Librarians Get Their Geek On

I've been obsessed with knitting for much longer than I've been a librarian, but now that I'm at a library every day, I have amazing knitting books right at my finger tips. Checking out books from my library has provided me with gorgeous patterns and I've learned lots of new techniques.

Anny is a librarian from Pennsylvania.

I read Bob Villa's book about how to purchase a house just before I purchased my home ten years ago. Today, my mortgage is paid off, thanks to some luck and good advice from a trusted source!

Caroline is a librarian from Georgia.

I geek trivial information. For instance, I learned this past summer that wombats poop square poop in drought conditions and that Madagascar hissing cockroaches hiss as a result of holes in their sides. When they get startled, they gasp and the air is forced out through the holes in their sides, thus producing the hissing sound.

Mary Louise is a librarian from New Jersey.

I absolutely love music...all kinds. It helps me unwind after a hectic day or get pumped up for a big event. I also love to listen to live music. It is a true art to be able to make that kind of music in my eyes.

Molly is a librarian from Indiana.

I'm a history major and I love it! I love learning about Asia and Medieval Europe the most. And recently I have taken an interest in American historical architecture.

Danielle is a librarian from Indiana.

It's a lot of fun looking for ancestors, my own, as well as helping others research theirs.

Charlene is a librarian from Indiana.

I love this campaign and the possibilities it brings. I love any new program and new ideas that come my way, so this is right up my alley!

Janet is a librarian from Indiana.

I geek a lot of things, but it can all be summed up by saying that I geek the hidden arts. gardens, cooking, fabrics and textiles, fashion history, theater, writing, music styles, architecture, travel, history, nature and health. The list could go on and on. I always love to learn new things and be creative in how I use them.

Katharine is a librarian from Indiana.

I love feasting on my fresh herbs from my herb garden. The herbs smell so good and really add to the flavor of any food I am preparing. Herbs are the spice of life.

Judy is a librarian from Indiana.

Art quilts are a wonderful combination of the technique and traditions of quilt making in the past for covers of warmth and beauty on family beds, and the inspiration of artists today who choose this form to create their art for display on gallery walls. I love looking at art quilts, reading about them and even my small attempts to make them.

Mary Lou is a librarian from Indiana.

I love collecting old hand-embroidered, appliqued, hand-embellished handkerchiefs. No one does this anymore and they are beautiful (and they store easily, as well).

Jeannette is a librarian from New Mexico.

I geek Montana and all things natural.

Jennie is a librarian from Montana.

I'm a youth and family librarian at Statesboro Regional Library. I love books and music. I think libraries rock!

Elaine is a librarian from Georgia.

Pets give us the kind of unconditional love that no one else is able. They depend on us, support us, and always forgive us. My pets make my home a home.

Malissa is a librarian from Indiana.

I love books and the worlds that they open. Every child that loves to read, is a blessed child!

Maike is a librarian from Georgia.

I geek book and paper art because books and paper are still the best way to preserve and carry accumulated knowledge and culture from age to age. Without books and paper, electronics and computers would never have been invented. I marvel constantly at the different way books can be made, marked and transformed.

Steve is a librarian from Indiana.

I love Louisiana cultural info (since I am not a native). It has such a rich and colorful history. I love a good mystery and stories about strong women. Like me. Anything that helps me learn more about this crazy world of ours. A library job is a dream come true! If I don't have at least four books going, I am lost!

Kate is a librarian from Louisiana.

Karla is a librarian from Iowa.

I read at least seven magazines each month...most of them about fishing. In fact, I think of fishing year round. Fishing, like reading, is sort of cerebral. It helps you visualize what you are doing or thinking.

Ron is a librarian from Iowa.

I have been an avid reader since I was a child and used to hide in my closet at night in order to stay up and finish reading my books. My mom learned to walk all the way into my room to see if my closet light was still on which meant that I was still up reading, at which point she would make me go to sleep. I still stay up all hours if there is a good book to finish, but now I am a children's librarian in Kent, Ohio and get paid to read!

My grandmother managed a bookstore while I was growing up, so she was my 'dealer' and kept me supplied with a steady stream of fiction. I was, naturally, an English major in college. I graduated from Kenyon College which is known for its English program—so more reading. I now read at least three books a week, mainly J and YA Fiction for work so I can recommend books to my patrons. I love that I get to talk about books all day at work and share my love of reading with others. So, as long as I have a stack of books beside my bed, life is good. I geek the library both personally and professionally and hope to someday be on an awards committee or review books for a journal. Nancy Pearl is my idol!

Sarah is a librarian from Ohio.

