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The Librarian: A Memoir
The library saved her. Now she wants to save the library.
"The day I had my interview for my library position was the day I decided that I shouldn’t die."
Allie Morgan is a woman in crisis. Having recently dropped out of her dream career due to mental illness, she’s decided that life is no longer worth living and is set to end it when she receives a phone call from the local library, offering her a job. There and then she decides to postpone suicide and give the role a try.
What Allie doesn’t expect is for a simple part-time job to become a passionate battle for survival, both her own and for the library. As the year unfolds, she sees an attempted murder, becomes a target for a drugs gang and finds herself the last hope for people in desperate poverty. Hers is the story of how one person can go from rock bottom to becoming a crucial part of her local community. Recounted with immense wry humour and disarming charm, The Librarian is an eye-opening account of a strange but wonderful community hub and a library that changed a life.
"The day I had my interview for my library position was the day I decided that I shouldn’t die."
Allie Morgan is a woman in crisis. Having recently dropped out of her dream career due to mental illness, she’s decided that life is no longer worth living and is set to end it when she receives a phone call from the local library, offering her a job. There and then she decides to postpone suicide and give the role a try.
What Allie doesn’t expect is for a simple part-time job to become a passionate battle for survival, both her own and for the library. As the year unfolds, she sees an attempted murder, becomes a target for a drugs gang and finds herself the last hope for people in desperate poverty. Hers is the story of how one person can go from rock bottom to becoming a crucial part of her local community. Recounted with immense wry humour and disarming charm, The Librarian is an eye-opening account of a strange but wonderful community hub and a library that changed a life.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2021
16 people are currently reading
878 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
February 28, 2021
Hello, I wrote this! Here are some content warnings that you may wish to know about:
This book contains discussion of mental illness, trauma and suicidal ideation.
There are some mentions of violence against public / lone workers.
Other themes in the book include poverty, disability and social inequality.
There are some very brief mentions of drug addiction.
Please message me if you'd like me to add anything to this list or have questions about a specific trigger.
This book contains discussion of mental illness, trauma and suicidal ideation.
There are some mentions of violence against public / lone workers.
Other themes in the book include poverty, disability and social inequality.
There are some very brief mentions of drug addiction.
Please message me if you'd like me to add anything to this list or have questions about a specific trigger.
March 26, 2021
Ah how to review this. If you work in a library it's all so familiar. If you've ever thought to yourself ooo I fancy working in a library I bet that's a nice job - well it is. As long as you realise that one day you've felt great for helping someone and being thanked then the next day someone calls you an effing c*** and shits in the children's library.
Morgan hits library paradoxes perfectly. She wants to help people but there aren't enough staff, resources, time etc. Then for everyone you help there's another person who just wants someone to shout at. The other staff are a mix of enthusiastic, bitter, terrified or naive. Morgan brilliantly explains the problems libraries face and the fundamental rule that they are for the people that surround them, if they aren't used then they are at risk. Well worth reading for its insights.
Morgan hits library paradoxes perfectly. She wants to help people but there aren't enough staff, resources, time etc. Then for everyone you help there's another person who just wants someone to shout at. The other staff are a mix of enthusiastic, bitter, terrified or naive. Morgan brilliantly explains the problems libraries face and the fundamental rule that they are for the people that surround them, if they aren't used then they are at risk. Well worth reading for its insights.
April 13, 2021
This is very good. If you care about public services - libraries, in this case, but it raises other questions too - it will both encourage you and make you angry in equal measure.
My experience of public libraries was, in my first professional role, in a traditional public reference library in central London - the sort which has now by and large been swept away by austerity measures and cost-cutting. This was before the internet, so the work was a bit different, but there were many homeless regular users and we were used to people with serious mental health issues (and nowhere much else to go). At the same time we had many regular users who didn't fall into this category and objected to the presence of the "others". The balance is a hard one to maintain.
My second stint in public libraries was in a branch library a little more like the ones Allie Morgan describes, but in a more genteel area. Not so many of the obvious social outcasts here but oh! the problems of managing children's events in a fairly open-plan environment, alongside people who wanted somewhere quiet to read the newspaper and thought that children should be seen and not heard ...
