Weekly Reader: Call Numbers: The Not-So-Quiet Life of Librarians by Syntell Smith; Sharp, Funny, and Deep Look At Rivalries and Relationships Inside A Public Library

Weekly Reader: Call Numbers: The Not-So-Quiet Life of Librarians by Syntell Smith; Sharp, Funny, and Deep Look At Rivalries and Relationships Inside A Public Library

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


Spoilers: Syntell Smith's Call Numbers: The Not So Quiet Life of Librarians, could be considered the library equivalent of Joshua Ferris' Then We Came to The End. Both are humorous workplace satires about the wacky hijinks of employees and are also used to make important serious points about their societies. However, they are very different in many ways. Then We Came to The End was about an office set at an advertising agency facing the early 2000's economic crisis dealing with the fear of layoffs and possible workplace violence from an unhinged fired employee. Call Numbers is about the staff of a New York Public Library branch in 1994, that have to deal with budget cuts, an underprivileged neighborhood, and racial tension between staff members and the people around them.

Robin Walker, library clerk, is a transfer to the 58th Street Branch of the New York Public Library, from the Ft. Washington branch. As soon as he enters his new workplace, he is surrounded by conflict. He may be able to memorize the locations of various books by the call numbers, recognizes the lion statues in front of the Central Branch by name, and knows the Procedures of Conduct by heart, but that doesn't stop him from making a few enemies the second that he enters the doors.

His first enemy is Sonyai Yi, Branch Senior Clerk. She doesn't trust Robin's friendly but obstreperous behavior. However, that is not the only reason that she doesn't like him. Sonyai is in charge of the four young pages and she promised the next clerk position to high school student, Janelle Simms. Janelle needs the promotion because she's pregnant and the only ones who know are Sonyai and the other three pages.


Another enemy is Tommy Carmichael, another clerk and Sonyai's protege. Tommy doesn't like Robin, mostly because Sonyai doesn't. He isn't above playing juvenile pranks to force his authority over the newbie.

Yet another enemy is Ethel Jenkins. She and Gerry Coltraine are the only two African-American clerks at the 58th Branch until Robin comes along. Gerry bonds with him partly out of solidarity and partly to show Sonyai up. (He wants to become Senior Clerk in her place). Ethel however is suspicious of him for a personal reason. He is lighter skinned than she and she can't resist mocking him every chance she gets. She gets a page, Alex Stevens, to go along with the snide attitude until Alex takes a prank too far.


Oh yes and there are other plots going along with Robin and his Not-So-Merry Team of Rivals. Library Director, Augustus Chavez constantly vies with Heywood Lerner, Information Assistant, for movie nights and philanthropic donations, but has a loyal supporter in Zelda Clein, Librarian, who acts like a pit bull defending her boss.

Angie Trueblood, Information Assistant, is trying to earn her Associates in Library Science degree. However, she discovers some shady things about Augustus.

Meanwhile the youngest staff member, 14-year-old, Lakeshia Seabrooke develops a crush on Robin. She gets some off color advice from fellow page, Tanya Brown, who also has to deal with some bullies at school. The library staff of the 58th Branch may want their patrons to shush for the good of other patrons, but this staff is anything but silent.

There are some situations that are so broad that they are almost farcical. One is the hazing ritual that Sonyai and Tommy put Robin through in which he is faced with checking patrons out during the closing rush. Unfortunately, this ends in a fist fight between the two clerks to be broken up by Zelda and the police.

Another situation involves the extremes that Heywood goes through to prevent Blazing Saddles from being loaned out to 58th Branch for an upcoming Mel Brooks Film Festival.


Then there's the crash course on sex that Tonya gives Lekeshia complete with The Joy of Sex as a manual. (They borrowed the book under Tanya's name and oops, it's past due. Of course, Tanya's parents get a phone call.)

There is also the bar where library employees from different branches meet and compare notes about the awful people that they work with and conspire against them. They may be information professionals, but sometimes their immaturity shines through as much as or more than their willingness to offer books and other sources of knowledge to the New York public.

While the book is very broad at times, there are moments that Smith makes the Readers see the real characters inside the goofy hijinks. The characters show a lot of depth that take them beyond sitcom stereotypes. While Robin instantly goes on the defensive when he arrives at 58th, making enemies with his blunt attitude, he also shows a vulnerable side. He cares for his ailing grandfather, who has long been hearing impaired, and remains estranged from his superstar half-sister and stage mother.

He also has a friendly relationship with Gerry where the two quiz each other on call numbers. Once he and Tommy get past their testy initial dislike, their relationship cools down to frienemies who like to tease, but will defend each other. Robin also helps Tanya with her bully situation and agrees to go out with Lakeshia while letting her down gently by reminding her that he is an adult and it would be illegal for them to be together.

Even the more antagonistic characters show real depth and strengths both inside and outside the library. Just when we are ready to write Sonyai off as a domineering bitch, she shows a maternal side to the four pages. She treats them like wayward daughters giving them advice and lecturing them. She dislikes Robin mostly because of her protectiveness towards Janelle and the girl's situation.

In one of her best moments, she stands up for Janelle when her parents are furious about her impending pregnancy. She even gains a grudging respect towards Robin by the end.

The pages have their own girl squad. They act like sisters who disagree but help each other. Even when they are split about Robin, Lakeshia and Tanya like him and Alex and Janelle don't, it doesn't end their friendship with each other.

Augustus shows an antagonistic side as he cuts corners, sucks up to wealthy donors, and kills anything that would resemble negative publicity. The latter particularly at the expense of the staff's welfare. However, he makes it clear that he loves his library and would do anything to make sure that it remains operational and gets all of the new equipment, releases, and technology that they need. Even if he might have to commit potentially questionable and possibly illegal deeds to do it.

Some of the characters shine best in their home lives away from the library. Tommy has a loving interracial marriage with his pregnant wife, Sarah, which still bears some animosity from their families.

Angie shows a lot of spunk in her information science classes and exhibits knowledge that rivals her professors (and probably most of the staff). The conservative nerdy, Heywood gains an appreciation for grunge music, thanks to a friendship with a female musician who is mourning for a friend and fellow musician who recently committed suicide. (It's 1994, guess who?)

Ethel learns that she has a medical condition which could cause complications for her future career plans. Even characters like Zelda who seem to not have a life beyond the library show how important their jobs are to them and how hard they work to give people the information that they need. These moments show these characters' many facets. They can be selfish jerks, sarcastic wisecrackers, wacky goofballs, sympathetic friends and family members, and well-rounded individuals.

There is a serious undercurrent of racial tension that moves along as a theme throughout the book. Many characters suffer from comments or stereotypical remarks about their race creating a Mutual Animosity Society.

In one passage, a racist patron asks Angie for a librarian. She puts him in his place by not only telling him that she is an information professional and in two years will be a librarian, but also sharply reprimands him for his dismissive attitude towards her for being Native American. Many other characters like Sonyai and Robin respond similarily to racist comments while others like Augustus and Zelda turn a blind eye, trying to keep the library free of bad publicity.

Many characters are aware of the undercurrent of tension and how it affects their relationship with the other staff members and the public. When Robin is met with hostility on his first day, he responds back with further hostility. This tension leads to some violent encounters such as Tommy and Robin's fist fight.

The worst encounter is a final prank in which Alex writes an obscene message inside the library before opening, one that she knows will get under Robin's skin. Robin responds as violently as expected. This prank causes all the undercurrents to explode and come to the forefront.

In 2020, this prank would end up on social media and there would be a firestorm so big that no one could contain it. The encounter wouldn't slide and for better or worse, there would be some serious questions and a restructuring of the library and its staff.

However since the book is set in 1994 and they have a library director who is obssessd with giving the library a good facade, that doesn't happen. He only suspends Robin and Alex and practically cajoles and bribes them not to make it public. They agree but it is painfully clear that this tension isn't over.

With a second book on the horizon, those undercurrents will become stronger and what simmered will explode. What was once funny may no longer be. There are some hints that the comedy will stop when reality steps in and takes center stage. The 58th Street Branch staff are a pretty humorous character driven bunch now, but what happens next may take the humor out and show the real characters.