Authors, Books, Controversial Topics, Sociology, World of Tomorrow

Librarian Caught in Bed with Book

Young woman, wearing negligee, lying in bed, h...

Scandalous!

News of a librarian in bed with a book has sent shockwaves through the publishing and library communities.

Readers of the UK Guardian and Post awoke Friday to the scandalous photo of a university librarian embracing a copy of “Eat, Pray, Love.” Authorities are still investigating whether it was a personal copy.

The photo came to the attention of the press via WikiLeaks.  Authorities in the UK and the US are working around the clock to discover the chain of custody that led to the publication of the photo.

“I’m horrified. Absolutely horrified,” exclaimed her husband, an employee of ebrary, a purveyor of ebook content. “I absolutely had no idea it was going on. I feel cheated, betrayed.”

Both the Research Libraries UK (RLUK) and the North American Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) have been quick to distance themselves from the scandal, referring to the librarian as a “radical Luddite” and reassuring the press that her behavior was unseemly for someone in her position. A formal press event is scheduled for 4 p.m. today, at which an apology and resignation are expected.

“And all this time, I thought she was updating her Facebook account,” remarked a long-term friend and colleague who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Stock prices shot up for e-book producers today as companies expect librarians will slash remaining paper orders under political pressures. Amidst the scandal, however, many publishers see an opportunity.

Executives at Borders Books, currently in bankruptcy, are considering a restructuring of their business model to center around a new e-reader they are releasing in honor of the event, the Nookie. And seeking an opportunity to thrive in a counter-culture of print, several small publishers have announced they would produce small runs of books — mostly romance novels — for the librarian consumer.

“We all have this impression that librarians are prim and proper,” said Nigel Hollingsworth of Bristol-based bBooks, “but truth is that librarians can be naughty. Very, very naughty.”

About Phil Davis

I am an independent researcher and publishing consultant specializing in the statistical analysis of readership and citation data. I am a former postdoctoral researcher in science communication and former science librarian. http://phil-davis.org/

Discussion

9 thoughts on “Librarian Caught in Bed with Book

  1. I love it! Provocative, indeed.

    Posted by elteee | Apr 1, 2011, 8:50 am
  2. Reminds me a bit of this article, showing how we publisher must add everything we possibly can to “enhanced ebooks” to save customers from actually having to (shudder) read.

    Posted by David Crotty | Apr 1, 2011, 10:47 am
  3. Heh, very funny!

    Posted by Siobhan | Apr 1, 2011, 11:13 am
  4. As the news of the Nookie Librarian spread through the national and international press, crowds were seen on the streets of major urban centers such as New Haven, CT; Hooker, OK; and Screamer, TN. Demonstrators brandished signs reading:

    “Check Out Your Local Librarian!”
    “Librarians Are Overdue for Respect!”
    “Librarians Are Serial Lovers!”
    “Librarians Keep Things Really Quiet!”

    Demonstrations were reported as far as Weston-Under-Lizard, UK; and Eggs and Bacon Bay, Tasmania. We bring you the news AS IT HAPPENS!

    Posted by Ann | Apr 1, 2011, 2:52 pm
  5. Best April Fool’s I have ever seen!

    Posted by Kristina | Apr 3, 2011, 6:42 pm

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Pingback: Bibliotekarie gick till sängs med en bok | Varbergs bibliotek – människor, möten, medier - Apr 1, 2011

  2. Pingback: April, april… | Bentebing's Weblog - Apr 1, 2011

  3. Pingback: Librarian caught in bed with book | The Sports Librarian - Apr 1, 2011

  4. Pingback: Medical Writer Caught Plagiarising — and Other Man Bites Dog Stories « The Scholarly Kitchen - May 16, 2011

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