In both places I had two things which seem to be missing from Allie Morgan's experience. One was supportive management and fellow staff, who were all basically on the same page. The other was active trade unions, which management encouraged us to join and which, for instance, meant that we would never be single-staffed in a branch (this came at a cost as people would be sent on relief from other branches at short notice). Although this was a "nice" area there were still problems, particularly of teenage vandalism, and the "no single staff" rule had been brought in due to an assault on a pregnant lone worker years before. As austerity bites this can be the one of the first things management eye as a cost-saving.
One of the main things which has changed in the last 20 years or so has been the reorganisation of local government, which has nearly always led to libraries being downgraded and assimilated into larger council departments. No more dedicated library committee with its own councillor members, no more librarians in positions of authority - rather, remaining library staff having to explain the significance of the 1964 Act yet again to disbelieving managers from outside the profession (yes, it is a statutory service, so no, you can't just get rid of it).
This book raised all sorts of ghosts from the past for me, and reinforced my anger at the cruelty of the current benefits system. How on earth can you expect people who sometimes cannot even read and write (yes, I too learned how to spot this one) to access the things they need to use to do monitored job searches? Why are men in their 60s who are too ill to work being forced to jump through these hoops, or starve? How did we ever reach the point of losing our humanity to this extent?
Libraries are simultaneously being told that they are expected to fill the gaps in the system and give people the help they don't seem to be getting elsewhere, and also that they are "a luxury we can't afford" and can be replaced by phone boxes of cast-off paperbacks.
This is a well-written book which shines a light on many aspects of libraries which people often seem blind to. Allie Morgan and coworkers could do with a decent union, too (I'm assuming there isn't one there, unless it's been cowed into silence by austerity measures and management bullying).
My experience of public libraries was, in my first professional role, in a traditional public reference library in central London - the sort which has now by and large been swept away by austerity measures and cost-cutting. This was before the internet, so the work was a bit different, but there were many homeless regular users and we were used to people with serious mental health issues (and nowhere much else to go). At the same time we had many regular users who didn't fall into this category and objected to the presence of the "others". The balance is a hard one to maintain.
My second stint in public libraries was in a branch library a little more like the ones Allie Morgan describes, but in a more genteel area. Not so many of the obvious social outcasts here but oh! the problems of managing children's events in a fairly open-plan environment, alongside people who wanted somewhere quiet to read the newspaper and thought that children should be seen and not heard ...
In both places I had two things which seem to be missing from Allie Morgan's experience. One was supportive management and fellow staff, who were all basically on the same page. The other was active trade unions, which management encouraged us to join and which, for instance, meant that we would never be single-staffed in a branch (this came at a cost as people would be sent on relief from other branches at short notice). Although this was a "nice" area there were still problems, particularly of teenage vandalism, and the "no single staff" rule had been brought in due to an assault on a pregnant lone worker years before. As austerity bites this can be the one of the first things management eye as a cost-saving.
One of the main things which has changed in the last 20 years or so has been the reorganisation of local government, which has nearly always led to libraries being downgraded and assimilated into larger council departments. No more dedicated library committee with its own councillor members, no more librarians in positions of authority - rather, remaining library staff having to explain the significance of the 1964 Act yet again to disbelieving managers from outside the profession (yes, it is a statutory service, so no, you can't just get rid of it).
This book raised all sorts of ghosts from the past for me, and reinforced my anger at the cruelty of the current benefits system. How on earth can you expect people who sometimes cannot even read and write (yes, I too learned how to spot this one) to access the things they need to use to do monitored job searches? Why are men in their 60s who are too ill to work being forced to jump through these hoops, or starve? How did we ever reach the point of losing our humanity to this extent?
Libraries are simultaneously being told that they are expected to fill the gaps in the system and give people the help they don't seem to be getting elsewhere, and also that they are "a luxury we can't afford" and can be replaced by phone boxes of cast-off paperbacks.
This is a well-written book which shines a light on many aspects of libraries which people often seem blind to. Allie Morgan and coworkers could do with a decent union, too (I'm assuming there isn't one there, unless it's been cowed into silence by austerity measures and management bullying).