I love looking at tattoo books and magazines, trying to be sly while staring at other people's tattoos, and planning my next tattoo. I wish I was a better artist, so I could have two jobs: librarian by day, tattoo artist by night.

Erika is a librarian from North Carolina.

My name is Chris and I geek sand. I have dozens of samples from places I've been, and my friends also add to my collection. I keep them in old, pretty or unusual bottles, especially old perfume bottles which I also geek!

Christine is a librarian from Delaware.

I love to read. Anything. Books, magazines, Web sites, billboards, t-shirts, the ingredients labels on toothpaste, grafitti. Really. Anything. No wonder I became a librarian!

Amy is a librarian from Tennessee.

I geek when I am in the library stacks, whether it be shelving, searching, shifting, shelf-reading...you name it! Surrounded by all those books is, well, heaven.

Laura is a librarian from Massachusetts.

I love teaching, I love technology and I'm seldom so thrilled as when I can combine the two.

Maggie is a librarian from Pennsylvania.

Librarian by day, thespian by night, theatre is my lifeblood. I love the different facets and that you can never truly master every aspect—if you act well, chances are you have more to learn about being on a run crew, or making costumes or directing. Or if comedy is your forte, there are hundreds of other genres ready to knock you down. Find me in the library around the 822s.

Jamie is a librarian from Illinois.

Not to be a complete librarian stereotype, but despite the fact that my library provides our community with an ever-increasing (and challenging) array of services, sharing my love for books has always been one of my favorite parts of my job.

Richard is a librarian from Georgia.

I geek visiting cemeteries and looking at the headstones, then running over to the local library to find info on the 'residents.' Really. Met some nice people that way.

Jeff is a librarian from Iowa.

I geek the fact that it is impossible to frown while playing a ukulele! I geek the multitude of varieties, shapes, sizes, builders, players, etc. I geek ukes because you can learn to play one in a few minutes, but you can spend a lifetime trying to master it. Collecting ukuleles can be almost as much fun as playing them too!

Chuck is a librarian from Georgia.

If you've never crocheted a little yarn animal, you haven't lived.

Jen is a librarian from Arizona.

I geek writing code and solving complex problems. I've written code that has increased patron's access to materials, improved internal communication and saved the library money.

Matt is a librarian from Ohio.

I work in very rural libraries in the north east of Washington State for The Libraries of Stevens County. And I even got to play some gigs for The Libraries as part of our Summer Reading Program this year as the theme is Express Yourself.

Clifford is a librarian from Washington.

The school is the largest employer in this small rural town and the library is the business center. Economic trends have lately forced libraries into roles that before had never been considered. In addition to assisting people with resumes, job searches and filing for unemployment, we help connect people with small jobs needing to be done to people who need work. It was incredibly gratifying when one woman who recently found several small jobs through the library said, "I paid my overdue power bill. I think I'm going to make it now." Yes, I geek community building!

Leslie is a librarian from Oklahoma.

My butterfly garden attracts hundreds of butterflies and I enjoy watching them and identifying them. Butterflies like color and don't mind weeds, so my garden is colorful and weedy! Hummingbirds like it too.

Wendy is a librarian from Iowa.

We do our own puppet shows sometimes at our library. It is not unusual for us to use unusual objects as puppets...potatoes, broccoli, eggplant, bananas, to name a few. Not necessarily organic.

Ann is a librarian from California.

I am energized by spending time with kids and teens. The young people at the Mitchellville Public Library keep me going and make my job more fun. My grandkids range from eight months to 19 years, how lucky can I get! And, if at times, I do get a little stressed nothing tastes better than some wonderful European chocolate.

Gisela is a librarian from Iowa.

I derive tremendous satisfaction from fixing ordinary things and extending their usage. One look at my tool bench and all of the various glues, lubricants, clamps and other sundry equipment tells the story. My favorite pastime while watching the tube is mending by hand. I geek repairing books here at the Waukee Library. Remake it, reuse it, make-do with it or do without it. Only buy it if you have to!

Becky is a librarian from Iowa.

I geek learning new skills, from technology to textile arts. Through their collections, workshops, and other offerings, public libraries allow me to be a lifelong learner. These days, you can find me in the 005-006 range of the stacks: I'm geeking learning accessible Web design.

Melissa is a librarian from Alabama.

I am an audiobook addict—I listen when driving, working out, cooking, cleaning and walking the dog. Audiobooks give me another way to consume more great books and my public library card is the ticket to free downloads right from my home computer. Now I can feed my audiobook habit 24/7 right from my library’s Web site. Online reserves and automatic 'returns' allow me to receive e-mail notification of wanted titles and no overdue fines. Library users can download audiobooks to their computer, MP3 player, iPod or cell phone—it’s sound literature to go. As one of my teen patrons claimed, “It’s like Netflix for books—but free!"

