Despite the stodgy stereotypes, libraries and librarians themselves can be quite funny. The spectrum of library humor from sources inside and outside the profession ranges from the subtle wit of the New Yorker to the satire of Mad. This examination of American library humor over the past 200 years covers a wide range of topics and spans the continuum between light and dark, from silly parodies to portrayals of libraries and their staffs as objects of fear. It illuminates different types of librarians--the collector, the organization fanatic, the keeper, the change agent--and explores...