Reading in Style v. 11

Allison of Always Something is the best kind of blogger friend. She shares my red hair, love of Kate Spade, books, the Maritimes, and polka dots, but she's also interesting, fun, inspiring, and has collected together a group of friends that spans a continent, that started through her online presence. I've been blessed enough to make this wonderful online friendship a real life one after a visit in Halifax, and I continue to be enriched by this lovely lady, as well as those she's introduced me to on a daily basis.  So when I spottted her photos taken with a pal in a Halifax library, I had to pinch them (with permission, of course). Because of the hilarious book title she's pointing out, and because of the cute polka-dotted dress supported by her partner-in-photo-taking-crime, Katherine. If you're looking for a good read, or a list of links to general internet awesomeness, check out Allison's blog here. I promise you won't be sorry.

Library Stamp

It's no secret that I am a bit hopelessly smitten with anything and everything library-related, and the story is the same here. A favourite (and bookish) online shop of mine, Out of Print, is currently stocking a "Library Collection" featuring, among other things, this fantastic date-stamp tee and old-school library-card inspired tote. Officially on my wish-list? Yes and yes. 

The best part? For every tee and tote purchased, Out of Print will send a book to a community in need. A surefire way to win any librarian's heart.

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A Woman Above

It's no secret that I love library-themed editorials (see here, or here) since they are the combination of two of my favourite things. "A Woman Above" shot by Edgar Berg for Kenton Magazine is certainly no exception to this rule. If only all librarians actually dressed in the tartan, tweed, leather and statement necklaces featured here. It certainly gives me the impetus to up my workwear game.

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The Librarian

I am so in love with this print by Australian illustrator and textile designer Caitlin Shearer. It's such a perfect depiction of a librarian, and I will admit that I trawl Etsy regularly for vintage pins such as the one sported by the lovely library lady in this illustration. Needless to say, this little print has definitely found its way onto my home décor wish-list!

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Vogue China: Mod Girls

 Vogue China November 2012: 'Mod Girls'. Photographed by Camilla Åkrans Styled by Ludivine Poiblanc with models Xiao Wen Ju, Ming Xi and So Young Kang.

I have yet to find a library themed editorial that I don't love, and this perfectly styled example from Vogue China's November issue is no exception. From peter pan collars, to pilgrim-esque sparkling loafer-heels, to buttoned shirts to tweed and print mixing, there is just no end of sartorial inspiration. 

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Music Monday: Out of the Game

If the library setting of this music video by Rufus Wainwright wasn't awesome enough, Helena Bonham Carter as horn-rimmed-spectacle wearing librarian puts it over the top. Obviously I had to share with you all!

What are you listening to lately?

Light A Penny Candle

I admit, I am particularly easy to win over when it comes to anything library or book related. I've long been a fan (although I don't yet own any) of the beautifully fashionable tomes from Assouline books and to my delight I discovered that they now offer a range of library themed candles = YES! These little beauties have definitely made it onto my home decoration wishlist.

With lovely book and library related quotes, these candles smell like ... wait for it... old books! Well, to be more specific, "leather bindings, worn wood and crisp pages". Perfect? I think so.

Music Monday - Chasin' Lonely Again

There are so many reasons I had to share this tune. Firstly, it's by a super talented Island singer, Meaghan Blanchard. Secondly, it was filmed by a fellow I went to high school with - Neal Gillis,  who works for UPEI and has recently started Campus Sessions. It's a seriously good video series featuring local musicians and bands performing in various locations around the UPEI campus (They are all well worth watching, by the way). But best of all? This tune was filmed in the Robertson Library. The Library! I love it, of course.

Pretty Books

Although the tiny space of my current bachelor apartment doesn't allow for a lot of space for storage of any kind, let alone enough to house any of my numerous books (most of which are currently hiding in a certain PEI basement - thanks Mom & Dad), the perfect home library space is something that this librarian has been dreaming of for ages - makes sense right? Especially when you see cozy and pretty spaces such as the one above, or any of these or these, it's hard not to daydream a little.

Everyman's Pocket Poetry

Until I'm more settled and have my own space to finally set up a cozy home reading space, I'm content to simply purchase those items which will fill my shelves - the pretty books! I do find that books have become a bit of a design tool only - with etsy shops selling stacks of "vintage books", or designers using colourful books to provide a certain type of look that someone wants on their shelves. Personally, although I do love the aesthetic value of a book, but I also definitely want my own collection to contain items I actually am interested to read.


Penguin Hardcover Classics

 Luckily for people like me, a few different publishers are coming out with some seriously lovely looking books that also have content which a former English major and current Librarian like me will want to read and re-read. Beautiful AND smart? Yes please.


