Library Corner: Library offers newest bestsellers, blockbusters

Working at a small library, you tend to wear a lot of different hats.

No day is exactly the same. Some days include getting new items ready to go out on the shelves, signing people up for library cards, hosting a library program or helping someone on the computer. Nine times out of ten they declare you a computer genius! Other days you’re a grievance counselor, doling out hugs, sharing tears for lost loved ones or putting Band-Aids on skinned knees.

We’re also a sort of a celebrity. If a kid sees any of us outside the library they seem awed and shocked, and in the next breath they are whispering (or yelling) to their parents “It’s the librarian!”

A favorite part of my job is answering reference questions. As author Neil Gaiman put it, “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.” And if I can’t get the right answer, I’ll at least point you in the right direction!

We typically get asked simple questions like how to spell a word or the phone number for a business, but one of my more unusual reference questions happened a few years ago when I received a phone call from a gentleman who was concerned that his website didn’t read the same way on other computers. He asked me to read him the top and the bottom of each page and which ads I could see popping up on my screen. At about page 23, I had to tell him “I would really love to help you finish this, but I have other patrons needing assistance.”

I could go on and on with other examples, but you can always Google “weird and funny reference questions librarians get asked” for some other truly unusual questions. We also have a couple of books on this topic available for checkout!

A part of my job that I also love is ordering new books and movies. We always have the latest bestsellers and biggest blockbusters. We recently added David Baldacci’s newest title One Good Deed, Daniel Silva’s The New Girl, Debbie Macomber’s Window on the Bay, and the book that everyone’s talking about, Delia Owen’s Where the Crawdad’s Sing which has been on constant hold at the library since February—wow!

A few of our new movies that are available for checkout are Tolkien, Ugly Dolls, Shazam! and Poms. DVDs can be checked out for free for two weeks with your library card and all you need to do is call or stop by any of our branches in Lind, Ritzville or Washtucna to put a movie on hold. You can also log onto our online catalog with your library card at any time at catalog.ritzvillelibrary.com to put something in our collection on hold.

Another major part of my job is planning programs for adults. Our Summer Author Series just wrapped up with Spokane author Sharma Shields (stay tuned next June for our 2020 slate of local visiting authors!) and thanks to Humanities WA, we’re offering two amazing speakers this month and next.

Mayumi Tsutakawa will join us on August 26 at 6pm to discuss “Washington’s Undiscovered Feminists.” In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, she’ll be remembering five remarkable, but often unsung, women of the Pacific Northwest.

On September 23 at 6pm, Amy Peloff will join us for a presentation titled “Should I Still Watch This Show” which examines pop culture in the #MeToo era.

All library programs are free and more information is available on the events calendar on our website at http://www.eastadamslibrary.org. You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram to find out more about upcoming programs.