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Normally, Libraries are Great...
Mar. 29th, 2024 10:59 amBut, I went to the Roseville library the day before yesterday and got totally judged by the circ staff who helped me check out.
My Ramsey County library card has been lost for ages, but I always had the keychain bit that had the barcode, etc. Recently, however, the keychain dealio started peeling and finally, the hole that attaches to the key ring had worn through it and it fell off. I forgot about that, however, when I returned a pile of manga to the library on Wednesday afternoon. Shawn was working late-ish, so I decided to do a quick dash through the library, after returning my books, to see what I might pick up to read next. I go to check out and realize, "Oh shit, that's right, the damn keychain thingie is sitting on my dresser in my bedroom." Thanks to years of working at that library, however, I knew that the people at the front desk can check you out if you have a driver's license on you. So, I take my pile of manga to the front desk. I recognize the person helping me, an older woman that I used to work with. I remember liking her a lot, actually. She's a science fiction fan and nerdy in what I'd normally say are "all the right ways," BUT....
First off, she has no idea who I am. I mean, if this were all that had happened, I wouldn't even find it all that strange. Yes, sure, I worked right beside her for actual years, but lots of time has passed and I was always an irregular sub. Some people are bad with faces, too. I am wearing a mask, my hair is always different, etc. She does, at least, recognize my name as "that author." Something about this realization--maybe she senses that I sort of thought she should remember me?--makes her suddenly compelled to make chit-chat.
This is where everything goes off the rails.
Just as a spoiler? I want you to know that I totally kept my cool and sat on the fact that I was DEEPLY offended. And, more importantly, I SAVED my rant for y'all. (I know, you're SO LUCKY. :-)
It starts fine? I make some joke about the laser loon card (which I've posted about here--and just to explain quickly for our out of towners, due to some malarky which is too complex and BORING to really get into here, St. Paul, which is in Ramsey County, is actually a SEPARATE library system. Unlike Minneapolis and Hennepin, which are the same system, albeit different from both St. Paul and Ramsey County. The point is, my loon card does not work here.) At any rate, there is some discussion of the new Minnesota state flag, the Weather, etc. It's all going pretty normally, but then maybe the circ staff lady has run out of things to say? To be fair to her, I have made things more complicated by asking her hook my St. Paul card up to my old Ramsey County card and so the awkwardness is made extra long by this slightly more onerous set of things she needs to do for me before I can check-out.
My guess is that while casting around for a topic, she lands on my books, possibly hoping to discover similar taste or something. Instead, she says: "Oh, manga." Which, you know. Good Start with the immediate awkward pause. She then looks up at me, frowns, and adds, "I normally don't see a lot of these going out from the YA section." Clearly, she means, being checked out by ADULTS, because she continues, "Just the stuff upstairs." Which is where the adult manga are shelved. And, of course, she can't mean ever, because teens take out manga by the fists full at this library. Manga is a MASSIVE part of the teen room, it's like eight or nine shelves at LEAST!
After this observation, she gives me the "And your response is..???" stare.
All the things that raced through my head, but I said none of it. I'm weirdly proud of my restraint? Instead, I just said, "Well, these are good stories, too. Adults can appreciate them."
This seemed to end things, with her little laugh and "Oh, of course they can, haha," but HOLY SHIT what I wanted to say (and what I ended up saying to myself on the drive to pick up Shawn) was Legion.
The biggest one was the fact that, not two minutes ago, I was in the teen section (obviously, where apparently I don't belong) and I saw that some (overworked to the point that they couldn't flip through the first three pages) librarian in their infinite WISDOM (not) had marked Lupin III as YA. Now, I don't expect you to know who Lupin the Third is or that the manga about this "gentleman thief" is FULL OF NUDITY, DRUGS, graphic violence, RAPE, and probably a half dozen other things that most mothers (fathers and parents) of young teens probably would NOT like them to see by accident while looking for shounen manga. It was written in the swinging-60s for ADULT MEN. Like, drinking and smoking is just taken for granted, that's just a boring every panel sort of activity for Lupin and his colleagues. (I mean, it's also funny, but it was written for ADULTS.)
Because, AS YOU KNOW, BOB, in Japan, just because something is illustrated does not automatically mean it is for children or teens--which I feel is Manga 101.
