Write a story about a librarian that doesn’t fit into the common librarian stereotypes.

Posted in Fiction on Oct 26, 2022

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 62 stories

“Encyclopaedias” by Maya Juhlin Liedberg

Submitted to Contest #142

I was startled when something slammed down on the desk, it was the encyclopaedias from the back. Of course, there was also the culprit, whom I instantly recognised as one of my regular patrons. Her head sticking up above the desktop, such a slip of a girl, she’d barely managed to heft three of the old books onto the table in front of me. I refrained from rolling my eyes at her refusal of taking multiple trips. “You can’t take those home.” “What! What do you mean? It’s a library – that’s the whole point,” she stated, devastated that the libra...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The Birth of Mary” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #142

As I slid into my silk panties, I knew I was tasting forbidden fruit. The thought of this biblical reference passed through my mind, reminding me of my Bible thumping father. He had been a stern man, and if he could see me now, he would roll over in his grave. “Gary, how could you do something so unimaginable?” “Gary, how could you do something so unimaginable?” he would have shouted. But death had a way of silencing people, leaving me with the last word. “You’re dead, Dad, and now I’m going to start living my true life.” A dim light, illumi...

2 comments 2

Read story

“A Test worth a Million Books” by Maizie Bymers

Submitted to Contest #142

I'm Charlotte (Charli) Dodge, daughter of the queen of books, Rosie Dodge, head of the central library, and also a librarian. We even live in the library. But that's a secret so don't tell anyone. We get in and out normally through one specific bookshelf in the library, the fantasy books. I'm talking, the hobbit, lord of the rings, harry potter, oh sorry I got off track but today's special. My mom, the literal queen of books, and keeper of the forgotten world are about to interview me to join her council. "Enter," My mom's voice came when I...

5 comments 5

Read story

“Never judge a book by its cover” by Rebecca Stack

Submitted to Contest #142

Growing up in her small town, people were always quick to judge Jessie. She was in to punk music as a teenager so not at all a fit with the usual suburban stereotypes found in her home town. It was full to the brim of those that wouldn’t say boo to a goose and were happy to fade into the shadows. Her expression of herself was simply too much for them to comprehend. Maybe their jealousy was caused by the fact that she was able to and they never felt comfortable to. Bullying her for her choices took the limelight of...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Order, According to Angela” by Barbara Burgess

Submitted to Contest #142

Oh shit. He’s standing at the door waiting for me.“You’re late.” Angela’s new boss held up his arm and pointed repeatedly at his watch. “Two minutes. To be precise. Ask Miss Warboyes to man the front desk and come into my office as soon as you’ve sorted yourself out. I want a word with you.”“Yes, Mr. Davies.”Two bloody minutes. What’s two bloody minutes? Angela mumbled under her breath as she hung up her coat and put her handbag in the locker in the staff room. Then she stormed over to Mr. Davies’ office, which was neatly set in a corner at ...

6 comments 6

Read story

“The Last Library” by Jack Karolewski

Submitted to Contest #142

Perhaps it was inevitable. For what is life but a never-ending cavalcade of change and loss? People around the world stopped purchasing -- then soon, completely stopped reading -- physical books and other print media such as newspapers and magazines. Bookstores and publishers went out of business. Writers went broke and gave up hope, and ultimately abandoned their chosen profession. Finally, one by one, libraries across the globe were closed and repurposed. This...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Lusting After The Librarian” by Laura Eliz

Submitted to Contest #142

I love books. I also love libraries. The first thing I do when I travel somewhere is find a local library and a local book shop. Libraries serve as great spots to brave a rain shower and books are great companions on a quiet night in, or train ride. They also make wonderful gifts and I buy them as souvenirs from my travels. I like local libraries. You can learn a lot about a community by just perusing the library. What types of events is the library hosting? What classes if any does the library host? What postin...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Derek the Librarian” by Allya Nosmada

Submitted to Contest #142

When you go to the library, you expect a quiet, sweet, old lady, right? Or at least your librarian is always a woman. I don’t know why, but my librarian must always be a woman. She’s my go to when I desperately need a book and I don’t know what it is. But my librarian always knows what I need; somehow she just knows. So when I went to the library on Tuesday after work, really in need of a book, I was shocked not to find Susan, or Nancy, or even Gina who works part-time, but this Derek character. Yes, he’s talk, dark and handsome, but I ...