Mary is a librarian from Ohio.

I geek words. Reading words–on a page, a street sign, a laptop, a cereal box, a scrap of paper. Writing words–a list, a letter, an e-mail, a story, a rant. Simple words like dog, sky and shoe. Complex words like life, love and purpose. All words. All the time.

Pam is a librarian from Oregon.

I love watching these bright little birds gather at my bird feeder outside my living room window.

Kay is a librarian from Iowa.

The library helps fulfill my geeky need to read as many scifi novels and watch as many scifi movies as possible. Truly geeky!

Mandy is a librarian from Ohio.

I geek tattoos, reading fantasy and, depending on the day, our patrons. But most of all, I geek small libraries. We rule. I never understand how we can provide so much to so many for so little. Way to go small libraries.

Dee is a librarian from Iowa.

I love learning new things that I can then share with other people. I feel like a jack-of-all trades.

Kristelle is a librarian from Iowa.

I live for all those random pieces of information that seem to stick in my brain! Did you know that China only has one time zone? I love finding out odd facts and storing them for use later.

Elaine is a librarian from Iowa.

My name is Lisa and I geek the Big Band and Swing Era. When I was in high school, our band director took our jazz band to see Count Basie.

Lisa is a librarian from Maine.

My name is Carolyn and I geek weather. Growing up in Iowa, home of more F5 tornadoes than anywhere else in the U.S., I was naturally drawn to the skyline. On the farm, I loved nothing more than watching the approaching storms while my favorite dog went in search of a place to hide. At night, I would watch the lightning and listen for the accompanying thunder.

As an adult, I have driven around the Midwest in search of bad weather. My car is a testament to the impact of hailstones. When I see people standing on the side of the road looking off into the distance, I don’t think accident; I check the horizon for the funnel cloud. The rush I feel could be the wind, but it’s definitely the adrenaline.

Storm chasing saves lives and expands what little scientists know about tornadoes, and it makes for a great ice breaker at parties—especially after they know I am a librarian.

Carolyn is a librarian from Iowa.

My name is Margaret and I geek rubber-stamping. It’s all my colleague’s fault. When I was working a rotation at his branch library about 10 years ago he showed me his catalogue of stamps and had me assist in a children’s program in which they made cards with stamps. The trap was set.

Present day I have, well, more than hundreds of stamps plus the accoutrements one may use in the hobby. You would not believe the variety of stuff you can put on a card. Pop can tabs come to mind. I’ve heavily used the library’s collection of stamping and paper crafting books and put the Interlibrary Loan system to good use. I love learning all the new techniques.

Now I make all my greeting cards and have more fun than I can hardly stand. I can personalize them and use my unique sense of humor on people who actually appreciate it. I don’t just geek rubber-stamping, I am buried in it. And it’s mighty comfy down here.

Margaret is a librarian from Iowa.

My name is Carla and I geek wildflowers. My interest in the outdoors started during family campouts when I was a kid. You wouldn’t believe the number of pinecones I’ve collected over the years.

In college, I needed an extra science credit and a course on Iowa botany fit the bill—and my interests. But I really got going on seeking out wildflowers after taking an introduction to prairies hike back in the 1980s with a county parks naturalist. Since then, it is a regular activity to check each year on previously spotted specimens. In fact, in the spring, I can hardly wait to get started looking for the earliest flowers.

I also like to find new places to search for flowers and the library helps me with guidebooks on parks and hikes. And by looking at the plant identification guides at the library I can decide which ones I may want to purchase for my personal collection—since I’m always finding some plant I’ve never seen before.

When I was planning a vacation to Rocky Mountain National Park last summer, one of the first things I did was check the library for wildlife and hiking guides to the area. It was great to know what I should be looking for and where it might be found.

Carla is a librarian from Iowa.

My name is Sharen and I geek genealogy. It began when I was a child listening to my grandparent’s stories. By age 10, I was really interested in learning more about my family, but did not know how to go about doing it. My grandparents gave me an old family history published in 1931.

Later, I met a wonderful woman named Hallie at the library. She taught me many techniques for finding the facts about my family. Also, I attended many genealogy workshops, often at libraries. About 50 years after I first asked by other grandmother about her father, I found my elusive great grandfather at the library on a computer Web site. I was so excited. I floated on air for three days.

Sharen is a librarian in Georgia.