Also, in the teen section, they had Act-Age, which, frankly, I'd've pulled from the shelf when the mangaka was arrested and found guilty for child molestation--like you know, they did in Japan. In the actual CHILDREN'S area they have Polar Bear in Love, which sounds cute, but is actually a Boys' Love manga (so, written for adults with gay content)... which relies heavily on the idea that readers find constant harassment and threatened interspecies rape (and violence) funny. Which, hey, for adults, whatever, but it's DEFINITELY NOT something I want to read to my TODDLER??? Meanwhile, upstairs in the adult section, they have Cat + Gamer, which has nothing sexy or adult in it at all, but is an absolutely adorable, WHOLESOME story of a girl who accidentally gets a cat and is such a nerd that she treats learning about it like leveling up in a video game. But, I guess that it's an adult book because maybe some idiot librarian saw the "+" and thought maybe the woman was having sex with the cat??? WHO KNOWS. It would take 5 SECONDS of flipping through the book to see that it is completely g-rated.
So, what's with the "Ah, an adult creeping around in YA, I see" attitude? Or was the circ staff lady going for, "I see you like picture books; do you have the mind of a child?" or WHAT??
AND HOW WAS ANY OF IT APPROPRIATE TO SAY TO A PATRON?
Because the second thing I really would have liked to have said--which I sort of did--is, "So what?" If I want to read actual picture books about ducks walking in the rain in human boots or books with Alphabet stories, I actually can. I am allowed to take out any book I fancy from the library. It is not for anyone to judge. In fact, when I worked at the library, I would occasionally stop and read a picture book or two. They can be lovely. And adults can get the same happy feelings reading them. Who doesn't love a nice little book about baby owls? I should NOT have to justify my reading tastes to anyone.
Also, there is nothing creepy about an adult reading YA literature, illustrated or not. What. The. Actual. Fuck.
But, as to their haphazard shelving, I have long considered writing a sternly worded letter to the Ramsey County library, but 1) I don't want to be that person because it smacks of censorship, which is not my point, (my point is that it would be nice if someone at the library actually knew ANYTHING about manga) and 2) I care/don't care, you know what I mean? Shelve it in a pile on the floor for all I care, I'm just happy that someone in the Ramsey County system is BUYING manga, particularly the re-issues of the old classics like Lupin III, which you used to not be able to find ANYWHERE. I picked up my copy of the first few volumes at Uncle Hugo's back in the day. Uncle Hugo's doesn't sell a lot of manga, but the used stuff they get is often really old? I also found a full run of Kubo's (Bleach's author/artist) previous work ZombiePowder! there.
But, my point is, I don't want to cool Ramsey County's manga purchaser because I actually think they're doing a great job. It's the cataloguer or whoever is making the shelving decisions who needs some better guidelines (or time to actually do a bit a research.)
And, of course, as a former circ staff person, my advice is maybe not shame anyone for what they chose to read.
My Ramsey County library card has been lost for ages, but I always had the keychain bit that had the barcode, etc. Recently, however, the keychain dealio started peeling and finally, the hole that attaches to the key ring had worn through it and it fell off. I forgot about that, however, when I returned a pile of manga to the library on Wednesday afternoon. Shawn was working late-ish, so I decided to do a quick dash through the library, after returning my books, to see what I might pick up to read next. I go to check out and realize, "Oh shit, that's right, the damn keychain thingie is sitting on my dresser in my bedroom." Thanks to years of working at that library, however, I knew that the people at the front desk can check you out if you have a driver's license on you. So, I take my pile of manga to the front desk. I recognize the person helping me, an older woman that I used to work with. I remember liking her a lot, actually. She's a science fiction fan and nerdy in what I'd normally say are "all the right ways," BUT....
First off, she has no idea who I am. I mean, if this were all that had happened, I wouldn't even find it all that strange. Yes, sure, I worked right beside her for actual years, but lots of time has passed and I was always an irregular sub. Some people are bad with faces, too. I am wearing a mask, my hair is always different, etc. She does, at least, recognize my name as "that author." Something about this realization--maybe she senses that I sort of thought she should remember me?--makes her suddenly compelled to make chit-chat.
This is where everything goes off the rails.
Just as a spoiler? I want you to know that I totally kept my cool and sat on the fact that I was DEEPLY offended. And, more importantly, I SAVED my rant for y'all. (I know, you're SO LUCKY. :-)
It starts fine? I make some joke about the laser loon card (which I've posted about here--and just to explain quickly for our out of towners, due to some malarky which is too complex and BORING to really get into here, St. Paul, which is in Ramsey County, is actually a SEPARATE library system. Unlike Minneapolis and Hennepin, which are the same system, albeit different from both St. Paul and Ramsey County. The point is, my loon card does not work here.) At any rate, there is some discussion of the new Minnesota state flag, the Weather, etc. It's all going pretty normally, but then maybe the circ staff lady has run out of things to say? To be fair to her, I have made things more complicated by asking her hook my St. Paul card up to my old Ramsey County card and so the awkwardness is made extra long by this slightly more onerous set of things she needs to do for me before I can check-out.
