Library Life: Library Misconceptions

I've been fortunate that most of my life has been split between two incredible fields of work: science, and library services. Yet, what I've noticed while talking to people outside of these fields, is that there is very little understanding of what we do! I don't blame people for this, I have no idea how an accountant spends their day, or an electrician. However, both of my fields tend to be portrayed rather stereotypically in the media, leading to some pretty funny misconceptions. So today I want to share with you some of the most common ideas I have heard from people about library work/workers. In future, I want to discuss a little bit of what types of jobs I actually do! I've had experience in three departments, and in two types of positions, so my experiences will be an amalgamation of those, and anything else I can tell you - It won't be indicative of every library, but it's a start!

Misconception #1: You get to read books all day!

Uh...I WISH!
I have had to do this in the past, absolutely, but it's not as big a part of most library jobs as people believe. Children's Programmers, those who run storytimes, definitely have to do this to select the items they are going to read. Librarians mostly skim read to determine what items to maintain in the collection, otherwise they usually read book selection/review articles and magazines (nowhere near as fun, trust me). Occasionally we read to get an idea of items in the collection to better be able to recommend them to others, but this is usually on personal time, and for fun! I actually work with some people that don't read for enjoyment at all. These guys are usually movie buffs though!

Mini-Reviews: The DUFF, Mortal Engines, The Impossible

More movies in my long list of things that need to be reviewed! I love watching movies, but I don't like to review all of them. Why not? Well, there can be a few reasons for this: 1) sometimes there just wasn't enough going on in it for me to feel inspired to write a full review/have enough material to write about, 2) because I often just want to watch a movie for enjoyment, and without analyzing it. So, here's how we both win: I watch it for fun, and then I write a mini-review. However, if you see that I have watched a movie and you desperately want a full review...tell me! I am more than happy to consider writing a full review if I know readers are interested.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, here are some of the things I've been watching!

sheknows.com

The DUFF
Do you like Easy A? Well, this movie has that kind of feel to it. It's a relaxed, but fun teen movie that still deals with some important issues and relationships. It's a little bit quirky, but still very relatable. If you are looking for a fun movie for the weekend, or for an evening to curl up and relax with, then I think this is perfect. It will leave you feeling happy, and without having to think too intensely to keep up.

June 2019 Update

In terms of television, June has been an exceptionally slow month. Thankfully I had a bunch of posts lined up, because I did almost no blogging near the end of the month!

Started Watching:

netflix.com

Accidentally in Love - season 1
Yes, I started another Chinese drama. Actually, I'm taking a break from watching it right now to finish up this post. So, this is one that I had saved as one to watch, but like many, I don't recheck why I had picked it before I started watching...and it's very much like Meteor Garden and A Love So Beautiful. Does that mean I am bored? Nope. Does that mean that I am already obsessed with it? Absolutely. I didn't have much hope for it in the first episode or two, but by the third episode I knew that I was going to adore this one. I'm about a third of the way through, and am having a great time.

YA in Review: Flipped (Wendelin Van Draanen)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk.

wendelinvand.com

What it's about:

Julianna Baker flipped for Bryce Loski instantly. Bryce? Not so much. He spends the next several years trying to get away. But when the eighth grade comes around with new challenges and influences, Juli starts to see Bryce for more than just what he is on the outside - and she's not sure she likes what she sees anymore. Yet Bryce, upon being prompted to take a closer look, starts getting a funny feeling every time Juli is near.

Read vs Reel: The Kissing Booth

BEWARE -SPOILERS ABOUND. With this being a comparison between the novel and the film adaptation, there will be lots of spoilers in this review under the section "Where the Movies Differs". Read at your own risk. The other sections should be essentially spoiler-free.

In all honesty, I almost didn't finish this review. No, that isn't any reflection on the source material, I just had so many roadblocks come up with this post that I didn't really have the heart to continue. So, better late than never, here it finally is!

goodreads.com

The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles started as a story on Wattpad before being picked up by publishers in 2012. The Netflix movie adaptation was released in 2018, instantly garnering hoards of fans. It stars Joey King, Jacob Elordi, and Joel Courtney, with Molly Ringwald in the supporting cast. A companion novella, The Beach House was released in 2011 and can be read on Wattpad.

What It's About

Two best friends give birth to their babies on the same day. Their children, Lee and Elle, are inseparable from that moment on. They can count on the other for everything, no matter what. But when Elle and Lee plan a kissing booth as part of the school's carnival fundraiser, they never could have guessed what would happen - her first kiss is with none other than Lee's older brother Noah. Noah seems like a dream: straight A student, football player, and completely gorgeous...until you factor in his motorcycle, womanizing, and tendency to get into fights. Elle is torn between wanting bad boy Noah, and running the other way. What's a girl to do?

Every Day

Every Day is based on a 2012 book of the same name by David Levithan. It was adapted as a movie in 2018.

avclub.com

What It's About:

Every day a person named A wakes up in the body of a different human being. They are not a body in and of themselves, and only a soul. On one particular day, A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets his girlfriend Rhiannon, with whom they spend an unforgettable day. Rhiannon, unused to this type of attention from Justin is over the moon, but when Justin can't remember it the next day, she is not only heartbroken, but confused. A, however, has fallen head over heels. Through a series of different bodies, A meets Rhiannon and explains their story - and when the two start a relationship, they have no choice but to hide it. For who would understand that when Rhiannon looks like she is with a different person every day, that she is really with A? 

Drums of Autumn (Diana Gabaldon)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however as it is part of a series, some comments may spoil portions of the plot of previous books by default. This book is the fourth in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. A television series is also currently out. It recently finished its fourth season, which covers the contents of this book.

dianagabaldon.com

What it's about:

From Scotland to France to Jamaica, Claire and Jamie Fraser have travelled many miles on their journey together. Now in North Carolina, another chapter of their lives is beginning. Journeying to River Run, they meet Jamie's aunt Jocasta, and then move onward to make themselves a home on the newly named Fraser's Ridge. Yet the uncolonized land presents its own challenges - along the way both new and old friends and foe are encountered which will have lasting consequences. Back in the present, Claire and Jamie's daughter Brianna learns the history behind her parent's future - and knows she has to help them in any way she knows how.