I’ll never forget my excitement when I heard that the Winnipeg Public Library was hiring entry-level staff, at the time known as library pages (those folks who put books away on library shelves). I love to read, and I imagined how amazing it would be to spend my days surrounded by books. It sounded like the perfect job for me. I waited eagerly for a response after I submitted my application, fearing as time went by that I wouldn’t be hired. On the day the phone finally rang, and I was invited to an interview, my dream was realized. Fast-forward 14 years, and I was right: the library is my happy place. My bookshelves at home are always stacked high with piles of library books; my request list is usually maxed out at 50 items; and I still get excited about new authors or genres of books to enjoy. My love of books is something my family knows well. At a family Christmas party about 5 years ago, I received one of my all-time favourite Christmas presents: a t-shirt proclaiming, “IF LOST, PLEASE RETURN TO THE LIBRARY”.
I loved this t-shirt and wore it everywhere, until the colours faded, and the letters began to wear away from constant washing. In the years since, it’s become a tradition for my family to give me library-themed t-shirts for birthdays and Christmases. My collection has grown so much that I can wear a different t-shirt every day of the week – and I often do. One of the next shirts to come my way at Christmas might strike fear in the heart of the serious book lover – “A-BIBLIO-PHOBIA, the fear of running out of books”.
Working in the library means access to a seemingly endless collection of books, but the thought of not having anything to read would be truly scary! If you ever find yourself wondering what to read next, look no further: Your Next Great Read – Info Guides at Winnipeg Public Library. You can also find great titles by filling out the “Five-in-Five Book List” form on our website. One of our librarians will curate a list of five new titles – just for you.
Many books make the leap from printed page to the big (or small) screen. Some are well-adapted and others, not so much. This humorous t-shirt from my husband says it well:
One example that stands out for me is the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series, a fantastic set of books by author Rick Riordan, which begins with “The Lightning Thief”. My kids and I loved these books, but we thought the movies were terrible. The series has since made the jump to TV, courtesy of Disney and though I haven’t had a chance to see it, the reviews have been good. Browse our catalogue for the series and movies and put my t-shirt to the test for yourself.
At least a few times a week the basket on my desk fills with a pile of new books. For every book I return to the library, it seems I take 3 or 4 (or 6) more home with me. Did I mention my bookshelves are always full? It’s fitting that this t-shirt arrived under the tree for me last Christmas:
By strange coincidence, over the weekend while I was reading “Aria’s Travelling Bookshop” by Rebecca Raisin, the main character Aria dons a shirt with the same phrase, as she plucks up the courage to ask the (possible) man of her dreams out for a drink. The “Travelling Bookshop” is a companion book to the author’s prior novel, “Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop”. The series follows a group of nomadic “van-life/travelers”, who hit the road and stop at local fairs and festivals, selling a variety of wares from their converted vans and campers. The light-hearted semi-romance novels are a treat. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be inspired to adopt the van-life too.
If you do find yourself like me, with too many books arriving at once, did you know that you can suspend your library requests online, or with the newly restored Winnipeg Public Library app? Simply select a title from your holds list and click the box that says, “Edit/Suspend Hold(s)”. This will temporarily place your request on pause, until the date you specify. Once that date arrives, your request becomes active and your place in the queue is restored. For example, if you were 8th in line for the newest book by Kristin Hannah, “The Women”, suspending your request until June 15 means your request becomes active June 16, and you will still be 8th on the waiting list. If you are lucky enough to be number 8 for “The Women”, lucky you! The last time I checked, 520 people were waiting to read it.
When I’m not at work, I take this t-shirt’s saying very seriously:
You can find me curled up in the corner of my favourite chaise, reading for hours – periodically getting up to boil the kettle for another cup of Earl Grey, if I can successfully remove one of the cats from my lap. If this sounds like you, check out “I’d Rather Be Reading – The Delights and Dilemmas of The Reading Life” by Anne Bogel. With chapters like “Confess Your Literary Sins”; “Bookworm Problems” and “The Books That Find You”, she guides us through memories of the book that broke your heart; reassures us the “Book Police” won’t show up if we’re not reading the “right” type of books; and asks us, “if there were no due dates, would we read our library books as quickly”? Would we read them at all, or do we need that sense of urgency to motivate us?
Do you have a collection of book-themed tote bags, shirts, throw pillows or fridge magnets? We’d love to hear about them in the comments or on any of our social media platforms. Happy Reading and remember,
~ Joanne
Readers' Salon 