Here is my public library. Within these hallowed walls sit my stack of to be requested books! Right now at the library where I work there is a practicum student getting his MLIS working in the cataloging department. I have been waiting now for a while to get a copy of The Historian, along with other new titles. The list is up to about 95 people. I am #5! So where is the book--I grilled him about it yesterday, as it turns out he works part time at the public library as a cataloger! He taught me a little trick of their catalog--how to tell if a book was in the library or just on order or if it had been cataloged (but not yet on the shelf). As it turns out they are way behind in their cataloging of materials as they are very short staffed. They only have one full time and two part time catalogers! No wonder I haven't seen the book yet! I did check on the status today, however. Originally they only had five copies on order to circulate. They now have about 18! Only the original five are there, and I am sure they will wait to catalog all of them once the additional copies arrive. So I will have to continue to be patient!
In the interim, of course I have plenty to read. That didn't stop me from browsing the new fiction shelves. I came away with two new titles. A Black Englishman by Carolyn Slaughter looked interesting. It is set during the 1920s in India. I had never heard of it, but despite the whole colonial thing being totally un-PC, I have always been interested in the British Empire, and India has always sounded exotic to me. My second find is something that has been on my Amazon wishlist. As I am once again completely broke, I figured I might as well just check it out rather than wait to buy it. Victorine by Catherine Texier is set in France in 1940, but Victorine tells the story of her life in Indochina when she was a young woman. Hmm. More colonialism I guess. It seems to be a bit of a theme for some reason. Certainly this will keep me busy while I wait for my other requests!
Here is something interesting my library/city is doing. Has your done anything similar? It is Omaha Reads. There just are not enough book clubs around! In 2004 the book chosen was Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Sadly I did not read it then, nor had I read it previously. It is on my classics pile, though, and I have every intention of doing so!! The State of Nebraska did a similar thing with One Book One State earlier this year. The book chosen was by famous Nebraskan, Willa Cather, My Antonia. I have only read O Pioneers. I really do need to read more of her work! It will be interesting to see what the next Omaha book is! Perhaps I will nominate one.