. . . librarians are heroes (they even have action figures!)
It’s National Library Day (#NLD2013) so to celebrate we’ve scoured the shelves for
some fellow library lovers. And as a tribute to Mr Melvin Dewey – guess what he
invented in 1876? – we’ve organised them in the most efficient, comprehensible
and easily referenceable way possible.
000 Computer science, Library and
Information science & general work
Doctor Who probably loves checking out the
latest nodes in the Compute Science section. In ‘Silence in the Library’ he visits a library the size of a planet
that contains every book ever written Unfortunately the forest felled to make
the books has a Vashta Nerada infestation, which then hatches and, well . . .
its over to the Doctor to save the day.
100 Philosophy and psychology
Lucien’s Library is tucked away in Dream’s Castle (Sandman, Neil Gaiman). It contains every book
that anyone has ever dreamed of writing – but has never written.
200 Religion
Jacob Grimm was a librarian in Kasel when
he and his brother Wilhelm started collecting German folk tales in the hope of
uniting ordinary people who shared similar cultures.
300 Social Sciences
Batgirl Criminology is just the place for Batgirl
to find a few tips on handling the dark streets of Gotham – that’s when she’s
not assuming her civilian identity of Dr Barbara Kane PhD, Head Librarian.
400 Languages
Lewis Carrol Before falling down the rabbit hole, Lewis
Carrol was a sub-librarian at Christ Church,
Oxford University. Who knows, maybe it was here he first dreamt up slithy
toves, gimbling and jubjub birds.
500 Science
Benjamin Franklin As well as flying kites and experimenting
with electricity, Benjamin Franklin is credited with founding the first American library and
even serving as its librarian!
600 Technology
The Wimpy Kid Reading’s not really Greg Heffley’s thing
– he’d rather be watching the TV with the curtains shut, but we reckon his
interest could be piqued by a book on ‘Thunder Volt’ his favourite arcade game.
700 Arts
Nancy Pearl (pictured above) There aren’t many librarians with their
own action figure – complete with a ‘push to shush’ button. She has wanted to
be a librarian since she was ten – why? Because she thinks that “being a librarian is how you
change the world”. Nancy you rock.
800 Literature
Matilda
is 5 years old when she walks herself to
the library (her mother Mrs Wormwood is busy playing Bingo). It’s not long before
she’s read all the books in the children’s section (words and pictures Mrs
Phelps!) and is moving onto Tolstoy.
900 History, geography &
biography
Rick Riordan AKA The Myth
Master spends a lot of time researching and so do his characters. The
Kane’s family mansion, Brooklyn House boasts a resplendent library – complete
with cubbyholes, scrolls and Shabit to retrieve Egyptian artefacts when needed.
Find out
what’s happening at a library near you for National Library Day 2013 #NLD13 http://ow.ly/hsPmr” and follow @readingagency for more. Image © Roald Dahl Nominee Limited/Quentin Blake 2013
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