LIBRARY MYSTERIES: LIBRARY WEEK

This is National Library Week! 

My most exciting library experience was getting my first library card. I could read by 4, and although I visited our local library on a weekly basis where my mother checked out books for me, I wanted my own library card. The rule was that you had to be able to sign your name to obtain a card. So my sister taught me to sign my name. After that, the world was my oyster! I spent many summers walking the mile from my home to the Cobbs Creek Library in Philadelphia to check out books, get recommendations from the librarians, and participate in the summer reading club (stars for books read). I quickly went from children's to adult books. Books became my best friends. Over the years I continued to visit my local public libraries. I have fond memories of going to the Penn Wynne Library with my Dad where he sought out American hardboiled mysteries. Because of my own love of mysteries, it was a wonderful bonding experience.

So today's list honors National Library Week with a list of Library/Librarian Mysteries series. This is not a complete list, so I welcome any additions. Note this is a list of Library/Librarian series and not stand-alone library books. There are so many of those, including Allen Eskens' The Quiet Librarian, Sulari Gentill's The Woman in the Library, Fiona Davis's The Lions of Fifth Avenue, and many more. Alas, another post!

Let me know if I've missed any of your favorites library/librarian mystery series. Make a comment or send me a note. Thanks!

LIBRARY/LIBRARIAN MYSTERIES

Jeff Abbott: Jordan Poteet Series

Deborah Adams: Jesus Creek Mysteries 

Lydia Adamson: Lucy Wayles Series

Jenna Bennett: Art Crime Team (ACT) Series (Annika Holst, Librarian)

Claudia Bishop: Hemlock Falls Series 

Lawrence Block: The Burglar in the Library

Lillian Jackson Braun: The Cat Who Series 

Allison Brook: Haunted Library Mystery Series 

Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli: Little Library Mystery Series

B.B. Cantwell: Portland Bookmobile Mystery Series 

Elizabeth Lynn Casey: Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series 

Laurie Cass: Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series

Genevieve Cogman: The Invistible Library

Elizabeth Spann Craig: Village Library Mystery Series

Shirley Damsgaard: Ophelia & Abby Series

Holly Danvers: Lakeside Library Mystery Series

Debbie De Louise: Cobble Cove Mystery Series

Jo Dereske: Miss Zukas mysteries

Laramee Douglas: Death in Culcinea

Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose 

Jasper Fforde: Thursday Next Series

Amanda Flower: India Hayes Mystery Series 

Eva Gates: Lighthouse Library Mystery Series 

Victoria Gilbert: Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series 

Jeanne Glidewell: Lexie Starr Mystery Series 

Charles A. Goodrum: Dr. Edward George Series

Charlaine Harris: Aurora Teagarden Series

Zana Hart: Curious Librarian Cozy Mystery Series

Patricia Harwin: Catherine Penny/Far Wychwood series

Marion Moore Hill: Scrappy Librarian Mystery series

M. E. Hilliard: The Greer Hogan Series

Miranda James: Cat in the Stacks Series

Emma Jameson: Jemima Jago Mystery Series

Sofie Kelly: Magical Cats Mystery Series 

Nicholas Kilmer: Fred Taylor Art Collecting Series (Partner Molly Riley, Librarian)

Mary Lou Kirwin: Killer Librarian Mystery Series

Patricia Kirwin: Far Wychwood Mysteries

Nathan Larson: Dewey Decimal

Samantha Larsen: The Lady Librarian Mysteries 

Con Lehane: The 42nd Street Library Series

Amy Lilly: Ophelia "Phee" Jefferson Series

Ellen Jacobson: The North Dakota Library Series

Jess Lourey: Murder-by-the-Month Series

T.J. MacGregor: Alex Kincaid series

Charlotte MacLeod: Helen Marsh Shandy, Peter Shandy's wife, in the Balaclava series 

Olivia Matthews: Peach Coast Library Mystery Series

Jenn McKinlay: Library Lovers Mystery series

D.R. Meredith: Murder by the Yard series

Miriam Grace Monfredo: Seneca Falls Historical Mystery Series

Kate Morgan: Dewey James

James Patterson: The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians 

Elizabeth Peters: Jacqueline Kirby series

Shirley Rousseau Murphy: Joe Grey Cat Series (Dulcie, the library cat)

