Cox, Darlene. A Little Bit of Larceny (Denver, CO: Outskirts Press, c2008) 314 p.

Miss Abigail Crittendon presides over the Logan (Iowa) Public Library. She is “tall and thin, with ash-blond hair gathered in a flattering French Twist. Dark blue eyes sparkled behind her glasses. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, not in a glamour-girl-Hollywood-starlet sort of way, but in a cool, reserved 'Myrna Loy' way.” (p. 7). But when dear old Miss Crittendon dies suddenly her young protege learns of her colorful secret past.

Courtenay, Bryce. Brother Fish (Toronto: McArthur, 2005) 842 p.

Miss Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan was born in 1906 in Russia. After fleeing the revolution with her family she spent many difficult years in China. She finally settled down on a small Tasmanian island where she served as Justice of the Peace, piano teacher, and librarian. In the latter capacity she mentored young Jacko McKenzie.

Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan remained imperious, didactic and aloof in all things other than when discussing books. She had a long neck and a chin that seemed always to be raised at a forty-five-degree angle so that she was forced to look at you through the bottom of her glasses, an effect that made her appear as if she didn't much like what she saw. (p. 56).

As an adult Jacko sees Nicole differently

Now I looked at her carefully – really looked for the first time. Her face was in profile and in repose. She was by her own admission a woman close to fifty, as slim as a rake, with her natural blonde hair beginning to turn grey. I felt a physical shock as I realised she was still a highly attractive woman and must have once been very beautiful. She used very little makeup – a lick of red lipstick and perhaps mascara. Her hair was cut, not overskilfully, in a bob, while her skin remained clear and firm …. (p. 556).

Jacko wonders why she never married, and lived on a tiny Australian island. 

Courtenay, Bryce. The Power of One (New York: Random House, 1989) 518 p.

Mrs. Fiona Boxall runs the Barberton Public Library in South Africa. She is patient with the young boy who is learning to read and who makes notes in the margins of books. She joins in a conspiracy to smuggle letters from prison inmates to their families. When in time letters are allowed by the authorities, she begins a program to teach inmates to read and write. She raises money to help the black prisoners. She calls this effort “The Earl of Sandwich Fund”, and thus attracts donations from the racist white population. When a friend is arrested Mrs. Boxall says, “I tried to see him in prison, but those dreadful Boers said only authorized people could see him. If a librarian isn’t an authorized person, then who is, I ask you?” (p. 174).

Coulter, Catherine. The Edge (New York: Putnam, 1999) 388 p.

The narrator of this thriller tracks a suspect to the Salem, Oregon Public Library.

Once inside you forgot how ugly the outside was. It was airy, lots of lights, the floor covered with a turquoise carpeting. The shelves were orange. Not what I would have picked, but it would keep students awake. (p. 78).

Here he finds Laura Scott, the senior Reference Librarian.

I took one look at her and felt a bolt of lust so strong I had to lean against the nineteenth-century English history section. ... She was slender, tall, and even though her suit was too long and a dull shade of olive green, it simply didn't matter. She'd look great in a potato sack. Her hair was made up of many shades of brown, from dark brown to a lighter brown to ash blond. It was all coiled up and smashed close to her head with lots of clips, but I could tell that it was long and thick. Lovely hair. I wanted to throw all those clips in the wastebasket under her desk....

Actually Laura Scott looked restrained, very professional, particularly with her hair scraped back like that, and she shimmered. (p. 79).

It turns out that Laura is not a real librarian, but an undercover drug agent. She claims, nonetheless, to have become a pretty good reference librarian.

Corwin, C.R. Morgue Mama: the Cross Kisses Back (Scottsdale, AZ: Poisoned Pen Press, 2003) 230 p.

 -------. Dig (Scottsdale, AZ: Poisoned Pen Press, 2005) 236 p.

 -------. The Unraveling of Violeta Bell: a Morgue Mama Mystery (Scottsdale, AZ: Poisoned Pen Press, 2008) 230 p.

Dolly Madison Sprowls has been head librarian of the Hannawa Herald-Union for thirty-four years. Even though the newspaper's morgue has digitized Maddy still uses scissors and a felt pen.

For one thing, I refuse to use my computer for anything more complicated than reading my email or ordering clothes from Chadwick's or Lands' End. I leave all the real computer work to my assistant, Eric Chen. Keyboard-wise he's a genius. Life-wise he's a Class A doofus.

Another thing I refuse to do is retire. I know I'm a royal pain in the ass around here, but there's no way in hell the morgue could function without me. And there's no way I could function without the morgue. So I stay on, one birthday cake shy of seventy, making everyone's life just as miserable as I can. (p. 2-3).

Feisty old Maddy likes to figure out mysteries and sometimes she gets Eric to do some online research for her. 

Corriveau, Art. Housewrights (New York: Penguin Books, 2002) 192 p.

Lily Willard seems to have mixed feelings about her job as town librarian in Cabot Fields Vermont. On one hand she loves "... to be surrounded each and every day by books!" (p. 30). On the other hand the job offers little excitement. The same doddering old-timers come every day to escape the heat of summer and reread books about the Civil War.

When other interests crowd Lily's attention she tends to open the library late and close early. The town Board of Selectmen decide to fire her because of this, but later they are forced to rehire Lily when a suitable replacement cannot be found.

Corle, Edwin. Burro Alley (New York: Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1938) 270 p.

Roberta Grace is staying in Santa Fe on holiday for a few days. She is a thirty eight year old library cataloger from Denver. She has little imagination or experience and is trying to have an adventure. Things do not work out very well.