My guess is that while casting around for a topic, she lands on my books, possibly hoping to discover similar taste or something. Instead, she says: "Oh, manga." Which, you know. Good Start with the immediate awkward pause. She then looks up at me, frowns, and adds, "I normally don't see a lot of these going out from the YA section." Clearly, she means, being checked out by ADULTS, because she continues, "Just the stuff upstairs." Which is where the adult manga are shelved. And, of course, she can't mean ever, because teens take out manga by the fists full at this library. Manga is a MASSIVE part of the teen room, it's like eight or nine shelves at LEAST!
After this observation, she gives me the "And your response is..???" stare.
All the things that raced through my head, but I said none of it. I'm weirdly proud of my restraint? Instead, I just said, "Well, these are good stories, too. Adults can appreciate them."
This seemed to end things, with her little laugh and "Oh, of course they can, haha," but HOLY SHIT what I wanted to say (and what I ended up saying to myself on the drive to pick up Shawn) was Legion.
The biggest one was the fact that, not two minutes ago, I was in the teen section (obviously, where apparently I don't belong) and I saw that some (overworked to the point that they couldn't flip through the first three pages) librarian in their infinite WISDOM (not) had marked Lupin III as YA. Now, I don't expect you to know who Lupin the Third is or that the manga about this "gentleman thief" is FULL OF NUDITY, DRUGS, graphic violence, RAPE, and probably a half dozen other things that most mothers (fathers and parents) of young teens probably would NOT like them to see by accident while looking for shounen manga. It was written in the swinging-60s for ADULT MEN. Like, drinking and smoking is just taken for granted, that's just a boring every panel sort of activity for Lupin and his colleagues. (I mean, it's also funny, but it was written for ADULTS.)
Because, AS YOU KNOW, BOB, in Japan, just because something is illustrated does not automatically mean it is for children or teens--which I feel is Manga 101.
Also, in the teen section, they had Act-Age, which, frankly, I'd've pulled from the shelf when the mangaka was arrested and found guilty for child molestation--like you know, they did in Japan. In the actual CHILDREN'S area they have Polar Bear in Love, which sounds cute, but is actually a Boys' Love manga (so, written for adults with gay content)... which relies heavily on the idea that readers find constant harassment and threatened interspecies rape (and violence) funny. Which, hey, for adults, whatever, but it's DEFINITELY NOT something I want to read to my TODDLER??? Meanwhile, upstairs in the adult section, they have Cat + Gamer, which has nothing sexy or adult in it at all, but is an absolutely adorable, WHOLESOME story of a girl who accidentally gets a cat and is such a nerd that she treats learning about it like leveling up in a video game. But, I guess that it's an adult book because maybe some idiot librarian saw the "+" and thought maybe the woman was having sex with the cat??? WHO KNOWS. It would take 5 SECONDS of flipping through the book to see that it is completely g-rated.
So, what's with the "Ah, an adult creeping around in YA, I see" attitude? Or was the circ staff lady going for, "I see you like picture books; do you have the mind of a child?" or WHAT??
AND HOW WAS ANY OF IT APPROPRIATE TO SAY TO A PATRON?
Because the second thing I really would have liked to have said--which I sort of did--is, "So what?" If I want to read actual picture books about ducks walking in the rain in human boots or books with Alphabet stories, I actually can. I am allowed to take out any book I fancy from the library. It is not for anyone to judge. In fact, when I worked at the library, I would occasionally stop and read a picture book or two. They can be lovely. And adults can get the same happy feelings reading them. Who doesn't love a nice little book about baby owls? I should NOT have to justify my reading tastes to anyone.
Also, there is nothing creepy about an adult reading YA literature, illustrated or not. What. The. Actual. Fuck.
But, as to their haphazard shelving, I have long considered writing a sternly worded letter to the Ramsey County library, but 1) I don't want to be that person because it smacks of censorship, which is not my point, (my point is that it would be nice if someone at the library actually knew ANYTHING about manga) and 2) I care/don't care, you know what I mean? Shelve it in a pile on the floor for all I care, I'm just happy that someone in the Ramsey County system is BUYING manga, particularly the re-issues of the old classics like Lupin III, which you used to not be able to find ANYWHERE. I picked up my copy of the first few volumes at Uncle Hugo's back in the day. Uncle Hugo's doesn't sell a lot of manga, but the used stuff they get is often really old? I also found a full run of Kubo's (Bleach's author/artist) previous work ZombiePowder! there.
But, my point is, I don't want to cool Ramsey County's manga purchaser because I actually think they're doing a great job. It's the cataloguer or whoever is making the shelving decisions who needs some better guidelines (or time to actually do a bit a research.)
And, of course, as a former circ staff person, my advice is maybe not shame anyone for what they chose to read.