'I'll Dewey Your Decimal': Librarian Problems Blog

Librarian Problems is a humorous Tumblr blog that illustrates the travails of librarians through an entertaining sequence of animated GIFs.

Focusing on the daily nuisances that are part of the job for those who work at public libraries, Librarian Problems is sure to elicit nods of recognition and plenty of laughter. For instance, what librarian wouldn't be amused, bemused, or bedeviled by the following scenarios?

Someone Asks If They Need a Library Card to Check Books Out:

When a Dead Bird Was Found in the Book Drop:

  
When I'm at the Desk and Someone Asks, "Do You Work Here?":

 
When Someone Says I Don't Look Like a "Traditional" Librarian:

 
As the great Alan Alda wisely observed, "When people are laughing, they are generally not killing each other." A terrific Tumblr for librarians, aspiring librarians, and fans of librarians, Librarian Problems is 30-plus pages of funny. Check it out HERE.

The Best of Bad Book Covers

I'm all for DIY: do-it-yourself. The act of self-publishing definitely falls under that category. But writers, like everyone else, have their limitations. For some writers, a limitation is the complete inability to draw...or capably use a graphic design program. Yet, in the true spirit of DIY, they forge ahead anyway. The results are what I shall diplomatically call "questionable" book covers. 

Not so diplomatically, Nathan Shumante calls them "Lousy Book Covers," and he displays some of the best of them on his Tumblr. Shumante, who earns his living as a book designer, knows good cover art and he's not ashamed to say that this ain't it. "Just because you CAN design your own book," he says on his Tumblr, "doesn't mean you SHOULD." Quite right.

There are quite of few gems to behold, all of them from seemingly self-published masterpieces. Blurry artwork, dubious clip art, childlike illustrations, garish color schemes, and bad Photoshop abound. This is what happens when "creativity takes a wrong turn," Joe Berkowitz keenly observed when writing about Shumante's tongue-in-cheek Tumblr for Co.Create. 

Initially, Shumante charitably offered "a free cover redesign to any author whose book was featured" on his Tumblr. "But because a couple of hyperventilating 'sweet snowflakes' accused me of posting these covers as nothing more than a cynical 'negative business model' to driver readers to my cover design sight," he had to rescind that offer, he said. At least he extended that olive branch.

To see many more "Lousy Book Covers," check out Shumante's Tumblr site HERE.

* All of the above images are from Lousy Book Covers Tumblr.

Awesome Tumblr of Awesome People Reading

In the eyes of many, picking up a book is not a cool activity. Just think about the connotations of "bookworm," a term that's usually not given as a compliment. To say that someone is a "bookworm" is pretty much the same as calling that person a "geek," "nerd," or "nerdlinger." Reading just isn't cool ... or is it? Take a look at the Tumblr Awesome People Reading.

Bettie Page curls up with a magazine amid the comforts of home.
Image via http://awesomepeoplereading.tumblr.com

Awesome People Reading is a Tumblr comprised of tons of photographs of, well, awesome people reading. There are movie stars and directors, graphic artists and painters, musicians and athletes, activists and philosophers, heads of state and astronauts, models and photographers, magicians and Muppets, all caught on camera reading. And they're not always reading books. Some, like Albert Camus and Lenny Bruce, are holding newspapers. Others, like Boris Karloff and Paul Newman, are poring over film scripts. Then you have some, like Muhammad Ali and Tom Waits, gripping comics. While others, such as Beck Hansen and Charlotte Gainsbourg, are eyeing pages of song lyrics. And many, including, Richard Avedon and James Dean, are absorbed in magazines.

There are currently 125 pages filled with black-and-white and color photographs of Awesome People Reading. (The prolific person behind this Tumblr has obvious favorites, as there are many different images of Marilyn Monroe, Gregory Peck, Neil Gaiman, Bettie Page, Bridget Bardot, David Bowie, Louise Brooks, Patti Smith, Bob Marley, Michael Caine, Elvis, and various Stones and Beatles reading.) You can check them out HERE.

Styling Between the Stacks: Librarian Wardrobe

Librarians aren't exactly known for being fashion forward people. Cardigans, eyeglasses, and sensible shoes are commonly perceived as integral parts of their daily wardrobe. So it's refreshing to come across a Tumblr spotlighting librarians who are styling between the stacks.

Cynthia Mari Orozco, librarian-in-residence at Loyola Marymount University.

image from http://librarianwardrobe.com

Librarian Wardrobe is a Tumblr that showcases the sharp fashion sense of librarians from across the country and around the world. Looking at photo after photo, it becomes evident that the desk set indeed dresses with finesse. Although some are happily attired in the classic cardigan-and-eyeglasses combo, others have added a clever twist to this traditional librarian attire. Many have completely shattered the stereotype altogether, in their velvet Dr. Martens boots, leopard-print pants, tattoo sleeves, and much more. These librarians are truly a smart set!

New York Public Library Takes to Tumblr

Tumblr is a huge time suck for me. I obsessively check many Tumblr sites on a daily basis, marveling at the individual expression and breadth of information on display.

Just the other day, I discovered that the New York Public Library has a presence on the microblogging website as well. With recurring features such as "Mustache Mondays" and "Flashback Fridays," the NYPL's Tumblr will prove to be just as addictive as the rest.

The image below, of magician Herrmann the Great, was the illustration for a recent "Mustache Monday" post on the NYPL's Tumblr.