Vintage 21 - Random House

Although I have yet to add any of these lovely little tomes to my ever-growing collection of books, many of these titles would make great additions to my eventual home library, in addition to filling out my future bookshelves quite nicely. 

Warby Parker at the Library

I have long been a fan of eyewear brand Warby Parker for so many reasons - being able to try on their glasses at home (crucial for those of us who are every day wearers), their commitment to providing glasses for those in need, as well as their clearly stylish and wallet friendly frame options. Trust me, as someone who has worn glasses since grade 3, stylish AND affordable glasses are seriously hard to come by.

Photo by Mimi Ritzen Crawford via Vogue.com

All this to say - if I didn't love the Warby Parker folks enough already, they decided to up their Rebecca brownie-points by holding their New York Fashion Week presentation in... where else? The New York Public Library. Oh. My. Gosh. Could this have been a more perfect idea? Models and friends of the brand were seated sporadically around the quiet study area of the library, each holding books with pretty blue covers featuring the title matching the spectacles on his or her face. Pure Genius, in my humble opinion.

Photo by Mimi Ritzen Crawford via Vogue.com

The NYPL was the perfect setting for the presentation - not only because the frames from Warby Parker are absolutely, utterly, librarian-chic (And I should know!), but also because they are using the library as what it is - a public cultural space for anyone to use!

Photo via Racked

From the description of the presentation that I initially stumbled upon at Racked, Ms. Lo noted that some of the NYPL staff seemed a bit uneasy about this guerrilla style presentation, which surprised me. I currently work in a special library that isn't open to the public, but I know from my experience from working in public libraries that this is exactly the kind of thing that librarians love! In one of the public libraries I worked at, we consistently had presentations from artists and photographers, so a fashion presentation certainly wouldn't have been out of the question.

In any case, I was super impressed by the new and spectacular spectacles themselves (especially the clear "Fillmore" frames - see top photo, right), and can't wait to snap a few of them up for myself via Warby Parker's site and stage a library fashion moment of my own.

Biblio-Style

I know it is pretty soon for another library related post, but I just started a new library-style themed tumblr, "Biblio-Style" featuring pretty photos of books, library-themed lookbooks, library chic and more.

I would love it if you'd take a look and follow along! 

Keeping Time

I stumbled onto the blog of Swedish photographer Hilda Grahnat yesterday while browsing some of my usual blog favourites. In addition to her lovely photography, Hilda also had a button to a small blog-shop where she sells homemade book-clocks out of previously loved vintage books.

Being the somewhat dorky librarian that I am, I was immediately intrigued by and enamoured with this idea, especially since the books she chose have such interesting and artistic covers. I love books in general (obviously!) and also have a near-obsessive affinity for other objects masquerading as books (i.e. clutches or totes), so naturally I was drawn to these fabulous little clocks.

The likelihood that I will be purchasing one, however, slightly slimmer. Why order something from Europe when I could potentially make it myself? With the plethora of homemade clocks on Etsy, it can't be that difficult? Or at least I hope not. In any case, I will be prowling the shelves of used bookstores around Ottawa to find a worthy candidate for my DIY version.

It's All in a Book

I love these pretty prints from Sophie Blackall. I think I stumbled upon them through the Kate Spade tumblr, and am so glad I did! These particular ones are from a series on missed connections: "based on real, anonymous messages posted online by lovelorn strangers", but the librarian in me loves that books feature heavily in these particular paintings. Who knew that bookshops and libraries are such a fantastic spot for romance?

I am always drawn to things that tell a story, and I love that within each of these pictures is a story of two people, of fleeting glances and furtive smiles and wishes for what might have been, or what is yet to come.

This last one was my particular favourite, and I loved it so much that I snapped it up out of Sophie's etsy shop right away. I haven't decided yet whether it will hang on my wall at home or be put up in a frame here at my desk (appropriately, in a library).

Grab That Book From the Shelf, Would You?

Some of you long-time readers may recall that I pretty much post anything fashion or beauty related that has any connection with libraries, books, or librarian-chic. For those new among you, or if you have forgotten, I will quickly point you to the post re: Jeremy Scott's Dewey Decimal inspired dresses, or perfume that smells like old books. I feel like as a Librarian who enjoys all things style, that this is a duty I really am obligated to perform, wouldn,t you agree?

So of course, whilst perusing the Fall 2011 collection from Zero + Maria Cornejo, I was delighted, thrilled, and otherwise ecstatic to see this lovely bookshelf printed dress! Wearing this, I could be the chicly shoulder-baring yet expertly camouflaged Librarian hiding stylishly amongst stacks of books. Yes please!  Sadly this was the only item within the whole collection (which I liked in general, I will note) featuring this fantastic print, but you can bet that it will be joining the Dewy dresses at the top of my bibio-style to-buy list.

