Talk to any librarian and you’ll likely find that he or she has a favorite library scene from a movie or TV show (or maybe they aren’t into movies and they only read books, which, okay, I get it). I never realized how many pop culture library scenes there are until I started working in a library myself. Every time I watch something and there’s a scene with a library, or a librarian, my heart feels happy. Some folks may disagree with this list, and the films are not the most intellectually stimulating, but they are definitely entertaining. 

“The Mummy” (1999) – Evil mummies from the dead are no match for the beauty and brains of Evelyn Carnahan, played by Rachel Weisz. Sure, she’s a little klutzy, but what she lacks in grace she more than makes up for in sass. Evy has one of the most quotable librarian lines in a film: 

“Evelyn: Look, I… I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O’Connell, but I am proud of what I am. 

Rick: And what is that? 

Evelyn: I… am a librarian.” 

“Desk Set “(1957) – In this romantic comedy, Katharine Hepburn plays NBC library reference clerk Bunny Watson, whose life is upended by Spencer Tracy’s Richard Summers, a computer expert assigned with automating her department. She worries she’s going to lose her job, but even computers need librarians. The film does a great job of showing the stranger side of working a reference desk: “Oh, yes, we’ve looked that up for you, and there are certain poisons which leave no trace, but it’s network policy not to mention them on our programs.” 

What I’m Reading: 

“Daisy Jones & The Six,” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is the kind of audiobook that makes you want to find an excuse to hop in your car and go for a drive just so you can keep listening. I’m sure the physical book is just as enjoyable, but the way the story is read, by a full cast, is just delightful. The story follows Daisy Jones, a beautiful young singer discovering her voice and her power in the 1970s music industry and The Six, an up and coming band on the verge of making it big. It’s written like an interview transcript, and listening to the excitement, frustration, and heartache in each character’s voices is truly special. Sure, the book is full of rock ‘n roll clichés (heavy drug and alcohol use abounds, and the unrequited love of the main characters is fairly standard) but the storytelling is captivating enough to keep you wanting more. 

Next month, I’ll write about three more of my favorite film libraries and librarians.