The Library Book by Susan Orlean

The Library Book by Susan Orlean, using the 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Central Library as the jumping off point, the author pay homage to libraries and librarians in this wonderfully written book. Orlean remembers going to the public library with her mother when she was a young girl, something she remembers fondly and that sets the stage for this love story of the library. Using the 1986 fire as the anchor of this book, she toggles between the history of public libraries, book burning and the future of libraries. But what the author does best is describe the people involved with the library, specifically the Los Angeles public library system. Her mini-biographies are told with affection and detail, her outline of the personalities is charming. This memoir coming from a non-librarian provides a great story of affection for the institution and its people that is all the more effective because it comes from an outsider.