February 4, 2021
What a book. I laughed, and cried A LOT. It perfectly mirrors my own experiences of working in a library (mental health stuff too) but more importantly makes it so clear how libraries are the heart of a community and final safety net for many. A must read, and a rallying call to us all.
December 13, 2021
I really want to put this in the hands of everyone who ever told me "You're a librarian? Man, it must be nice to have nothing to do but read books all day."
February 5, 2021
(Full disclosure, I'm reasonably long term Twitter mutuals with the author.)
This is a really moving book about being on the frontline of vital public services that are being slashed by austerity. It is also about the magic of books. It is also about recovery from severe mental health problems. It is also about living with trauma. It is also about community and choosing to be compassionate and creating positive change. Eye opening and heartwarming.
I will say - content warning for a fair amount of discussion of suicidal ideation.
This is a really moving book about being on the frontline of vital public services that are being slashed by austerity. It is also about the magic of books. It is also about recovery from severe mental health problems. It is also about living with trauma. It is also about community and choosing to be compassionate and creating positive change. Eye opening and heartwarming.
I will say - content warning for a fair amount of discussion of suicidal ideation.
August 3, 2021
I was disappointed with this book. Perhaps, having worked in libraries for ten years, I felt defensive about it showing them in such a negative light with regular assaults, uncaring fellow staff etc. Important points are made about the threats to this valuable service from cutbacks, neglect, local authorities' blinkered box-ticking etc, there are plenty of anecdotes of day to day life in a library, and there is good general advice about working with the public.
However it's important to note the subtitle: a memoir. The author, who I only latterly realised went viral on Twitter about libraries and has a big personal following, chooses to focus quite heavily on detailed interactions with her immediate colleagues and on her own mental health issues. I know from my own experience a library is a challenging place to work when you are anxious or vulnerable yourself, but I found the twin narratives of library life and the author's PTSD jarring.
Focussing so much on the personal experience, I felt the book missed a great opportunity to highlight wider issues in libraries - how many are closing, loss of reference libraries, self checkouts etc - and some of the creative ideas that are helping address these.
However it's important to note the subtitle: a memoir. The author, who I only latterly realised went viral on Twitter about libraries and has a big personal following, chooses to focus quite heavily on detailed interactions with her immediate colleagues and on her own mental health issues. I know from my own experience a library is a challenging place to work when you are anxious or vulnerable yourself, but I found the twin narratives of library life and the author's PTSD jarring.
Focussing so much on the personal experience, I felt the book missed a great opportunity to highlight wider issues in libraries - how many are closing, loss of reference libraries, self checkouts etc - and some of the creative ideas that are helping address these.
June 3, 2021
**Trigger warning for depression, suicidal thoughts, self harm, abuse and trauma**
"Read what you love, not what you feel you 'should' read."
As someone who has only recently started their journey into the Librarian world, a dream for me since childhood, I was so eager to read about someone else's journey and Allie does not disappoint.
There are a lot of parallels between Allie's journey and my own that really made this book resonate with me, as a survivor of trauma, attempted suicide and as someone who battles depression and anxiety - it was so refreshing to read an honest account of her struggles and know that I was not alone. She highlights a lot of the struggles that libraries of today are facing, both pre and post Covid and offers an insight into the work of Librarians that often goes unnoticed.
Filled with emotion and determination, this is one of the best works of non fiction that I have read to date. Allie's relatable and passionate story is one that all book lovers should read, not just those of us who have been granted the keys to the Library kingdom.
If I could recommend one non fiction book to read to book lovers, I would recommend this.
"Read what you love, not what you feel you 'should' read."
As someone who has only recently started their journey into the Librarian world, a dream for me since childhood, I was so eager to read about someone else's journey and Allie does not disappoint.
There are a lot of parallels between Allie's journey and my own that really made this book resonate with me, as a survivor of trauma, attempted suicide and as someone who battles depression and anxiety - it was so refreshing to read an honest account of her struggles and know that I was not alone. She highlights a lot of the struggles that libraries of today are facing, both pre and post Covid and offers an insight into the work of Librarians that often goes unnoticed.