Nora Page: Bookmobile Mystery Series

Meg Perry: Jamie Brodie Series

Ralp;h Raab: Biblio Files Trilogy

R.T. Raichev: Antonia Darcy Series

Nanci Rathbun: Angelina Bonaparte Series

Ian Sansom: Mobile Library Mystery Series

Angela Sanders: Witch Way Librarian Series

Sheila Simonson: Latouche County mysteries

J.B. Stanley: The Supper Club Mystery Series

Susan Steiner: Library, No Murder Aloud

Fran Stewart: Biscuit McKee Mysteries

Dorothy St. James: Beloved Bookroom Series

Emily Thomas: Secrets of Blue Hill Library Series

Judith Van Gieson: Claire Reynier Series (University of New Mexico Rare Books Librarian)

Gayle Wigglesworth: Claire Gulliver Mystery Series

Marty Wingate: First Edition Library Mystery Series

Eric Wright: Lucy Trimble Brenner Series

Sally S. Wright: Ben Reese Series

Non-fiction favorite: 

Susan Orlean's The Library Book

Other Non-Fiction:

Kathy Lee Peiss: Information Hunters; When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe
***

Librarians who write mysteries: Check out Robert Lopresti's article on SleuthSayers. You'll be surprised!

LIBRARY/LIBRARIAN MYSTERIES

My most exciting library experience was getting my first library card. I could read at 4, and I went with my sister and mother to our local library a lot, but I wanted my own card. The rule was that you had to be able to sign your name to get a card. So my sister taught me to sign my name. After that, the world was my oyster! I spent many summers walking the mile to the Cobbs Creek library to check out books, get recommendations from the librarians, and participate in the summer reading club (stars for books read). I quickly went from children's to adult books. Books became my best friends. Over the years I continued to visit my local libraries. I have such fond memories of going to the Penn Wynne Library with my Dad where he sought out American hardboiled mysteries. Because of my own love of mysteries, it was a wonderful bonding experience.

So today's list honors Library Mysteries series. It's not a complete list, so I welcome any additions. 

LIBRARY/LIBRARIAN MYSTERIES

Jeff Abbott: Jordan Poteet Series

Deborah Adams: Jesus Creek Mysteries 

Lydia Adamson: Lucy Wayles Series

Jenna Bennett: Art Crime Team (ACT) Series (Annika Holst, Librarian)

Claudia Bishop: Hemlock Falls Series 

Lawrence Block: The Burglar in the Library

Lillian Jackson Braun: The Cat Who Series 

Allison Brook: Haunted Library Mystery Series 

Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli: A Little Library Mystery Series

BB Cantwell: Portland Bookmobile Mystery Series 

Elizabeth Lynn Casey: Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series 

Laurie Cass: Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series

Genevieve Cogman: The Invistible Library

Elizabeth Spann Craig: Village Library Mystery Series

Shirley Damsgaard: Ophelia & Abby Series

Holly Danvers: Lakeside Library Mystery Series

Jo Dereske: Miss Zukas mysteries

Laramee Douglas: Death in Culcinea

Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose 

Jasper Fforde: Thursday Next Series

Amanda Flower: India Hayes Mystery Series 

Eva Gates: Lighthouse Library Mystery Series 

Victoria Gilbert: Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series 

Jeanne Glidewell: Lexie Starr Mystery Series 

Charles A. Goodrum: Dr. Edward George Series

Charlaine Harris: Aurora Teagarden Series

Zana Hart: Curious Librarian Cozy Mystery Series

Patricia Harwin: Catherine Penny/Far Wychwood series

Marion Moore Hill: Scrappy Librarian Mystery series

Miranda James: Cat in the Stacks Series

Sofie Kelly: Magical Cats Mystery Series 

Nicholas Kilmer: Fred Taylor Art Collecting Series (Partner Molly Riley, Librarian)

Mary Lou Kirwin: Killer Librarian Mystery Series

Patricia Kirwin: Far Wychwood Mysteries

Nathan Larson: Dewey Decimal

Con Lehane: The 42nd Street Library Series

Amy Lilly: Ophelia "Phee" Jefferson Series

Jess Lourey: Murder-by-the-Month Series

T.J. MacGregor: Alex Kincaid series

Charlotte MacLeod: Helen Marsh Shandy, Peter Shandy's wife, in the Balaclava series 

