Never Take Yourself Too Seriously

The golden rule of being a Reader's Advisor is also where I start my 10 Rules of RA Service-- Betty Rosenberg's famous quote “Never apologize for your reading tastes.”

Okay, I know 90% of you know this and are thinking, "why is Becky telling us things we already know?" Ahh, but just because we know something doesn't mean we always remember to do it.

Look, we all try very hard not to judge the reading of others, but we can all also be a bit snobby when it comes to some books.  Librarians as a group tend to enjoy literary fiction at a higher rate than the general public. We take these tomes, especially when they win lots of awards, very seriously.

While you might joke around with your romance or sf readers as you help them at the desk, I bet when someone comes in looking for a copy of Don Quixote to read for fun, you treat them differently.

My point here is that all books are equal to the RA librarian.  You must live and die by the motto that reading ANYTHING is a worthwhile experience.

Why am I talking about this now though?

Well, as many of you probably saw, this story about the professor and his kid who made "Brickjest," 100 scenes from Infinite Jest by the late David Foster Wallace recreated with LEGOS; a novel that is widely considered a modern classic.

If ever something screamed, "DON'T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY!" this is it.  I loved watching this classic, revered, and very serious novel, play out in the bright whimsy of LEGOS.  

Kudos to them, but also, heed this as a warning to yourself.  Check yourself. Leave your pretensions at the door. And remember, all of these novels we are suggesting to patrons are of equal value.

Click here to go directly to the Brickjest Homepage. And have a great holiday weekend. Here's hoping your plans include some LEGOS [mine will for sure].