The Romance of Libraries

by Madeleine Lefebvre, Michael Gorman (Foreword by)

Overview

In the halls of knowledge, amidst the towering stacks of books, more than just facts and fiction await. The Romance of Libraries is a collection of true accounts of emotional attachments formed in and with libraries and the library field. Madeleine J. Lefebvre has gathered personal narratives from around the world from people who work in or use libraries. From the very young to those in their nineties, these people share their tales of love. While most accounts are about romances that developed in a library setting, some are about romances with libraries themselves. Loosely arranged by context, the stories—happy, sad, or bittersweet—share an over-arching theme of the transformative and emotive power of libraries in our lives. Lefebvre's underlying message is that the physical library can play a role in our affections that the virtual library never can.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781461707141
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/17/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	451 KB

About the Author

Madeleine Lefebvre is the University Librarian of Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She also currently serves as Chief Administrator of Freedom of Information/Protection of Privacy and is the recipient of the 2006 Atlantic Provinces Library Association Merit Award.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Foreword
Part 2 Acknowledgments
Chapter 3 1. Dear Library...
Chapter 4 2. The Library as Place—of Romance
Chapter 5 3. Reading Room Romance
Chapter 6 4. The Romance of Reference
Chapter 7 5. Student Assistants and Romance
Chapter 8 6. The Romance of Academic Libraries
Chapter 9 7. The Romance of Public Libraries
Chapter 10 8. Bookmobile Romance
Chapter 11 9. The Romance of Special Libraries
Chapter 12 10. Intralibrary Romance
Chapter 13 11. The Romance of Library School
Chapter 14 12. The Romance of Library Conferences
Chapter 15 13. Romance with an International Twist
Chapter 16 14. Multiple Copies
Chapter 17 15. Library Cupids
Chapter 18 16. If Food Be the Music of Romance
Chapter 19 17. Miscellanea
Chapter 20 18. P.S.: We Love You
Part 21 Appendix

Editorial Reviews

A labour of love...Very well-written...Recommended.

ELAN: Ex Libris Association Newsletter

This Valentine to our beloved institution is a compilation of stories about love in all its permutations, where either libraries or librarians are involved. Editor Lefebvre (St. Mary's Univ., Halifax, NS) has amassed personal remembrances from couples who met in a library, fell in love and became librarians, met at library-sponsored events, were introduced in library school, etc. As with all anthologies, the tone and quality of the pieces vary, though the sincerity seems heartfelt throughout. An optional purchase for all but comprehensive professional collections.-Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

This book would make a nice gift for library lovers.

Public Libraries

Lefebvre (university librarian, Saint Mary's University, Halifax) offers here her collection of stories from a variety of people who understand the transformative and emotive power of libraries, from the study date in the mysterious and multilayered settings of the stacks and the catalogues, the attractions of academic libraries and reading rooms wherein people deeply committed to their subject find others of like minds, the work and love that become combined amongst student library assistants, the special tingle of the bookmobile, the curious dating service also known as intralibrary loan, and the opportunities for ecstasy found in conferences and library schools.

Reference and Research Book News

A labour of love...Very well-written...Recommended.

ELAN: Ex Libris Association Newsletter

An entertaining and often inspiring look at couples who've met in libraries, stolen a kiss in libraries, married in libraries, broken up in libraries, and those who've passed along the love of libraries to their friends and their children. It's proof that in this day and age of virtual libraries and e-braries, there's nothing like the wonderful look, smell, feel, and touch of the library and its papery contents.

Lisnews

Shares stories collected from librarians and library users on how they found love at the library...The stories are a combination of happy, sad, and bittersweet, but together they clearly prove that the physical library plays an important role in the emotional lives of its staff and users.

American Libraries

Fun and recommended.

The Unabashed Librarian

The Romance Of Libraries is a delightful anthology of true-life tales about emotional attachments and loving relationships formed within libraries and the library field....Offering a vital message that physical libraries are a crucial, community building block in a manner that virtual libraries cannot duplicate, The Romance Of Libraries is both lighthearted and an intensely satisfying collection of love stories.

Wisconsin Bookwatch

A labour of love...Very well-written...Recommended.

Ex Libris Association Newsletter

The stories are short and to the point, but after reading them one has the sense of the continued importance of libraries as place, as well as their many other purposes. This is a "feel good" book, with underlying lessons that should be well-learned by librarians across the board. I would recommend this title to all readers of true love stories and to all librarians, to remind us of the importance of our buildings, as well as the people, collections and services within them.

Australian Library Journal