Olivia Matthews: Peach Coast Library Mystery Series

Jenn McKinlay: Library Lovers Mystery series

D.R. Meredith: Murder by the Yard series

Miriam Grace Monfredo: Seneca Falls Historical Mystery Series

Kate Morgan: Dewey James

Elizabeth Peters: Jacqueline Kirby series

Shirley Rousseau Murphy: Joe Grey Cat Series (Dulcie, the library cat)

Nora Page: Bookmobile Mystery Series

Meg Perry: Jamie Brodie Series

Ralp;h Raab: Biblio Files Trilogy

R.T. Raichev: Antonia Darcy Series

Nanci Rathbun: Angelina Bonaparte Series

Ian Sansom: Mobile Library Mystery Series

Angela Sanders: Witch Way Librarian Series

Sheila Simonson: Latouche County mysteries

J.B. Stanley: The Supper Club Mystery Series

Susan Steiner: Library, No Murder Aloud

Fran Stewart: Biscuit McKee Mysteries

Dorothy St. James: Beloved Bookroom Series

Emily Thomas: Secrets of Blue Hill Library Series

Judith Van Gieson: Claire Reynier Series (University of New Mexico Rare Books Librarian)

Gayle Wigglesworth: Claire Gulliver Mystery Series

Marty Wingate: First Edition Library Mystery Series

Eric Wright: Lucy Trimble Brenner Series

Sally S. Wright: Ben Reese Series

Non-fiction favorite: Susan Orlean's The Library Book

Other Non-Fiction:

Kathy Lee Peiss: Information Hunters; When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe
***

Librarians who write mysteries: Check out Robert Lopresti's article on SleuthSayers. You'll be surprised!

Cartoon of the Day: Dealer

Librarian Position Available: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Here's a great job opening I came across this morning. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is looking for a Librarian! What a fabulous job! O.K. you'd probably have to move to Cleveland, but....

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, or “Rock Hall,” is best known for their annual selection of new inductees, but the museum also boasts an incredibly comprehensive library and archive chock full of scholarship and memorabilia, from photonegatives of Aretha Franklin in the studio to Jimi Hendrix’s handwritten ‘Purple Haze’ lyric sheet to a full drawer of Kid Rock posters.

From the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website:

Librarian – Job No. 1702 - The Librarian reports to the Senior Director of Library and Archives and performs descriptive cataloging of library resources; assists in providing instruction and reference service and engaging users through outreach activities; assists in the collection development of library resources; and supervises the work of the Library Assistant, interns, and volunteers.

ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?

Photo: Janet Rudolph & Lola Fiur at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Opening Ceremonies of Bouchercon, Cleveland

Michael Masliah: R.I.P.

Many of you who have attended Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime will remember long time fan and librarian Michael Masliah. He attended most Bouchercons and LCC Conventions since the 80s, always with a program book in hand. He would have each program book signed by everyone in the book, and that included me. I was initially surprised when he asked me to sign, as I am not an author. But he always made me feel special. Michael was Fan Guest of Honor at Left Coast Crime in Denver in 2008.

Several times over the years we talked about his unique family history, as well as his vocation and avocation as a Librarian, with a specialty in Judaica. He was a a mystery collector, Sherlockian, and list maker. He ran a Mystery Book Club at the Culver City Library in Los Angeles where he worked until his retirement in 2014.

Michael graduated from LAUSD in 1964 and entered UCLA in 1964 but dropped out in 1966. He worked in his family's business and as an independent book scout and started selling used books at local swap meets. He reentered UCLA in 1975 earning a BA in 1977 and an MLS in 1979. He started working for the County of Los Angeles Public Library system in January 1981. He developed a special Judaica collection for the County Library System that was housed at Culver City Library. He also created and was constantly adding to a list of Jewish Mysteries. He worked with several mystery historians on bibliographies. Michael was a member of several Sherlock Holmes scion societies and worked on Sherlockon II and Holmes West. He passed away on October 16.

I don't have much information about his death. If you have any information, I'd appreciate a note or a post. Thanks.

This was posted on the Culver City Julian Dixon Library Facebook page.

We are sorry to announce the passing of long time Culver City Julian Dixon Librarian Michael Masliah, who retired from the County in 2014. During his 18 year tenure at the Culver City Library, Masliah's career had many highlights, but his favorite responsibilities included his time as the facilitator of the library’s popular Mystery Book Club and his oversight of the library’s Judaica Resource Center during the 1990s and early 2000s. He served as Director of the Association of Jewish Libraries of Southern California.

Cartoon of the Day: Librarian Hell