To be shocked the librarian was so poorly read?

[bendmeoverbackwards]

In the library recently reserving some books for dd. Librarian had not heard of A Handmaid’s Tale and did not know that As you Like It was written by Shakespeare.

These are not exactly obscure books!

AIBU?

Op, how much do you think this person is paid? Do you even know if they're a qualified librarian?

I am curious if the people on here who are all "but it won the Booker prize in 1986" can tell me (without googling it) what the winners were in 85 and 87. 1986 is 35 years ago. Some of the library staff/volunteers are younger than 35.

Yes, I could. I was 13 in 1985 but I still know which book won the Booker prize. I’m not an English literature teacher: it’s general knowledge.

I worked in a bookshop for 10 years. I could help with all recent releases, bestsellers and classics or popular titles but I wouldn't be able to tell you the author of every book in general fiction or recognise every title. And after 6 months or so, I'd probably not remember all the released from that period.
However, I was like a savant in the children's section, I could tell you everything about any book/author in the 9 to 12 and young adult sections as well as introducing you to books we didnt stock.

It could just depend on the section she was most passionate about.

@Iamthewombat

I am curious if the people on here who are all "but it won the Booker prize in 1986" can tell me (without googling it) what the winners were in 85 and 87. 1986 is 35 years ago. Some of the library staff/volunteers are younger than 35.

Yes, I could. I was 13 in 1985 but I still know which book won the Booker prize. I’m not an English literature teacher: it’s general knowledge.

No it’s not!

Words fail me

@Iamthewombat

As a former bookseller and current author, I have to disagree with you. Being able to bame every book which has even won the Booker prize (and the associated year they won) is really not what I would call common general knowledge.

@Ilovemaisie

I read The Handmaid's Tale for A'Level. Unfortunately at 16 I was too young to understand it. If I hadn't done it a A'Level I probably would have never read it. It's classed (by a lot of bookshops) as dystopian or science fiction which is genre's I don't generally go for. Would I have heard of it? I honestly can't say. I am curious if the people on here who are all "but it won the Booker prize in 1986" can tell me (without googling it) what the winners were in 85 and 87. 1986 is 35 years ago. Some of the library staff/volunteers are younger than 35.

It didn’t win. It should have. Old Devils is not my cup of tea.

@Librariesmakeshhhhappen

I worked in a bookshop for 10 years. I could help with all recent releases, bestsellers and classics or popular titles but I wouldn't be able to tell you the author of every book in general fiction or recognise every title. And after 6 months or so, I'd probably not remember all the released from that period. However, I was like a savant in the children's section, I could tell you everything about any book/author in the 9 to 12 and young adult sections as well as introducing you to books we didnt stock.

It could just depend on the section she was most passionate about.

Exactly the point I was making. That specific knowledge is much more important than the general knowledge, I makes recommendations much better for readers. It’s not about the ‘classics’ all the time. And frankly, not all the classics are that brilliant.

Yes, I could. I was 13 in 1985 but I still know which book won the Booker prize. I’m not an English literature teacher: it’s general knowledge

Only as much as who won the Grand National or who won the FA cup.

I haven't a clue who won the Booker prize in any given year. I don't have much chance of knowing the other examples either - don't even know who won the Grand National this year (it may have been a woman but maybe that was a different race).

It’s not about being well read. Anyone who’s gone through state secondary education should have heard of that book and that play.

No it’s not!

The fact that you don’t know something doesn’t remove that thing from the category of general knowledge.

I'd also just like to point out that As You Like It is one of the poorer Shakespeare plays.
But then most of the comedies share that in common. The histories and tragedies are much better.

Even before Google, there was microfiche. There’s always some way to find the info you’re looking for.

@Iamthewombat

No it’s not!

The fact that you don’t know something doesn’t remove that thing from the category of general knowledge.

It’s definitely not ‘general’ knowledge. It’s pretty niche. Good for you for knowing though! 👏

People seem to struggle with libraries discarding stock.

• There is limited shelf space. Libraries cannot physically expand
• New books are published and people are keen to read them.
• OId books, especially paperbacks, get tatty and dog-eared. Children's paperbacks in particular may not stay in good condition if heavily borrowed.

- Some books that are not of great interest eg Dick Francis racing novels, go out of fashion.

