And every day at least one school student in America asks me (or my stand-in, at all the schools lucky enough to have a librarian) for a "good" book. Most days, it’s many students asking. "Good" means something different every time. I have been asked specifically for a "calm" book, a "happy" book, a book with "a whole bunch of drama," a "love" book, that "blue" book, that "book with the guy and the girl in a circle on the cover," that "book where [insert plot detail here]," etc. I have been asked specifically for a "dirty" book. I admire that question, because while many high school students know what they want, few have the wherewithal to ask that way. I don’t love all the books I point out. They don’t love all the books I point out. When I start to rattle off books, the most popular question is, "Miss, have you read every book in this whole library?" The most popular title for random adults in many schools is "Miss" – an approach some adults hate, but I find it sweetly formal. I have not read all the books in this whole library. I can’t. Some of these books are not good. And some of them are not the right fit for me as a reader. But everyone gets to pick, and good librarians (on the public service side of things) haven’t read every book, they just know about books. There’s a difference. I know the books I love.
I say “on the public service side of things” because there are many different types of librarians. Some people who get the Masters of Library Science degree are really into organizing information in all its many formats but have no head for public service. And vice versa. I have a good head for public service and a mediocre head for organizing things. I hope the profession seems complex enough to allow for these idiosyncrasies. Libraries do have their devotees. If you're one of them, look around your library the next time you go. Notice what the librarians and library staff do. Ask them. They'll tell you. They like helping.