Saturday, December 11, 2010
Do Librarians Really Do This?!!
I was chatting with a friend of mine this morning via email. We were discussing the book O' Artful Death by Sarah Stewart Taylor.
At one point in the book the lead character, Sweeney St. George, a professor of funerary art, goes to the university library to do some research. Unfortunately the library is going to close shortly. She begs the librarian to allow her to take home a box of original, historical manuscripts. The librarian hesitates but then acquiesces. Being the honorable and trustworthy professor she is, Sweeney promptly returns them the next day.
My friend also pointed out to me that author Robin Lee Hatcher does something similar in her book, A Matter of Character. The main character, a woman, went to a small village and got involved in some genealogical research and then went to the library, found a diary and asked the librarian if she could take it home overnight.
So tell me, my librarians friends, is this simply a ruse of fiction authors or does it really happen sometimes?
I don't think I would ever dare to ask!
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I can't imagine a librarian letting anyone do that.
ReplyDeleteWell, as a librarian (in a corporate library, mind you), I don't let people take original historical documents home no matter how nicely they ask! If the item in question is not something in regular circulation, you're out of luck. But it does make for a better story...
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine a librarian allowing this. I don't even see how this would make for a better story, unless the researcher was abducted by aliens while reading the material at home.
ReplyDeleteAs a University Librarian...nuh-uh, never, no way, ain't gonna happen! Very similar to the mind set of ripping it from my "cold dead hands". The only obscure chance that might happen would be if the professor was well known, next door, and possibly VERY good friends with the Special Collections Librarian....but even then, only once in a blue moon. Each item is somewhat priceless and needs to be handled in a controlled environment with supervision, so travel outside the library would be highly dangerous, no matter how trustworthy they might be.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely not good practice, but I've seen academic librarians make exceptions a few times. For example, allowing a doctoral student take a reference book home for an evening even if it is technically non-circulating. (Sometimes reference vs. circulating decisions are made somewhat arbitrarily.) They would certainly only do it for a researcher they know well, not just a random patron.
ReplyDeleteOops, others seem to be referring more to special collections and original documents. If that's the case, then I agree, no way.
ReplyDeleteSeems like you would certainly be playing with fire if you did that. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteThe librarians in our genealogical room won't let you do that.
ReplyDeleteI've worked in archives and in reference. Nope, on both counts.
ReplyDeleteBig Time Ruse. At Harvard I wouldn't let the president take home originals.
ReplyDelete