Hey! Nice and quick one this week, as this section of the book mainly covered this history of the library in what was effectively a Parks and Rec show bible excerpt.
As for next week: try to finish the book, or if you’re a bit behind try to catch up. Next week I’ll roll out our vote for the next book, and then the following week we’ll have a full discussion of the book with everyone all caught up!
If you’re behind, definitely feel free to comment on the older posts relevant to your ideas! That’s one of the fun parts of this discussion format:
So having read this section, what was most interesting to you about the history of the library? Whose reign was most compelling for you? What did you make of The Library Wars?
We’re getting great conversations in these comments, even it it takes a little bit to get rolling, so hop in whenever!
I was so moved by the description of the indexing of the feather map collection. An amazing story of an amateur collector being "matched" with an autistic young man, probably one of very few people who could do the job, and appreciate the collector's passion.
So many of the librarians had interesting stories, but honestly, Althea Warren was the one who made me look up her actual quote about lying about dinner plans so I could post it on Facebook.
Honestly, with the exception of Loomis (who did great things but felt like too much of a prat for me to root for), I thought they all did great things.
I was so team Mary Jones. I wanted her to win the War but it was 1905. I loved the idea that so many women had led the library for so long and then this flamboyant showman of Loomis comes along and snatched it always.
This is a great quandary in my mind. Loomis probably elevated the library to places it might not have gone under Jones (recognizing the social structure of the time) but at what cost? I think the argument can only be made with hindsight though. In 1905 of there is absolutely no reason to think that Loomis was better suited than Jones.
As I type it out, I reaffirm my commitment to Team Jones.
I must say that I enjoyed reading the conversations in the thread as much as I enjoyed reading the book. I hope the book club will continue. In the end, as much as I appreciated the author’s successful effort to bring libraries to life, both in wonderful memories and present social practice, I had the feeling that there were really two books here. One was a paean to the libraries and librarians the author so admires, and a second book about the fire at the Los Angeles Central Library. The second is used as a thriller to introduce the first. It doesn’t quite work, leaving at least me feeling the same lack of resolution that author conveys about the origin of the fire. The book(s) lack a satisfactory conclusion.
At first I really thought all that history might start to bog this down and make it a less enjoyable book for me, but that did not become the case at all. It was fascinating and I learned quite a bit from those sections. My biggest take away for sure was how much of a social justice type role in communities libraries started to have as the years went by, especially for poor people. Plus of course kids having more and more of an influence on how libraries did things throughout the years.
I was amused how each generation seemed to lower the age of children allowed in libraries. Libraries today- in my experience- seem so kid & baby friendly!
Find it very interesting all the "collections" the Library had - menus, maps, etc. I don't remember my local library carrying these types of things - though I never asked.
Lummis was getting 2 the salary of Jones. She was fired for being a woman. Lummis was inclusive and changed the library forever. Creason was the longest tenured librarian at Central Library and his daughter Katya was also employed at the Library. CJ who was deaf and autistic and indexed maps and his grandfather was one of the fireman at the Library. I was shocked to read that 99% of the culprits get away with the crime!! Peak still comes off as aimless and putting himself into the situation which makes his life more exciting. Sad that Goodhue, who was a NY architect, never saw the completion of his library. I was amazed at the services provided by the Library. 1933 - finally a woman was chosen - Althea Warren!! In 1947, she was succeeded by Hamill, a modernist who established the Teen Dept. and Teen'Scape. By the 1960's. the library was described as "functional flop." 1966 - Green report - tear down the Goodhue building. Thus far, a very interesting read. Well done!
Something else that really caught my attention from Chap. 2-10 was that an arsonist has a ninety-nine percent chance of getting away with the crime. The rate of conviction is less than one percent.
I was really interested to see how many of the early librarians were women. Nowadays it's considered a feminine job, but at the time many people didn't think women should be working at all: just look at how the library board removed Mary Foy because her father was deemed to be 'doing well enough financially... to take care of her'. Many of these women were early feminists and very progressive for their times too, something that has carried through to modern libraries.
I was also interested to see how much the libraries used to curate their collections, as well. Nowadays they'll carry basically anything they think people will read, but in the early days of the LA Library they were making judgements about what were appropriate books for their patrons, and refusing to carry anything inappropriate or dubious. Quite a far cry from modern library collections!
Of course I was Team Mary, but I couldn't help getting sucked in by Loomis. I tried to think of a contemporary equivalent but haven't found one. A "Public Intellectual" with eccentricity and hedonism? I thought of Hunter S Thompson and Truman Capote from the last century, but nobody alive and active now. Any ideas?
I was so moved by the description of the indexing of the feather map collection. An amazing story of an amateur collector being "matched" with an autistic young man, probably one of very few people who could do the job, and appreciate the collector's passion.
So many of the librarians had interesting stories, but honestly, Althea Warren was the one who made me look up her actual quote about lying about dinner plans so I could post it on Facebook.
Honestly, with the exception of Loomis (who did great things but felt like too much of a prat for me to root for), I thought they all did great things.
I was so team Mary Jones. I wanted her to win the War but it was 1905. I loved the idea that so many women had led the library for so long and then this flamboyant showman of Loomis comes along and snatched it always.
This is a great quandary in my mind. Loomis probably elevated the library to places it might not have gone under Jones (recognizing the social structure of the time) but at what cost? I think the argument can only be made with hindsight though. In 1905 of there is absolutely no reason to think that Loomis was better suited than Jones.
As I type it out, I reaffirm my commitment to Team Jones.
I must say that I enjoyed reading the conversations in the thread as much as I enjoyed reading the book. I hope the book club will continue. In the end, as much as I appreciated the author’s successful effort to bring libraries to life, both in wonderful memories and present social practice, I had the feeling that there were really two books here. One was a paean to the libraries and librarians the author so admires, and a second book about the fire at the Los Angeles Central Library. The second is used as a thriller to introduce the first. It doesn’t quite work, leaving at least me feeling the same lack of resolution that author conveys about the origin of the fire. The book(s) lack a satisfactory conclusion.
At first I really thought all that history might start to bog this down and make it a less enjoyable book for me, but that did not become the case at all. It was fascinating and I learned quite a bit from those sections. My biggest take away for sure was how much of a social justice type role in communities libraries started to have as the years went by, especially for poor people. Plus of course kids having more and more of an influence on how libraries did things throughout the years.
I was amused how each generation seemed to lower the age of children allowed in libraries. Libraries today- in my experience- seem so kid & baby friendly!
Not getting any new notices. What is the next book?
Find it very interesting all the "collections" the Library had - menus, maps, etc. I don't remember my local library carrying these types of things - though I never asked.
Title Card Dujour. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders (1974)
Lummis was getting 2 the salary of Jones. She was fired for being a woman. Lummis was inclusive and changed the library forever. Creason was the longest tenured librarian at Central Library and his daughter Katya was also employed at the Library. CJ who was deaf and autistic and indexed maps and his grandfather was one of the fireman at the Library. I was shocked to read that 99% of the culprits get away with the crime!! Peak still comes off as aimless and putting himself into the situation which makes his life more exciting. Sad that Goodhue, who was a NY architect, never saw the completion of his library. I was amazed at the services provided by the Library. 1933 - finally a woman was chosen - Althea Warren!! In 1947, she was succeeded by Hamill, a modernist who established the Teen Dept. and Teen'Scape. By the 1960's. the library was described as "functional flop." 1966 - Green report - tear down the Goodhue building. Thus far, a very interesting read. Well done!
Something else that really caught my attention from Chap. 2-10 was that an arsonist has a ninety-nine percent chance of getting away with the crime. The rate of conviction is less than one percent.
I was really interested to see how many of the early librarians were women. Nowadays it's considered a feminine job, but at the time many people didn't think women should be working at all: just look at how the library board removed Mary Foy because her father was deemed to be 'doing well enough financially... to take care of her'. Many of these women were early feminists and very progressive for their times too, something that has carried through to modern libraries.
I was also interested to see how much the libraries used to curate their collections, as well. Nowadays they'll carry basically anything they think people will read, but in the early days of the LA Library they were making judgements about what were appropriate books for their patrons, and refusing to carry anything inappropriate or dubious. Quite a far cry from modern library collections!
Of course I was Team Mary, but I couldn't help getting sucked in by Loomis. I tried to think of a contemporary equivalent but haven't found one. A "Public Intellectual" with eccentricity and hedonism? I thought of Hunter S Thompson and Truman Capote from the last century, but nobody alive and active now. Any ideas?
Charles Lummis--what a character.