I was recently browsing the list of new fiction on the San José Public Library web site, and a book caught my eye. It was Mad, Bad and Blonde by Cathie Linz. Here’s a brief description of the plot: “After being jilted at the altar, librarian Faith West goes on her Italian honeymoon solo, but doesn't stay that way too long. And though her sexy rebound man has ulterior motives, feelings surface that neither of them are prepared for.”

As I stared at the picture of the book cover and read the plot summary, I thought about how far the portrayal of female librarians has come since I started my career more than 30 years ago. How refreshing that the librarian depicted does not have the stereotypical  bun, glasses, and sensible shoes. Mad, Bad and Blonde is currently in processing and will soon make its way to the branches. There are already some holds on it. I’m pleased to know that people do want to read about librarians.

I searched our catalog under “Librarians--Fiction” to see if there are other books about modern librarians, and I came up with 63 items. I'd expect lots of books about doctors, lawyers, and business tycoons, but who would have thought there’d be so many books about librarians? Some of the titles I found were The Camel Bookmobile, Here Lies the Librarian, Good Girls Do, and Lord of the Libraries.

You never know what you’ll find when scanning the list of new books at the San José Public Library. Something is sure to catch your eye.

By the way, who’s your favorite librarian character in a book?