Geeking Out at The City Library

The City Library
Sep 7, 2018 · 4 min read

Greetings, True Believers! September 6–8 is a big weekend for the geeks of Salt Lake City and parts beyond. The FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention will take over downtown, bringing together geeks of all kinds to celebrate the art and pop culture they love. Many members of The City Library’s spectacular staff are gearing up for the event, so we asked them to name some of their favorite geek items that can be found at the Library, and to delve further into just what it means to be a geek.

A pair of Mandalorian Warriors catching up on their reading.

“Geek is chic,” said Michael Birkbeck, a Library Assistant.

“I feel like the term was used towards people who liked things outside the mainstream, but now it has morphed more to someone who is passionate about any topic,” said Meagan Gonsalves-Vorwald, a Teen Librarian.

Library Assistant Alaikia Miller adds, “We tend to use it most often in reference to pop culture, but you can be a geek about anything.”

Jordy Slade, an Associate Librarian, might have summed it up best: “It’s someone that prioritizes learning and discovery in their life.”

Learning and discovery? This sounds like a job for the Library! After FanX, you can visit The City Library and discover all sorts of things that can help you step up your geek game. To see a list of Library staff members’ very favorite geek items, click here.

Selected highlights:

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Recommended by Tara Albanese, Assistant Children’s Librarian
“It gets readers of comics and potential comic book authors to think critically about comic book style, pacing, and composition.”

The Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett
Recommended by April Zirbel, Library Assistant
“His writing is a whimsical, wonderful description of a very quirky world, and so funny! While he satirizes our world, it’s in a delightfully and almost loving way (not caustic or snide). I reread books over and over and there are many groups of characters with story lines to binge on and then happily leapfrog to another character group and story book to book. “

Coding Discovery Kit
Recommended by Mike Snyder, Technology Assistant
“Coding is a way of thinking. The kit provides various ways help you think like a programmer without having to worry about semicolons and other fiddly bits that can get in the way of making something fun as a beginner. You can learn to drive a car without ever knowing how certain parts of the engine work. The Coding Kit teaches you more of the driving and less of the under the hood stuff in programming. A more enjoyable start for new learners.”

Art of Atari, by Tim Lapetino
Recommended by Andrew Eoff, Tech Services Specialist
“This is a beautiful look back at the art of the early video game scene from Atari. You’ll hear the sounds and your hands will twitch as you pore over this great book.”

The Oxford English Dictionary Online Database
Recommended by Madeleine Prado, Library Assistant
“For all the word nerds, this is a fun rabbit hole to get lost in — complete with timelines of how and when each word has been used throughout history.”

Trivia Night at the Leonardo
Recommended by Tommy Hamby, Data Coordinator
“Trivia Night is a monthly event that lets you show off your smarts, competing head-to-head with other geeks. We cover a wide variety of topics and the biggest geeks win! The Sep 21 Trivia Night will be all about comics and fandoms.”

Monstress Volume One: Awakening by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Recommended by Marissa Bell, Library Assistant
“This is the graphic novel that got me into graphic novels. The artwork is incredibly stunning, dark and clever. Maika Halfwolf is an engaging character set in a war-torn country, bent to find answers on her terms. I was amazed to find intricate storytelling in an unfamiliar format and will never discredit graphic novels again!”

Written by

The Salt Lake City Public Library System

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade