Book excerpt: Most people think of libraries as solemn places filled with dusty books and dustier people. This "memoir and more" of a career librarian explodes that misconception. Recounting his years behind the reference desk with an emphasis on the strange behavior of patrons, the author shows that public libraries are anything but staid and quiet. The history of libraries--as long as the history of the written word itself--is also discussed. That libraries have grown as colorful as the society they serve is proof that these essential institutions are as vital as ever.