Shelf Reading

 Shelf reading is one step we take in the Hogwarts Library to ensure everything is in working order. A basic rundown of shelf reading is that we read the spines of books to check the collection for damages, make sure everything's in the correct sequence, and remind ourselves of where certain books are for later if we need it. It's monotonous, time-consuming, and you tend to go cross-eyed if you shelf-read more than one section of shelving for more than an hour. Even in our world full of convenient magical spells for almost everything, shelf-reading is a part of every librarian's job. There's even a small loophole in our shelving spells; the charm is triggered only if the book is removed from library walls- if the book was taken off the shelf and read in the library, then returned in an incorrect spot on shelf, it stays there unless we find it and tuck it back in its regular place.

Finding mixed-up books actually benefits us in a sense. This way we see which collection areas are getting the most use, and if the books are rarely checked-out but read often inside the library we don't accidentally weed something that is in fact, used by students. Also, maybe by seeing these books we could find out why they are being read but not checked out.

- A Hidden Gem -
A book card found in Hogwarts: A History, signed by many notable people in the Wizarding World.
I've got everybody's autograph!

Shelf-reading the Restricted Section is always a treat. Seeing books titled things like Famous Fire-Eaters, Fifteenth-Century Fiends, Magick Moste Evil. Even better is seeing the faces of students taking out these books, ranging from stoic and stone-faced, to sweating buckets of nervous teenage hormones all over the floor.

I enjoy shelf-reading. It's a good memory exercise for a library employee, I always feel more familiar with our library afterwards and I can direct students to what they need much quicker than usual. Madam Pince has memorized the entire library and can list shelf sequences in her sleep. (I've heard her muttering during naps, things that sound suspiciously like decimal numbers...)

I've still got a way to go until I'm that accustomed to the collection.