Filled with emotion and determination, this is one of the best works of non fiction that I have read to date. Allie's relatable and passionate story is one that all book lovers should read, not just those of us who have been granted the keys to the Library kingdom.
If I could recommend one non fiction book to read to book lovers, I would recommend this.
Read
July 17, 2022It broke a lot of illusions about the library work. Not so peaceful and magical as expected. But all the more important. Thank you for your hard work! Thank you for keeping the libraries alive!
July 23, 2021
Anyone who works in a library should read this!
December 27, 2021
I’ve worked in a library for 10 years, so it was inevitable that I would read this book at some point, although I’m surprised it’s took me this long! I have read other books about libraries, but this was the first one which seemed like a busman’s holiday! The author got a job in a library during a difficult time in her life. The library was supposed to give her something to focus on, and whilst seemed to provide her with many happy times, it also gave her more problems than it needed to.
Working in a library I could honestly empathise with everything this author wrote about. I’ve been there with the staff shortages, budget cuts, management issues, computer problems, aggressive customers and everything else which makes you wonder why on earth you carry on working there. But I’ve also been there with the children’s activities, our frequent borrowers, helping job seekers or benefit claimants, finding long lost ancestral relatives, providing somewhere to sit when its raining and maybe being the only person that your elderly borrower talks to that day. The good times outweigh the bad, just like the author demonstrates in this book.
I liked Allie and would love to work with her as our ideas of what libraries should be like seem very similar. She gives some great anecdotes as to a typical day of a librarian, and I can relate to so many of her experiences. Some of them made me chuckle, others left me with tears in my eyes. The book also broaches on what happened to libraries during Covid, although this did vary across the country. Some where just completely closed, with no borrowing at all. Others, like my own library reopened after the first lockdown and we were classed as key workers and we were open, in one way or another, throughout, showing how important libraries are to a community.
If you’ve never worked in a library, this book will certainly be an eye-opener! Gone are the days where you have to be quiet (the youngsters are positively encouraged to be as noisy as they like during Rattle and Rhyme!) and we’ve now moved into the times where security guards and police visits are a common occurrence in some of the more troublesome libraries. The author not only shares these library related stories, but also shares with the reader her struggles with her own mental health, which again is something we all maybe able to connect with. A must read for any library worker, but would also definitely recommend it for anyone else who wants an insight into what it’s like behind the shelves of a library!
Working in a library I could honestly empathise with everything this author wrote about. I’ve been there with the staff shortages, budget cuts, management issues, computer problems, aggressive customers and everything else which makes you wonder why on earth you carry on working there. But I’ve also been there with the children’s activities, our frequent borrowers, helping job seekers or benefit claimants, finding long lost ancestral relatives, providing somewhere to sit when its raining and maybe being the only person that your elderly borrower talks to that day. The good times outweigh the bad, just like the author demonstrates in this book.
I liked Allie and would love to work with her as our ideas of what libraries should be like seem very similar. She gives some great anecdotes as to a typical day of a librarian, and I can relate to so many of her experiences. Some of them made me chuckle, others left me with tears in my eyes. The book also broaches on what happened to libraries during Covid, although this did vary across the country. Some where just completely closed, with no borrowing at all. Others, like my own library reopened after the first lockdown and we were classed as key workers and we were open, in one way or another, throughout, showing how important libraries are to a community.
If you’ve never worked in a library, this book will certainly be an eye-opener! Gone are the days where you have to be quiet (the youngsters are positively encouraged to be as noisy as they like during Rattle and Rhyme!) and we’ve now moved into the times where security guards and police visits are a common occurrence in some of the more troublesome libraries. The author not only shares these library related stories, but also shares with the reader her struggles with her own mental health, which again is something we all maybe able to connect with. A must read for any library worker, but would also definitely recommend it for anyone else who wants an insight into what it’s like behind the shelves of a library!
February 28, 2021
Devastating, and very well-written, description of the extraordinary social value public libraries offer and how difficult it is for workers on the ground to deliver the service in the face of years of budget cuts. Also describes the experience of attempting to negotiate The World while recovering from serious mental health issues. This is not a cosy 'confessions of a librarian' narrative. If you liked it, I can thoroughly recommend Chris Paling's 'Reading Allowed' which explores some of the same issues in a more detached way and a very different environment.