6 comments 6

Read story

“Plending Library” by T.M. Kehoe

Submitted to Contest #142

Ian sat on a park bench on the village green, enjoying a rare sunny English spring day. He had landed his dream job in London two months ago, and while he couldn’t deny the excitement, he also had to admit that constantly being surrounded by concrete and brick was soul-crushing. This fine Saturday he had nothing planned, so on a whim, traveled to Euston Station and hopped on the next train. He had no idea where it was going, and he didn’t care. He just wanted to get away from central London for the day.Half an hour later, with the city far b...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Labyrinth of Whispers” by Ariel Niforatos

Submitted to Contest #142

It was said she was made of words, created from stanzas and lyrical sentences that came to life to form her being. She had always been there, silently tucking books into their proper places, her ocean-blue hair like a bird fluttering between the shelves. She looked young but her eyes were old. Her skin was covered in stories, black and grey and purple ink bleeding into clocks and hearts and names that children would often whisper among themselves to guess their origin. Some speculated she bore the names of those she had l...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Memories” by Bill VanPatten

Submitted to Contest #142

The floorboard creaked as I stepped into the windowless room. Dimly lit, it was the size of a palatial dining hall. A small table sat in the center with one chair. No other furniture adorned the room, save the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves populated by thousands of volumes—maybe a million. The books were of different sizes and thicknesses, but all their spines looked the same: black with gold embossing. I stepped closer and furrowed my brow. Instead of titles, the spines had a series of numbers. I focused on one. 4.1.72.8:01. I’ve been to lib...

1 comment 1

Read story

“A Tale of Treasures” by Rochelle Miller

Submitted to Contest #142

"By appointment only" - the sign on the lawn alerted incoming guests. A young boy, about the age of 12, made the arrangements, coaxing his reluctant mother to come along. It was a strange building. The glass walls secured ocean waters, housing fishes big and small and sea life of all kinds. This was not an aquarium, like most would imagine. It was a place to gather and share tales, preserving the stories of aquatic antiquity, guiding the ideas for the future. Entering through a stone archway, the boy and his mothe...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Coming Home” by Andrea Doig

Submitted to Contest #142

How strange. I’ve been coming to this library for as long as I can remember, spending countless afternoons in the company of the old Librarian and my beautiful mom. My memories are wrapped in the mustiness of old books and filed along the rows of the dusty bookshelves. I feel the familiar ache for those peaceful days – and Mom. Walking through the dark-wood doors like the velvet curtains that open onto a magical stage, the feeling of entering an enchanted realm is magnified. Something has changed. Have they refurbished since my last v...

4 comments 4

Read story

“My Angel Librarian” by Susan Wilkins

Submitted to Contest #142

Whenever possible I walked the nearly two miles to my local library. I was nine years old, and this was during a time when one could walk alone to the local library without fear of being accosted or worse, abused. I found the library to be cool, quiet, and calming. All of these qualities were extremely attractive since my house did not have air conditioning and I only went to the library in the hot, humid Michigan summers while on vacation from school. Also, my house was either full of my mother’s buddies, or she was finding some odd somethi...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Sylvia” by Wendy Hayes

Submitted to Contest #142

Sylvia I sighed as I leaned back against the hood of my car. “We did it.” I said to my companion who was leaning next to me. “Can you believe it?” “ I am so tired I don’t know what I believe,” Monica replied. We both stared at the beautiful building in front of us; the new Eastbrook Public Library. We, along with a staff of thirty or so employees had just finished setting up in the new location. Everyone from the librarians to the caretaking staff had spent the last 10 hours unloading boxes and stacking the ...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with someone being given a book recommendation.

Middle School – 33 stories

Write about a character on the hunt to solve a mystery who uses their local library (or librarian) as a source of information.

Thriller and Suspense – 25 stories

Write a story that includes one character reading aloud to another.

Dialogue – 30 stories

Write about somebody who likes to work in silence.

Dialogue – 25 stories

Contest #142

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Librarian Love

$250

Prize money

175

Contest entries

129

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 22, 2022 EST

Won by Deidra Whitt Lovegren 🏆

Title: What You Can Do With Your Book

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Write a story about a librarian that doesn’t fit into the common librarian stereotypes.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 62 stories

“Encyclopaedias” by Maya Juhlin Liedberg

“The Birth of Mary” by Howard Seeley

“A Test worth a Million Books” by Maizie Bymers

“Never judge a book by its cover” by Rebecca Stack

“Order, According to Angela” by Barbara Burgess

“The Last Library” by Jack Karolewski

“Lusting After The Librarian” by Laura Eliz

“Derek the Librarian” by Allya Nosmada

“Plending Library” by T.M. Kehoe

“The Labyrinth of Whispers” by Ariel Niforatos

“Memories” by Bill VanPatten

“A Tale of Treasures” by Rochelle Miller

“Coming Home” by Andrea Doig

“My Angel Librarian” by Susan Wilkins

“Sylvia” by Wendy Hayes

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with someone being given a book recommendation.

Write about a character on the hunt to solve a mystery who uses their local library (or librarian) as a source of information.

Write a story that includes one character reading aloud to another.

Write about somebody who likes to work in silence.

Contest #142

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

175

Contest entries

129

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: