Wednesday 24 August 2011

Being far too precious

Bloggie friends!

Yesterday I thought I was doing the right thing when I pointed out to the librarian of the university where I work that one of the library books has been defaced.

Someone went through the text with different coloured highlighter pens and scribbled in biro on the margins of the pages, and of course I was most appalled.

But not as appalled as said librarian who then replies with “Oh you are being far too precious about books”.

When I asked her to explain her statement she said, “That’s what people do to library books so people should stop being so sensitive about it”.

This, bloggie friends, from a fully qualified went to library school, custodian of all things literary, LIBRARIAN.

Will the madness never end!?

Charlie says: I like my hat.



Beautiful Sammy, Andy, Shelly and mum who gave Charlie his hat are having a most fabulous auction and commentathons to help them through a horrible financial crisis. We send them lots of hugs and purrs and are bidding for the bookmark!

35 comments:

Angels Amber and Max DaWeenie and Mom said...

Sounds about right. But the way I look at it....if they don't care about simple things, they probably don't care about much of anything else either. (I'd hate to see how they live).

Oh, I just love the hat!

:o)

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Oh those crazy librarians, always surprising us with the strangest comments. I returned a book once that had some water damage when I checked it out. The librarian made my PAY for it. Reason? Because I didn't tell her about it BEFORE I checked it out, so how was she to know it wasn't my fault?

m.q said...

how come the librarian says like that?? hmmm....

and Charlie, u look way too handsome in that hat

Life, Liberty and Accountability said...

Are hipster cats going to be the new trend? Charlie may be on the forefront with that hat :P

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Really? They expect people to deface the books? That is sad.
Charlie looks snazzy in his hat!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hmmmm..that librarian must have a big budget and be able to replace books that other deface without a care!

Charlie looks very handsome in his spiffy hat!I'll check out the auction!

Soggibottom said...

I hate anyone who turns a bit of a page in a book. HOW DARE THEY !
I share your gasps !

Candley things what are they ?

Hat suits Charlie. But then bless him, he can't see himself in a mirror :-)

Hard times for all who live in this English relm. Keep cool is the best advice. Sell, sell sell and hope it all goes well x x x

Marilia said...

Your hat is adorable Charlie!

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

that is beyond deplorable. No respect for the written word or what it is "housed" in. That really upsets me.

BTW I will NEVER in life buy a Kindle...to me the name "Kindle" means it is burning up/destroying all of the bookstores. If I can't physically hold it in my hands, smell and feel the paper, it isn't a book.

Charlie looks quite dapper in his hat!

I donated! xoxox
I probably won't be around tomorrow due to getting ready to leave for BlogPaws so have a great weekend and catch ya on the flip side!

mshatch said...

Excuse me? It's now ok to deface library books? I'm appalled.

Tara said...

Um, speechless, really. That's what people do to books? Grown people? Not this people.

Hello, Charlie. *waves*

Mr Puddy said...

I have my Hat Day too Charlie : )
and you looks fabulous !
xoxo

LynNerdKelley said...

I wasn't expecting that kind of response from a librarian. Mind boggling. I wonder if she really did get a degree to be a librarian.

Brigid O'Connor said...

I am sure its a sad fact of a Librarian's day but come on, even my 8 year old complains if someone has ripped out a page of one of his library books.

Anonymous said...

My jaw drops open! My mother is a qualified librarian and would emphatically disagree with that woman (who is obvioulsy an alien imposter and should be reported to Torchwood immediately!) Oh dear. To deface books, especially library books is criminal.

Charlie looks so handsome in his hat. :O)

Fuzzy Tales said...

I suppose she's used to it, but I find it appalling that people mark up their OWN books, let alone those borrowed from a library!

Hannah and Lucy said...

I had to read that twice - the Librarian didn't think the book had been defaced! I hate it when books aren't handled with care. So if I need the odd piece of a book for a shopping list I can rip it out and take it that's OK too!
Charlie - you are a cool dude in your ratter (aka) flat cap.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx

Angel Ginger Jasper said...

I will never understand that mentality and wonder how they treat the belongings in their own home's. I for one always tried to teach the children to take care of books from a young age.Where has the caring gone. we live in a throw away age indeed. I love your hat picture and it suits you so well. pop by and see me too.. Hugs GJ xx

Summer Ross said...

A University Library- That doesn't really surprise me actually. Since I go to a university and many students highlight and write notes in margins- its like a process.

Random Felines said...

OMC - a librarian said that????

Love the hat!!

Marg said...

I think that is just terrible that people scribble all over library books. Just stupid, Ruins the book for the next person and they should be made to buy a new one for the library.
Charlie, we love you in that hat. It is purrfect. Take care.

joanne fox said...

You WERE doing the right thing - defending the books against scribblers, highlighters and other would-be defacers should surely be part of a librarian's job?! Ah, me. This world is getting more potty by the day.

Jayne said...

I don't think that is being precious at all, I think you should have that librarian's job! Normal people do not do that to library books! But obviously they will if they can get away with it due to indifferent librarian attitude.

I like Charlie's hat too.

RoySr said...

Libraries seem to be old hat, and in a lot of cases lately I've noticed that they are considered not worth the money spent on the upkeep. But writing in books is like graffiti for the book reader. For my part they can keep it. But I'm thinking, for a Librarian to have that attitude, it's a sign of something worse. What's next? Burning books?

Golden Eagle said...

I'm surprised a librarian said that about a book! I don't think I've ever come across something from a library that was scribbled over that much--I'm pretty sure they replace them. :P

Charlie looks great in the hat! :)

Patsy said...

Noooo! I don't think we need treat books as sacred objects, but neither do I think it's right to scribble all over something you've borrowed and which other people will want to enjoy.

Simon Kewin said...

Shocking! I can't believe a librarian would say that. Dear, oh dear.

Anonymous said...

If people want to do that to their OWN books, then fine, but you don't deface something that doesn't belong to you. *grumbles*

Unknown said...

No one should write on a library book (though I've seen it happen a lot). It's so distracting to see the thought process of other readers.

Manzanita said...

She's got a nerve, that Librarian. Books are to be read and are not Wendy's coloring placemats. Charlie is soooo sophisticated country in his hat.
Bye, sweeties

Elizabeth Mueller said...

Cute Charlie hat! I thought you photoshopped it on! :P

I'm so with you on the librarian thing. I am totally appalled! That's vandalism! Maybe she wouldn't think it a bad thing if someone marked up her flat with spray paint or dirty diapers? :P

♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥
Can Alex save Winter from the darkness that hunts her?
YA Paranormal Romance, Darkspell coming fall of 2011!

Theresa Milstein said...

I am SHOCKED! SPEECHLESS!

So I'll talk about Charlie's hat instead. He's lookin' sharp!

Jenn said...

Wow. What is our world coming to where a librarian thinks it is ok to have writing and highlighting in books?! Oh yes, one in which more and more people have little or no respect for something that isn't theirs. So sad.

Rene said...

We didn't know that Charlie had been hatted! Looking good!

Lola Sharp said...

Oh my goodness...books are precious. And communal books should be treated as such. I mean, I have no problem with people marking up their personal books...it's one of the reason why I love real, tangible books and don't use e-readers. But I wouldn't dream of even doing one tiny dog-ear to a library book.

Love the hat, Charlie. :)

Huggles,
Lola