May 15, 2021
An excellent read. This hit hard for me as a librarian in a deprived area. So many of Alllie's stories were similar to my own. We need libraries now more than ever. They are a safe space in a world that often doesn't feel safe ro many. This book make me laugh, cry and nod along in agreement and empathy.
January 26, 2022
What can I say? Absolutely loved it - wanted to underline so many sentences (but as it was a library book I obviously didn't :) ). Think this should be read by those who make the budget decisions about libraries as well as those who think nobody uses them anymore or that they're not really needed these days - think they may learn a few things!
April 5, 2021
You think you know what libraries (and librarians) are all about? Read this and then we can talk. Also addresses some important themes like mental health, poverty and equality.
August 13, 2021
This was especially good after working 15 years in a library. “Do no harm, but take no shit!” Best sentence in the book.
March 14, 2022
Fuck the torys. Fuck austerity. Fuck neo liberalism. Fuck managers who call library patrons 'customers'. Viva la old lady thriller readers. That is all.
April 17, 2022
En underhållande och upplysande bok om bibliotekarieyrkets ljusa och mörka sidor. Skrattade högt på flera ställen medan andra fick mig att börja tvivla på om jag verkligen har det i mig att bli bibliotekarie. Blir jag det tar jag åtminstone med mig de 13 reglerna och hoppas att ingen lämnar tillbaka böcker med faktiskt bajs på.
September 25, 2023
This is a heartfelt memoir about Morgan's entry into library work. She shares candidly about her mental health and the struggles she has faced, and also the struggles of many library patrons she has met. This is a wonderful ode to libraries and the vast importance and value they have in our communities, far beyond lending books.
February 7, 2021
It has been a while since I found a book so engaging. Usually, I start a book and then it gets picked up and put down over a number of weeks. By contrast, I finished this book in 3 days - I am not a fast reader, and I'm certainly not a "Reader-with-a-capital-R" as described in the book - I am, like the author, in awe at those folks.
It might be clichéd to say but I laughed and I cried. There are some awful scenarios, but always hope, a desire to make things better, and the author shows that even something small and seemingly insignificant can make a big difference.
I especially liked the rule that should you "Read what you love, not what you think you should read" - I wished I'd been told that in high school - It would have saved me trying to wade through the "classics" and other great tomes because I thought that's what adults should be reading rather than books I might have enjoyed more.
It might be clichéd to say but I laughed and I cried. There are some awful scenarios, but always hope, a desire to make things better, and the author shows that even something small and seemingly insignificant can make a big difference.
I especially liked the rule that should you "Read what you love, not what you think you should read" - I wished I'd been told that in high school - It would have saved me trying to wade through the "classics" and other great tomes because I thought that's what adults should be reading rather than books I might have enjoyed more.
December 31, 2022
I downloaded this book a while ago, but had to stop reading at chapter 8 because I found the author's account of her breakdown too much at the time. Returning to it when I felt more robust, I appreciated her honesty.
Indeed, candour is the hallmark of this autobiography - Morgan speaks as she finds. And what she finds is a community that she has the will, creativity and ability to join and support, even when things seem insurmountable. Vandalism, violence and staff way beyond burnout and neck-deep in compassion fatigue are just a few of the workplace challenges Morgan - and by the accounts of friends at the coalface, all public library workers - confront most days. Yet this book leaves us full of hope.
Undoubtedly this was one of the hardest books to read this year, because the threats to our public library system are big, plentiful and scary. Somehow, though, Morgan leaves us feeling empowered.
Three Word Review: Public libraries matter.
Indeed, candour is the hallmark of this autobiography - Morgan speaks as she finds. And what she finds is a community that she has the will, creativity and ability to join and support, even when things seem insurmountable. Vandalism, violence and staff way beyond burnout and neck-deep in compassion fatigue are just a few of the workplace challenges Morgan - and by the accounts of friends at the coalface, all public library workers - confront most days. Yet this book leaves us full of hope.
