Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library

"Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library"
Don Borchert
Virgin Books, $21.95




Don Borchert was able to do what some of us only talk about.

He wrote down his experiences with some of the oddballs he encountered and turned it into an entertaining book that provides some insight into life on the other side of the library counter.

"Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, Gangstas in the Public Library" is a compilation of Borchert's memories of working in a public library near Los Angeles. And his experience is just as the title suggests — a library is free for all, so there are plenty of oddballs, geeks and gangstas who assemble. And they provide quite the fodder for Borchert's book.

There's Henry, who isn't quite right in the head and comes in every day to work on the crossword puzzle in the Los Angeles Times. There's Terri, the children's librarian with a heart of gold who unintentionally befriends everyone, from the 'tween girls doing their homework to the mentally incapacitated Michael. There's Mr. Jackson, who expects the librarian checking out his books to stack them in alphabetical order and put the receipt in the second book from the top, sticking out no more than a half an inch. Not to mention the two men who were caught dealing drugs via a vent in the men's rest room.

Anyone who has worked with the public will appreciate and relate to Borchert's commentary on the comedy everyday people unknowingly bring to life.

Borchert also sheds light on what seems to be the obvious — libraries will lend you thousands of dollars worth of materials, no questions asked, so pay your damn $2 fine! (He has motivated me to pay a visit to my hometown library and pay the $0.40 in fines I owe, while renewing my card that expired almost a year ago.)

The writing is simple; the chapters are short. The observations are obvious and entertainingly portrayed. Borchert has managed to make me both excited and anxious for a career as a librarian.

However, I find difficulty in recommending this book broadly because I'm not sure how many people would be entertained by reading about the crazy antics occurring in the library. Many people find libraries boring and may subsequently be bored by this book, simply based on it's setting.

The book is amusing and clever and charming, but it will never receive the praise or readership it deserves. Because it is about life in the library.