In Audrey Niffenegger’s The Night Bookmobile (Abrams ComicArts, 2010), each night bookmobile is full of all the books its visitor has ever read — no more, no less. Imagine!

It’s a beautifully-drawn graphic novel mostly about books, love, loneliness, death, and identity, but it’s also about librarianship, I suppose. You can read it in one sitting, but I bet you’ll think about it for much, much longer, whether you’re a librarian or not.

Thanks, Marianne Aldrich.

On Saturday, November 13, 2010, more than 1800 libraries in the U.S. and elsewhere will celebrate National Gaming Day by providing board games, video games, and other kinds of games for their patrons to play.

This is one of those shenanigans that kinda loses its punch by being library-sanctioned. But, game on, gamers, and those to whom the games are new. Thanks, BoingBoing!

photo by Scott Johnson

Colorado College student Max Robillard, of CC’s Integrative Design Club, created a small jungle at CC’s Tutt Library using plants found throughout the building. He says:

“I saw it as a simple, easy public space intervention. I just wanted to give people in the library something new, and to offer them a pseudo-shelter, or retreat, from the public space that the library is. My friends and I put it together on Sunday afternoon, and we took it down Monday night.”

Thanks, Carol Dickerson!

Urban Librarians Unite organized a zombie parade for Halloween in support of library funding. Better undead than unread! Pictures here if you’re on Facebook. Thanks, Jenna Freedman!

Leestademoda introduces us to an amazing technology for reading. This version has English subtitles. Not the first of its kind, nor the last, I’m sure. Thanks, S. Jane Sloat!

So glad someone has gathered together these heroic librarians from books, TV, and film. In particular I call your attention to the bookaneers in China Mieville’s excellent novel Un Lun Dun. About time somebody wrote a novel where a prophecy is a crock. Thanks, io9!

This is probably a bit esoteric for the general public, but a shenanigan nevertheless. William Denton and Adam Taves put together a presentation about searching for information that turned into a play entitled “After Launching Search and Discovery, Who Is Mission Control? A Tragicomedy in 8 or 9 Acts.” Here’s a snippet of dialogue:

Adam: Let’s start at the beginning. What is the name of it?
Bill: Correct.
Adam: What?
Bill: Exactly.
Adam: What is the name of this search and discovery layer?
Bill: Wait, I believe we have a slight misunderstanding. Our name for the system is actually the word What. But when you say “What is the name of this product,” you’re asking a question, but I thought you were making a statement.
Adam: I’m glad we got that sorted out.
Bill: Indeed. We call it What, but really it’s VuFind.
Adam: VuFind. Let’s call it VuFind from now on. But this is the first I’ve heard of any of this.

The script and other materials are available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada license. Thanks, Marianne Aldrich!

This Little Librarian kit for children is charming, despite being hopelessly retro. “Book pockets, check out cards, library cards, and bookmarks are just like the ones from the real library.” Well … like the real library USED to have, DECADES ago. If there’s a market for this kit, perhaps there’d be a market for an updated version with a barcode scanner, too. But I’m just quibbling — I love the fact that this exists. Thanks, David Weinstock!

Super-cool cafe in New York City looks like a library flipped on its side. It’s called D’Espresso and it’s a block from the main branch of the New York Public Library. Not a real library, but definitely a library shenanigan. Thanks, BoingBoing!

The Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy showcases these beautiful wooden trunks holding beautiful 19th-century books. Thanks, David Weinstock!