"...it's hard to go through grad school with brain damage. Damn right. How so many people do it, I'll never know."

~Joel J. Rane

Scream at the Librarian: Sketches of Our Patrons at Downtown Los Angeles (illustrated in horrific detail~which is probably a good thing~by Raymond Pettibon & Cristin Sheehan) is Rane's account of his (rather terrifying) five-year tenure (from June 2001 to April 2006) in the Literature and Fiction Department of the Central Library, Downtown Los Angeles (at least it wasn't the General Reference desk though that seemed to make little difference.)

This somewhat entertaining, somewhat frightening is very similar to this and other librarian accounts (as well as many other public servant woe-filled blogs and books) of the ignorance and psychosis that we deal with on a daily basis. The only caution i would give you is that this was written once Rane took his (much-needed) leave of the position, and though it is filled with wonderful sarcasm it is also rife with bitterness and anger and not so much light-hearted humour. Perhaps best taken in small doses by those contemplating entering the profession, but great exposure, nonetheless...