Library Suck

[fma_fanatic]

For quite some time now I've been getting books at the library rather than buying them to save money. Tonight I stopped by to pick up a reserve that had come in: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

I go in, wait my turn and am waited on by an older gentleman with a very pronounced British accent (this is important). He takes my card and checks and goes to get the book. As he's walking back, he slows down and a frown creases over his face. When he gets to the counter, he gives me a very serious look.

Library Clerk: I'm afraid I can't let you take this.
Me: Oh? Why? Did I forget to return a book? Do I have a fine?

The clerk stands up straight, becoming patriotic and starts into his speech:
LC: Because it's blasphemous! How dare they destroy a wonderful work like Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austin is undoubtedly rolling in her grave! *every single R is rolled as he speaks*
Me: Okay..well, let me ask you this - is it on the banned books list?
LC: I.. don't know...
Me: Okay, so other than the fact that you feel it is a travesty against Jane Austin, with whom I have no issues, I don't see how you can simply prevent me from checking this book out. May I have the book please?
LC: I will cancel your account!
Me: I would like to see whoever is in charge, please.

About this time, one of the other clerks who knows me well and with whom I've had many nice coversations on books comes up to say hi and ask how things are going. I tell her that I'm being denied my book and is the person in charge in. She blinks and nudges the guy over and checks me out. All the while, he's standing there making alternating cat butt faces and fish faces (opening and closing his mouth in disbelief).

Honestly, the last time I got flak was when I checked out an entire romance series. I got trouble for being asked if I could finish it (4 books total) in just two weeks. Then again, this was nearly 7 years ago and I didn't have much else to do since I didn't have a job.

[Mnemjian]

How does a library employee get off trying to prevent somebody from reading a book?!? God forbid he ever see that Bollywood flick "Bride and Prejudice"... he might just keel over

[Bright_Star]

That would be like going to the pharmacy for some birth control pills & being refused cause they're against that sort of thing. Generally if people have a passion for or against certain things then they need to keep their opinions and/or beliefs to themselves.
I hope what I said isn't fratching but if it is then Mods, do your duty...LOL!

[sanchopanza65]

Actually, this is stupider than that. For one thing, I didn't feel like the author blasphemed Jane Austin, and was very true to the original. For another, unless you worship Jane Austin as a God, (Austintanian?), you can't blaspheme her. Finally, since when do librarians prevent the release of books? Even in the Library War anime that I watched, they were on the side of free expression.

[Victoria J]

My mother has been reading that, and loving it. She's made at least 3 other people get copies, and insisted on reading bits out to me (it is pretty funny, but I I only got around to reading Pride and Prejudice last year - and loved it, and think it might be a bit much to read this so soon afterwards). She's been ill and having a pretty horrible time and this is one of the few things that has been cheering her up.

My mother is, unsuprisingly, English. She takes books extremely seriously. Has a degree in English literature, about 30 bookcases in her house and a love of the original book.

Of course she also has a sense of humour. And eclectic taste that includes comics, horror films, Jane Austen and many many manyother things.

This man needs to get a sense of humour. Then get a new job. He's an idiot for hating the book, but he's incapable of doing his job if he can't handle lending out books he doesn't personally like.

Can you make a formal complaint ? He has no place working there.

Victoria J

[LibraryLady]

It's absolutely amazing to me that he would do that. It's so against everything that librarians stand for.

Well, once I did caution a reader against certain books but that was a very specific case. She was writing a paper for a Professor I knew and was leaning heavily on the works of one author. I knew that the Prof and the author hated each other's guts.

We tactfully suggested that there were other authors on the same topic that might be a better choice.

[Librarybabe]

I'd be all over him like a mustard spoon at a hot dog rally...

So, if it's such a "bad" book, how come "HIS" library bought a copy?
I'd make it a point to call the Library's Director to let him/her know that one of their clerks is seriously violating the policies.

Sheesh. It's bad enough to go through this with patrons who want books banned, but library EMPLOYEES?????

[JoitheArtist]

What the hell??

The book, when considered for what it was, was truer to Austin than I expected. Sure a lot of the purists are ticked, but they are annoying anyway.

Seriously, who the hell did he think he was?

[fma_fanatic]

I shudder to think what he'd think of Farenheiht 451.

[dalesys]

I shudder to think what he'd think of Farenheiht 451.

Perhaps we can transfer him to the 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' ficton.

[BethB]

How does a library employee get off trying to prevent somebody from reading a book?!? God forbid he ever see that Bollywood flick "Bride and Prejudice"... he might just keel over

Aww! I liked that movie.
I had a professor who had a similar experience. he was ordering a certain bible for his class(can't remember which one) but the lady in charge of ordering took it upon herself to order the King James version instead because she believed it was the true Bible. took alot of explaining that this was to teach a class about stories in the Bible, not preach to them about the bible. weird.

[Chanlin]

Your library person just didn't have a sense of humor or something then. Seriously, the book is a parody. As the saying goes parody is the sincerest form of flattery.

My professor for the course I took on Geoffrey Chaucer actually mentioned and recommended Pride and Prejudice and Zombies for a good laugh.

[Taboo]

That would be like going to the pharmacy for some birth control pills & being refused cause they're against that sort of thing.

Actually, if it's emergency contraception (Plan B, etc) then pharmacies are allowed to do that. It's up to the person working there and they can refuse if they personally are against it.

Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies is excellent. I loved the illustrations as well.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I shudder to think what he'd think of Farenheiht 451.

Farenheit 451 is a classic, both the movie and the film. Farenheit 911 is the perversion.

Perhaps we can transfer him to the 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' ficton.

One of my favorite novels, a true classic. I am surprised to see it mentioned here. I still need to read the sequel, Saint Leibowitz and the Wild Horse Woman.

[Imogene]

As the saying goes parody is the sincerest form of flattery.

Imitation, not parody... though, they're really pretty similar, aren't they?