to think a school librarian should have heard of Wolf Hall and actually read books?

Hopefully Anewdawnanewname is joking?!

If they're employed as an actual librarian then yes, that's really poor. Not essential to have read it obviously as not everyone likes historical literature, but to have not even heard of it is pretty bad!

Well done, you.

(Don't you think you should have done?)

I read loads and I’m an English teacher, and I’ve never heard of Wolf Hall. Didn’t know if it was the name of the book or the author! Haven’t heard of it as a TV show either.

You’ve never even met the person you’re complaining about and don’t seem to realise that there’s a difference between a qualified librarian and someone on a TA wage that works in a library.

I'd just like to have a librarian in my school rather than having to fit it around the rest of my job

It suggests your knowledge of “books in general” isn’t very good.

Well maybe your friend should take it up with his employers instead of gossiping about a work colleague to a friend who then proceeds to slag her off online? Then they can sack this person they have employed, probably on minimum wage probably as an admin assistant who has no interest in books to sit in the library, and get them to find a qualified librarian to do the job instead. In sure that will be a piece of cake.

To not have a good knowledge of youth fiction and books in general is bad but to not know wolf hall, specifically, as a school librarian isn't that big a deal.

Nobody is well aware of anything, TBH... OP spoke to her friend who told her what the librarian in his school said to him...

Quite why the librarian would have said that, as it sounds a bit like a shop worker saying he never bothered working out which coin was which when giving change, I don't know.

(tl; dr - pictures or it didn't happen)

Only when you leave off half the quote, as you did. As you're well aware, she can't recommend any books as she doesn't read any books.

I think you'll find Waterstones staff know a lot about books

Of course they weren't

This person being gossipped about will not, with almost complete certainty, be an actual qualified librarian.

She'll be someone on min wage or close to it working in a library, which is a very, very different thing.

Sadly, there's not a chance this person will be a qualified librarian. Far too expensive for a school. Most likely they will just do the administrative tasks within the library

I am a literature graduate who spent 10 years working within a university library. Afterwards I did work temporarily in a school library, but none of the other local school 'librarians' I dealt with even had a degree, let alone any librarian qualifications.

I read the majority of the classics I've read as a teen with endless time to read. I've read Jane Eyre but I've also read most of Sweet Valley High. I loved Catherine Cookson but also Jane Austen. I enjoy YA stuff now and get them from the library and can imagine sticking with them if I hadn't already gone beyond, as so many of them are so well written.

As I said before, I've never read Wolf Hall, but I'm am surprised at the number of people who have never heard of it, not just because it was a HUGELY touted book (as well as the rest of its series), but mainly because the recent death of Hilary Mantell was all over the news in all formats, and the news sources mentioned Wolf Hall every single time. I remember being slightly frustrated on her behalf, because HM wrote a lot of other books, yet Wolf Hall was the only one shouted about in her obituaries.

And, wasn't it on TV?

I think the Booker is a bit of a distraction here. It was only mentioned when someone said it wasn't a classic book. Wolf Hall has been the second biggest Booker prize winner ever, after Life of Pi. It's been sold in airports and stations, on TV in primetime. The average Booker winner is pretty obscure really, but Wolf Hall has been read far more widely. Obviously MOST PEOPLE haven't read it, because most people don't read most books. But it's been in the cultural zeitgeist.

Here's why I love Mumsnet. Fascinating thread. 😀

As there's (presumably) heaps of librarian-types on here, and I'm interested in @BeforeWinter's theory that people get 'stuck' in YA, what about Fan Fiction online?

I'm a sad old Trekkie and read a range of AO3 (often porn-soaked) nonsense on there. (Some quite eye-opening/eye-watering.) Far less trouble, presumably, to read than trying to borrow/buy/find bookshelf space for real books. (In my defence I've read 'À la recherche,,,' twice, <insert Mumsnet disclaimer here>, etc.)

I am an avid reader. I have heard of & read (& not enjoyed) Wolf Hall. But there are plenty of Booker winners I haven't heard of. It's not the be all and end all.

Well THAT made me burst out laughing and then feel like a terrible person! Thanks for that!

She's dead.

@Youbutterbelieve

I wonder if I am your friend? I left a school for that exact reason!

It is so hard to find a school which values a Librarians skills. Even harder to find a state one that will pay a salary commensurate with those skills!

Are you Hilary Mantel?