Undoubtedly this was one of the hardest books to read this year, because the threats to our public library system are big, plentiful and scary. Somehow, though, Morgan leaves us feeling empowered.
Three Word Review: Public libraries matter.
February 7, 2021
I’m not good with words. I struggle to be eloquent. Let me say this - 5 stars isn’t enough. Allie writes passionately about libraries. It is obvious how strongly she believes in them.
I will be honest I have neglected my local library for a while now and this book reminded me of the magic of libraries and also makes me feel incredibly scared that our library may never re-open.
This book had me in tears more than once. It had me laughing too. I recognised many situations Allie found herself in from my previous employment in the NHS. I contacted Allie a couple of times whilst reading the book and she was always sweet enough to reply.
I’m rambling. If you’ve read this far just do yourself a favour and get a copy of this book. Treasure it.
I will be honest I have neglected my local library for a while now and this book reminded me of the magic of libraries and also makes me feel incredibly scared that our library may never re-open.
This book had me in tears more than once. It had me laughing too. I recognised many situations Allie found herself in from my previous employment in the NHS. I contacted Allie a couple of times whilst reading the book and she was always sweet enough to reply.
I’m rambling. If you’ve read this far just do yourself a favour and get a copy of this book. Treasure it.
February 7, 2021
This was amazing - I stayed up till midnight to finish reading it the day it arrived.
Allie paints such a familiar picture of local libraries that I can't help wondering if she's close by in real life, it's all so vivid and reminiscent she could be talking about your own town. Or at least that deprived part of it down the road, that we prefer not to look at, but Allie has waded in to try and save <3
A heartwarming memoir written by a big-hearted worker!
PS buy this book to feed her snakes :)
Allie paints such a familiar picture of local libraries that I can't help wondering if she's close by in real life, it's all so vivid and reminiscent she could be talking about your own town. Or at least that deprived part of it down the road, that we prefer not to look at, but Allie has waded in to try and save <3
A heartwarming memoir written by a big-hearted worker!
PS buy this book to feed her snakes :)
October 31, 2021
Interesting book on working in a Small branch library . Lots of stories about types of customers who use libraries but also deals with Mental Health issues.
Shows how useful libraries are to their communities.
Shows how useful libraries are to their communities.
September 10, 2021
Really interesting insight into the life of a library 🤓 it’s so important to support our libraries 🙌🏼
July 5, 2024
1-2 ⭐️
Thought I'd branch out and read something different to normal but didn't really enjoy. Time to get back to my fantasy books 📚
Thought I'd branch out and read something different to normal but didn't really enjoy. Time to get back to my fantasy books 📚
March 27, 2024
Having just re-discovered my local library after several years away, I found this book which helped me realise what a tremendous resource we have in most of our towns. The author describes the day-to-day workings of a library and the amazing amount of help they provide to all people. You wouldn't think a book about a librarian could be a page turner, but this was! You always wanted to know what happened next. She makes an extremely good case for the value of libraries. I'm really glad I found mine again. Use them or lose them. The council are always looking for ways to cut back and library cut-backs are the easy option.
February 21, 2023
Listened to the audiobook of this and loved it! As a regular library user I found this book so topical and important. We need to do more to save our libraries and recognise the staff.
April 22, 2023
I thought I couldn't love the library any more until I read this memoir, which highlights the vital and varied service librarians and libraries offer in our local communities.
This shows how varied the role of a librarian can be and that to do the role you need to have as much of a passion for people as books. Part librarian; listening ear; IT support; community support officer, often picking up the slack from other council services; event organiser; campaigner, fighting for the survival of the library; innovator, always thinking of new ways to get more people through the door... and the list goes on!
I see some of this in evidence at my local library, but there were some surprises too.
This shows how varied the role of a librarian can be and that to do the role you need to have as much of a passion for people as books. Part librarian; listening ear; IT support; community support officer, often picking up the slack from other council services; event organiser; campaigner, fighting for the survival of the library; innovator, always thinking of new ways to get more people through the door... and the list goes on!
I see some of this in evidence at my local library, but there were some surprises too.
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