• So you get rid of old stock that's in poor condition and unpopular to get rid of what people actually want to read.

- Normally classic fiction, even if not heavily borrowed, will be retained provided the books remain in readable condition.

Yes, I could. I was 13 in 1985 but I still know which book won the Booker prize. I’m not an English literature teacher: it’s general knowledge
This is a classic case of I know this fact therefore it is general knowledge that others should know.

Some people can list every US president in order. Some people can tell you the year each country joined the EU. Some people can tell you every general election result since WW1. Others could tell you every number 1 album in the last decade. It's knowledge, but it would be a bit silly to say "it's just general knowledge... I can't believe someone didn't know it".

Who won the Booker prize is general knowledge ? Really?
General knowledge to fans of literature maybe.
Oh and there is a difference between a fan of books and reading and being a fan of literature.
Not all books are literature.

Can you name all the characters that appear in Shakespeare's plays without googling it though?

Do you think Iago is a parrot or a Machiavellian anti hero?

@Ilovemaisie

I read The Handmaid's Tale for A'Level. Unfortunately at 16 I was too young to understand it. If I hadn't done it a A'Level I probably would have never read it. It's classed (by a lot of bookshops) as dystopian or science fiction which is genre's I don't generally go for. Would I have heard of it? I honestly can't say. I am curious if the people on here who are all "but it won the Booker prize in 1986" can tell me (without googling it) what the winners were in 85 and 87. 1986 is 35 years ago. Some of the library staff/volunteers are younger than 35.

Until the tv adaptation of it I'd never heard of it. Only as a result of reading threads like this could I have maybe told you who the author is and there is a chance in a months time I won't remember.

Did Eagle of the Ninth win the Booker prize? Is it regarded as one of the most culturally significant and influential books of the late 20th century? Is its author a famous figure in the literary world? No. It might be a good book, but there is a world of difference between never having heard of a children’s book and not being aware of The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid's Tale has only found fame through being dramatised.

Like a lot of books actually. I wonder how many people on this thread have genuinely read a single Charles Dickens book and have just watched the TV dramatisations.

Anyway there used to be a series of books called Bluffer's Guides. I'd strongly recommend the one about literature if it has been updated. Saves you reading a load of of boring stuff. As for being on the Eng lit syllabus, that's only relevant if you do A level Eng lit.

YABU
Libraries tend only to stock new releases. unless it is a very big or specialist library there isn't enough space on the shelves to keep books published more than 5 years ago. There may be a section for classics, but there are thousands of classics, most don't get read very often.
I'm not the uk, I work in a library here, I have librarian training but that doesn't include learning about books or reading them, it teaches you how to run a library. The book knowledge comes from my own reading preferences and knowing what we stock in the library.
We stock some children's classics, but not adult.

It's knowledge, but it would be a bit silly to say "it's just general knowledge... I can't believe someone didn't know it".

Actually, that was not what I said. Don’t let that stop you having a dig, though! Aren’t you the one who thought it was OKor an English teacher never to have heard of Rebecca?

A PP asked whether anyone on the thread supporting the proposition that Margaret Atwood and her best known novel were culturally significant could name Booker winners from 1985 and 1987, on the grounds that people working in libraries were too young to have absorbed that information when it was released.

I replied and said yes, I did, and not because I am an English literature teacher, which I am not.

Do point out where I said that everyone else should know the same things. Unless you are struggling with the definition of general knowledge? FYI it doesn’t mean “stuff that everybody must know”.

[quote Librariesmakeshhhhappen]@Iamthewombat

As a former bookseller and current author, I have to disagree with you. Being able to bame every book which has even won the Booker prize (and the associated year they won) is really not what I would call common general knowledge.[/quote]
Agreed. If you are interested in Booker prize winners, then yes you will know but if it's not of interest then people won't retain that information.

@JennieLee

Oh! I have a bit of a funny story about discarded library books!

I'm in Scotland. I was looking for the Atlantis Saga trilogy for my sons, and ordered them second hand from the worldofbooks amazon marketplace seller. Used but good. When one of them arrived, it had a plastic library cover with stickers on it from a small town library in California. The same library a childhood friend of mine now works in!! They'd sold their old stock on, and it ended up with me! That made us chuckle.

The Handmaid's Tale has only found fame through being dramatised.

Christ.