[Sca-librarians] Library Assistant fired over book

[Johnna Holloway]

In case you missed this news item-- " Librarian fired for book on 
unsavory patrons

Associated Press
    5:40 PM CDT, August 21, 2008

LUDINGTON, Mich. - A library employee in this Lake Michigan resort 
community has been fired for writing a book that describes a range of 
unpleasant patrons, from the merely unpleasant to online sex fiends, in 
a town she calls "Denialville."
Using the pen name Ann Miketa, Sally Stern-Hamilton wrote "Library 
Diaries," which she describes as a fictional account based on her 
on-the-job experiences.
"After working at a public library in a small, rural Midwestern town 
(which I will refer to as Denialville, Michigan 
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/michigan-PLGEO100102800000000.topic>, 
throughout this book) for fifteen years, I have encountered strains and 
variations of crazy I didn't know existed in such significant portions 
of our population," she wrote in the book's introduction."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-librarydiaries,0,6451431.story

The Ludington paper wrote on August 8th
"Stern-Hamilton was notified of her termination in a formal letter from 
District Library Director Robert Dickson July 25. In that letter Dickson 
refers to a prior letter of “Suspension Pending Investigation” that he 
wrote to Stern-Hamilton July 15 in which he stated:

“The cover of your book includes a picture of the Ludington Library. 
Each chapter is devoted to a specific library patron or patrons. Your 
book portrays these people in a very unflattering manner. You describe 
individual patrons as mentally ill, mentally incompetent, unintelligent, 
and unattractive. You label several as ‘perverts.’ While you stop short 
of naming the individuals you targeted in your book, your detailed 
descriptions of their unique characteristics and mannerisms make them 
easily identifiable in our small community.”"


I would guess the publicity has helped sales as the book is out of stock 
at places like Amazon.
She doesn't appear to be a professional librarian, even though all the 
newspapers are labeling her as one.

So who hasn't encountered weirdos in their libraries?

Johnnae