Scott La Counte

I also work at a pubic library. And I did not enjoy this book. I have several reasons for giving it the "okay" rating: First, because it was not very engaging. It felt like Douglas was trying to drag readers along with shocking patron mishaps sprinkled among his biographical lessons. It was more of a autobiography through the lens of his job in librarianship, trying to be satirical. Second, it was not very engaging because his writing was not "good"-meaning it was not well-written style and the feel of the writing was not engaging. Third, I was expecting the book to be more humorous, because of reviews I read. Maybe I just don't have the same sense of humor as Douglas, or maybe it was intentional. However, if you are looking for a easy to read book to give you a general idea of what working at a library is like (and don't mind the page to 1/2 page long interruptions about library history and lots of gross circumstances) you might enjoy it.

I will admit there were a few positive elements of this book. Several passages were really enjoyable, and the chapter titles using Decimal call numbers by the subject of the chapter were cool (it did bother me that they weren't in order by decimal number... but that's because my job is to sort and shelve books). Even though they weren't disguised very well, he did offer important nuggets of wisdom throughout the book. One of the most looked-over fact was that libraries are really made up of people; they are not just the buildings. These were the elements that kept me from giving it a 1-star rating- it was not terrible, it was just okay.

If you are looking for more entertaining books about public libraries, I highly recommend this one:
[b:I Work at a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks|19507861|I Work at a Public Library A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks|Gina Sheridan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403185191l/19507861._SX50_.jpg|27624780]… (mehr)

"There are good days and bad days, but in the end I can't really complain." What an ironic last line, considering Douglas's entire book is one long complaint. What started out as quirky stories of patrons and coworkers quickly devolved into painful, sometimes offensive, quasi-observations. Teens are annoying. The mentally handicapped are mental. The homeless smell.

Douglas should left his observations (judgements) there, but instead he tries to slip in a lackluster qualifier. These do not help. Teens are annoying BUT some are worth saving. The mentally handicapped are mental BUT entertaining. The homeless smell BUT at least one hasn't killed me yet. So many problems. So many.

"Dispatches" would have gotten fewer stars if it hadn't been for the twisted corner of my brain that has some respect for Douglas making himself look like such a merciless asshole.

I would recommend my library friends and coworkers read it mostly so they can talk about it with me. It's also kind of funny at parts. Betsy read this.… (mehr)