Photo Style.com

Women's Academy

Yes, it's another library themed lookbook. I promise I just stumbled upon it by happenstance - I was admiring the work of Bea Szenfeld via a post I found on White Lightning. She was discussing Szenfeld's more recent work, but on the designer's website I scrolled down and found a prior collection which I loved even more.

Even though I love all of it, I think the paper bow tie and the alphabet mask might be my favourites. This collection maybe be a couple of years old now, but it is just as fresh, at least in my mind as it would have been when initially released. You can read about the interesting inspiration behind the collection here.

A Doll's Life

Is it creepy or cool that these Japanese dolls are essentially living my life? They love style, they have red hair, blue eyes, wear glasses and are librarians.  I feel like a "chic librarian with good hair who enjoys classics like Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland wearing hair bows and Mary-Jane's" is a better stereotype to promote than the ladies who wear cats screen-printed on their sweaters. Who doesn't love a good Mary-Jane? Seriously. So good.

Is it creepier or cooler that if they weren't over $260.00 that I would actually be semi-interested in owning one? I think it is as a result of my history as a Barbie-doll obsessed child in combination with a strange fascination with what essentially is my life in miniature.

Library in a Bottle

If anyone is looking to send me a fantastic Christmas gift, perhaps this perfume would be the one for the job. Available here, the scent echoes the experience of being in the library and is described as follows:

"In the Library" is a warm blend of English Novel*, Russian & Moroccan Leather Bindings, Worn Cloth and a hint of Wood Polish.

I picture wearing this perfume to work as an accent to my pencil skirt, heeled loafers, cardigan, book necklace, holding a first edition of a book, any book. Perhaps with my hair in a bun... Not sure if I can fulfill the Librarian cliché any more than that, but seriously, wouldn`t it be awesome?

I dare you to ask me a reference question.

Okay, I swear I'm not posting about this just because it's found in a library. But after stumbling upon it at Recyclart, I couldn't NOT post it because it's seriously one of the coolest things I've seen in ages and it's a home-design DIY I am now dreaming of doing (in a smaller scale version) in my own future house.

It's an entire desk made out of old books, and although I admit I'm curious how they decided which books were acceptable to include in a non-readable desk, I have to say that I love how it looks like a perfectly completed puzzle in spite of variations in colour and size. I think I would be more than happy to forever be a Reference Librarian if I got to sit behind a desk this fabulous.

You Need a Library Card to Check Me Out

Okay, so first I admit, the blog post title is not my own original witticism (much as I wish it was), but rather a quote from a fabulous friend of mine who is just beginning her masters in library science not long after I have finished mine.  It is perfect, I think, especially in relation to these two fantastic dresses by Jeremy Scott - aptly named the Dewy and the Bookshelf dresses, respectively (Poor old Melvil got his last name spelled wrong in the naming of the first dress, but I'll let that slide this time).

I found them whilst perusing Wood Wood and in my current (well, longstanding, actually) love of all things book related, I was, of course immediately drawn to these two little numbers, particularly the first, short-sleeved and less bodycon version.

 At first I thought -- tacky.. but also? hilariously awesome. The longer I looked at them, the more I felt that at least one of these little numbers needs to make its way into my closet. Even if it only meant that I could wear it to work, and just have a laugh with my fellow library staff about how I could camouflage myself in among the stacks.  Trust me, the moment that one of these dresses lands in my hands, there will be an immediate and oh-so-rare but very necessary outfit post of just this situation - the bookshelf camouflage situation that is. How perfectly cheesy but fantastic at the same time, right? At least in my dorky little librarian universe it is. Also nerd-fabulous is the idea of being simultaneously the librarian and the library.. oh my.

I have dreams of the first of these two dresses, worn with opaque black (or perhaps complementary coloured) tights and knee high boots, and the perfect leather jacket from Mackage that I lusted over at Aritzia the other day.

MARC by Marc

I saw this Marc by Marc Jacobs lookbook on Shopbop ages ago and loved it immediately, not only because I am a huge fan of his designs but also because the lookbook had a library theme.

Marc Jacobs + Libraries = two of my favourite things. So of course I had to share.  Extra points if you catch my insanely dorky and bad library related pun in my post title..  oh dear. If you don't get it, it's probably better that you don't fully take in the extent of my rather sad little attempt at library humour.. haha.

If I could be the librarian who dresses solely in Marc by Marc, I think life would be pretty fantastic, have to say.