Telling Tales in Libraryland

Library Book Recommendation via Stephen's Lighthouse by stephen on 4/28/09

Title: The Incident Report by Martha Baillie

"Martha Baillie is a librarian with the Toronto Public Library. She has collected incident reports from libraries (you know those incident reports that must be filled out by library staff when something strange or disruptive happens) and put them into novel form set in the fictional Allan Gardens library branch."

"...the book provides an inside look at the kind of bizarre incidents library workers sometimes encounter. The fascinating novel also delves into some wider themes, including "the nature of urban storytelling," Baillie says. "Whoever is sitting behind the reference desk is an ear. You play the role of a bartender a bit." The novel asks, "Why do we so often pick strangers to tell our stories to?""