Crossing boundaries

Miss F. is a sweet little old lady who does a lot of work with the daily Friends booksale. She's approximately 147 years old, always wearing a skirt and jacket, very friendly and active. But she is an old southern lady, this liberal yank is still adjusting to southern culture, and never did like to talk politics at work. Or sex or religion, for that matter. The three things you don't talk about in polite company.

Miss F. came over to my desk the other day.
Miss F: (regarding the Indiana/NC primaries) What did you think of the election results?
SL: (panicking slightly) I think they turned out all right. What about you?
Miss F: I like it! I think Obama would be a good president.
SL: (resisting the urge to hug her) Me too! I like him!

I should have known. Miss F. rules.

The Beginning

This blog is about my experiences -- both professional and personal -- as a librarian. I'll include anecdotes about my job, interesting articles I find, personal observations, and whatever else relates even tangentially to librarianship. This is all true, though names and other possibly identifying details will be changed.

I was recently uprooted from a three-year marriage and my native Midwest to come to this beautiful area in the south with just a few pieces of furniture, a car, and a cat. I didn't know anyone here except for the people who interviewed me, so I am enjoying a fresh start. I'll add to the Cast of Characters as I identify the "regulars" in my life. Here are some people I associate with most. They are grouped by association, in alphabetical order for your convenience:

Cast of Characters

Personal life
Mom and Dad: A nerd and a geek, respectively, 600 miles away, "up North"
Moo: My cat, a fat striped calico
Mrs. Butterworth: Mom and Dad's orange cat
Muffin: My significant partner in crime (First appearance: The dating librarian)
SL: Me, the Stray Librarian (First appearance: This post, genius.)


Co-workers
Belle: The other reference librarian
Bosslady: The branch manager
King Nerd: (meant affectionately) Mama H's manager, who has many interests
Mama H: My boss, a very sweet lady

The patrons
Miss F.: Sweet old lady who keeps the book sale running on a daily basis. (First appearance: Crossing boundaries)
Mr. Subject: Requests books on random subjects at least once a week, usually more. (First appearance: Meet Mr. Subject)
Fritzie: Takes classes from a local school and frequently calls or visits the reference desk for help with her assignments. Local lady (with a local accent) in her 50s, extremely friendly, with a voice that carries. (First appearance: Meet Fritzie)