette\u2019s found salvation in books and weight lifting<\/em><\/p>\n

Josh Hanagarne couldn\u2019t be invisible if he tried. Although he wouldn\u2019t officially be diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome until his freshman year of high school, Josh was six years old when he first began exhibiting symptoms. When he was twenty and had reached his towering height of 6\u20197\u201d, his tics escalated to nightmarish levels. Determined to conquer his affliction, Josh tried countless remedies, with dismal results. At last, an eccentric, autistic strongman taught Josh how to \u201cthrottle\u201d his tics into submission using increasingly elaborate feats of strength. What started as a hobby became an entire way of life\u2014and an effective way of managing his disorder.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today, Josh is a librarian at Salt Lake City\u2019s public library and founder of a popular blog about books and weight lifting\u2014and the proud father of five-year-old Max. Funny and offbeat, The World\u2019s Strongest Librarian traces this unlikely hero as he attempts to overcome his disability, find love, and create a life worth living.<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Overdue: Reckoning with the Public Library<\/a><\/strong><\/em> by Amanda Oliver<\/p>\n

Who are libraries for, how have they evolved, and why do they fill so many roles in our society today?<\/em><\/p>\n

Based on firsthand experiences from six years of professional work as a librarian in high-poverty neighborhoods of Washington, DC, as well as interviews and research, Overdue begins with Oliver’s first day at an “unusual” branch: Northwest One.<\/em><\/p>\n

Using her experience at this branch allows Oliver to highlight the national problems that have existed in libraries since they were founded: racism, segregation, and class inequalities. These age-old problems have evolved into police violence, the opioid epidemic, rampant houselessness, and lack of mental health care nationwide\u2014all of which come to a head in public library spaces.<\/em><\/p>\n

Can public librarians continue to play the many roles they are tasked with? Can American society sustain one of its most noble institutions?<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong>The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts saved Yiddish literature for Generations to<\/strong> Come<\/strong><\/a><\/em> written by Sue Macy; illustrated by Stacy Innerst<\/p>\n

Over the last forty years, Aaron Lansky has jumped into dumpsters, rummaged around musty basements, and crawled through cramped attics. He did all of this in pursuit of a particular kind of treasure, and he\u2019s found plenty. Lansky\u2019s treasure was any book written Yiddish, the language of generations of European Jews. When he started looking for Yiddish books, experts estimated there might be about 70,000 still in existence. Since then, the MacArthur Genius Grant recipient has collected close to 1.5 million books, and he\u2019s finding more every day.<\/em><\/p>\n

Told in a folkloric voice reminiscent of Patricia Polacco, this story celebrates the power of an individual to preserve history and culture, while exploring timely themes of identity and immigration.<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library <\/a><\/strong><\/em>by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Eric Velasquez<\/p>\n

Where is our historian to give us our side? Arturo asked.<\/em><\/p>\n

Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance stood an Afro\u2013Puerto Rican named Arturo Schomburg. This law clerk\u2019s life\u2019s passion was to collect books, letters, music, and art from Africa and the African diaspora and bring to light the achievements of people of African descent through the ages. When Schomburg\u2019s collection became so big it began to overflow his house (and his wife threatened to mutiny), he turned to the New York Public Library, where he created and curated a collection that was the cornerstone of a new Negro Division. A century later, his groundbreaking collection, known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, has become a beacon to scholars all over the world.<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre\u0301\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/em>words by Anika Aldamuy Denise; illustrations by Paola Escobar<\/p>\n

An inspiring picture book biography of storyteller, puppeteer, and New York City\u2019s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual literature.<\/em><\/p>\n

When she came to America in 1921, Pura Belpr\u00e9 carried the cuentos folkl\u00f3ricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and storytellers continue to share her tales and celebrate Pura\u2019s legacy.<\/em><\/p>\n

Brought to colorful life by Paola Escobar\u2019s elegant and exuberant illustrations and Anika Aldamuy Denise\u2019s lyrical text, this gorgeous book is perfect for the pioneers in your life.<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In honor of National Library Week, which is celebrated from April 23 to April 29, we have gathered some fiction and nonfiction books about libraries and librarians (that we haven’t written about yet on the blog!). The descriptions provided below were provided by the publishers. Be sure to let us[Read more]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10,1,8],"tags":[402,4911,997,676,6783,6782,6780,6776,6775,6779,6778,6781],"class_list":["post-47009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-reference","category-staff-picks","tag-fiction","tag-librarian","tag-library","tag-nonfiction","tag-pura-belpre","tag-schomburg","tag-the-last-chance-library","tag-the-librarian-of-burned-books","tag-the-librarian-spy","tag-the-library-of-legends","tag-the-library-of-lost-and-found","tag-the-worlds-strongest-librarian"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pd0CXx-ced","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47009"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47144,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47009\/revisions\/47144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/reference\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}