Lusting After The Librarian

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 postings are on the library bulletin board? What books are on display at the library. Are there mini museum like displays? Libraries that also display things that museums might are some of my favorite libraries.

               My favorite library is the main hub of the Brooklyn Library near Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Green Market. It is also the closest library to where I live. The building is an architectural beauty, and looks like a work of art, with gold statues and columns. Most people when visiting the city want to visit the Manhattan hub near Bryant Park. Carrie from Sex In The City chose to have her nuptials performed there. Not me, if I ever get married, I want to get married on the steps of the Brooklyn library. Sometimes, on a nice day, I like to go to the green market and grab an apple or a pastry and a drink, and just sit outside with a book. Why is this my favorite library? Well, it is more than a library. There are classes offered for people who do not speak English as their native language. The library hosts things like scavenger hunts around the library. They have a used book sale where you can find all types of books, and I also have a huge crush on one of the librarians. Today's engaging activity is an interactive activity where you can tell a librarian your favorite books and they will suggest some other books for you to enjoy based on your favorite books.

               For me, going to the library is like preparing for a night out. I want to look good. At 42, with pinkish/red shoulder length hair, with a portion of my hair shaved off, and basic mascara and red lipstick on, I feel like I look good. I dress in a pair of black skinny jeans, a black v-neck t-shirt, a black blazer, a necklace with a little gold skull charm on it, and some dinosaur earrings and combat boots. I like to call my look queer/gender queer.

               The librarian who I am crushing on like a highschooler, is not at all the stereotype of librarians, at least not my stereotypical librarian. When I think of the stereotypical librarian, I think of Judy from the Parker Posey movie, “Party Girl”. If you haven’t seen the movie Party Girl and like 90’s movies that take place in the city, you must see it. Judy the librarian in Party Girl is the epitome of the stereotypical librarian. She is the short, stout, matronly type, and either wears a skirt, or a pants suite in some shade of blue. She is rigid, a rule follower, and more than happy to discuss the finer points of the Dewey Decimal System, much like the librarians of my youth, as I was going through elementary, middle, and High School. When I think of librarians I think of people who are largely female, who are always shushing you if you talk to loudly and like order. My librarian crush is young. They might be in their 30’s. Do I have a chance with them? Who knows? When I envision my wedding on the steps of the library do I envision the attractive librarian as the person standing across from me at the altar(well at the top of the library steps) Maybe. I refer to them using “they”, because they go by the letter “C”, as their name. I do not like to assume their gender, but they look more on the masculine side of the spectrum. They are Hispanic, probably 5’4, they look athletic, and have brown eyes that feel like they can see into my inner being, they have curlyish short black hair, shaved on the sides, but curly more on top, and their smile lights up a room. Besides being a librarian they also create art, and enjoy dancing and music. C definitely isn't an in bed by 8pm person.

               I will often go to them when looking for a book, they always have another book to suggest if I like a certain author. We will discuss our weekends, or plans we are making, as well as books we are reading, art exhibits we have seen, and movies or shows we are watching. C was sitting at the table at the book recommendation set up.

               “Hey Liz!”, They said in their slight Chilean accent, as they saw me walking up to them.

“Hey, C”, I exclaimed. “How are you today? Anything new and exciting?”.

“I’m good! Just ready to get out and enjoy this Spring weather. How are you?”.

“I’m great. Just enjoying Saturday doing nothing. Thought I would get a book to keep me company this weekend”.

“What are your favorite books?”, C asked.

“Of Love and Other Demons, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Like Water For Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel, and “Dear First Love”, by Zoe Valdez.”

“You can totally tell you used to be a Spanish Language Arts teacher”, C laughed.

“You can take the teacher out of the school, but not the love of all things Spanish out of the teacher”.

“I am out of here in half an hour”, C said. “Would you maybe want to go walk around the green market, and grab a bite to eat? I want to hear more about your favorite books, and more about you”, they said as they wrote my book recommendations down on a bookmark.

Had the smart, attractive librarian just asked me for a date? Was my crush asking me out?”. I had wished for this.

“I’d love that!”, I exclaimed. “I will go grab the books you recommended me, and shall I meet you back here in 30?”.

“Sounds like a plan”, C exclaimed. I waved as I walked away. I looked at the bookmark with the 3 titles written on it. There was also a phone number. I smiled to myself. I didn’t expect to check out books from the library and get checked out by my librarian crush.