292: The Librarians by Sherry Thomas – Summer Reading Spectacular

Continuing the 2025 Summer Reading Spectacular, Steve chats with Sherry Thomas, author of The Librarians, about her love for libraries, learning English from reading books, her Lady Sherlock series, and her writing process, especially for her first contemporary mystery novel. And in The Circ Desk segment, Rebecca Vnuk from Library Reads and from April Mazza from NoveList offer reading recommendations related to Sherry’s book.

Read the transcript!

Murder disrupts the routine for four quirky librarians who hide among books to keep their secrets in this mystery from USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas.

Sometimes a workplace isn’t just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge….

In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too.

Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won’t be enough anymore.

When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library—and themselves—is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together….

All in a day’s work.

SHOW NOTES:
The Librarians

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Library Reads

The Circ Desk recommends:
Village Library Demon Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner
How Can I Help You? by Laura Sims
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentil
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

274: Reference and Information Services: An Introduction by Melissa A. Wong and Laura Saunders

Steve chats with Melissa A. Wong and Laura Saunders, authors of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction, about their paths to librarianship, how they approached writing and editing a textbook, the evolving role of reference librarians in the face of changing technologies and societal issues, and the practical applications of the book in LIS education, including their own classrooms.

Read the transcript!

Written as a textbook for LIS students taking reference courses, this fully updated and revised seventh edition of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction also serves as a helpful handbook for practitioners to refamiliarize themselves with particular types and formats of sources and to refresh their knowledge on specific service topics.

Melissa A. Wong has been an online instructor for the University of Illinois since 2001, teaching courses in reference, instruction, management, and academic librarianship. Previously, she worked as an academic librarian for 14 years, including 6 years at the University of Southern California and 8 years as library director at Marymount College Palos Verdes. She earned her master’s degree in library science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Laura Saunders is associate professor at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science, teaching in the areas of reference, instruction, and academic libraries. Prior to earning her PhD, she worked as an academic reference librarian and in circulation at a public library. She earned her master’s of library and information science and her PhD at Simmons University.

SHOW NOTES:

Reference and Information Services: An Introduction
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