Writer Anne Lamott memorably compared librarians to trail guides, leading people through the forest of shelves and aisles. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Librarians, Trail Guides”
Grant, I know when it comes to librarians, you are one of their biggest fans.
Good people, librarians.
Yes, indeed.
The caretakers of the books.
Indeed.
And so I thought you would appreciate this quote from Anne Lamott on librarians.
She wrote, they can tease out of an often inarticulate person enough information about what he or she is after, and then lead him or her on the path of connection. They’re trail guides through the forest of shelves and aisles. You turn a person loose who has limited skills, and they’re going to get walloped by the branches. But librarians match up readers with the right books. Hey, is this one too complicated? Then why don’t you give this one a try?
They do that. And with little information, there are a couple discussion forums out there that are mostly with booksellers, but also librarians on them as well.
And they talk about people walking in going like, I’m trying to remember a book.
I don’t remember the author.
I don’t remember the title.
The cover was blue.
Yeah, the cover was blue.
And I think I was here in March and I was over here on the shelf.
And they can turn it up.
They can.
They can find it.
They can.
They’ll remember the book that was blue that was on the shelf in March.
I know.
I love that image of them as trail guides, right?
Very much so.
