Amis, Kingsley. The Folks That Live On The Hill (New York: Summit Books, c1990) 246 p.

Retired librarian Harry Caldecote, moving about his study accidentally dislodges a book from a table.

As he stooped for it, swearing in the antique fashion noted by Clare, his glasses fell off. They did that all the time now he had bent their frames so that they no longer hurt his ears where the side-pieces went over them. Half a lifetime as a librarian had no more made him handy in such respects that it had taught him patience or exactitude. Harry Caldecote's face and figure were entirely in keeping with his trade: soft, self-indulgent, languid, but alert against any threat of exertion or inconvenience. He had been saved from overall unsightliness, indeed made quite a personable, neat-looking man by inheriting from his mother the fair colouring and slight physique to be seen to rather better advantage in Clare.

   The library that Harry had long worked in and not briefly been in charge of was that of the National Historical Institute at Rokewood House in Duke's Gate. (It was characteristic of him that he must have been one of the last men alive to go on trying to call it 'Rookwood'.) he had taken an early retirement deal just ahead of the new technology, clutching what had soon enough been revealed as a barely adequate lump sum. The fate in store for him had seemed to be mild, relative penury relieved by idleness. Neither seemed to be coming to pass. he had always had much correspondence with other libraries and librarians far and near, academic, public, private, institutional like his own case, even with booksellers and auctioneers, for he stood out from his profession by being quite interested in libraries, books and associated matters. And there was the reputation, perhaps the bare name, of the Institute itself. Anyway Harry had started to get requests for his services from all over the place. (p. 18).

One of these requests comes from Toronto, where he is offered a job as "... a glorified mechanic called a Principal of Bibliotechnology with rank of full professor in charge of department (golly) to look after all the computers and other ironmongery." (p. 182).