Read & Tread @readandtread - Tumblr Blog

myjetpack

My latest books cartoon for The Guardian's books pages.

Many more here: www.theguardian.com/profile/tom-gauld

falseknees

caw caw caw! (celebratory)

herpsandbirds

homunculus-argument

A free-range group therapy called "get herded, idiot", where you and everyone in your group is set loose to run around on an open field while a highly trained shepherd dog tries to keep you all in one group. I am not sure what benefit this would have for anyone involved.

readandtread

Sign me up.

womanguy

you should get a second evening for reading fan fiction. And you should get an extra day in the week to do arts and crafts.

mostlyghostie

A slightly redrawn and edited version of the Dream Library stack (version 3 if you’re counting).

Since I first drew this, my first wish has come true with the final Book of Dust novel having come out (not what I expected, but I liked it)! Which would you most want if you could pick one?

(Currently part of a half price print sale on my shop!)

Shop

mhalachai

i don’t remember the name but i think there was a bird on the cover

myrfing

i really really really like this image. #Walking

nightvaleofficial

whilereadingandwalking

📍Find me at: the gorgeous George Peabody library, part of Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland.

goatmilksoda

A question I get asked a lot while working at a public library is "how do you deal with homeless people?"

And the answer is, we don't.

The unhoused people who come here seeking refuge 99% of the time understand that they will be kicked out if they misbehave.

The people you have to watch out for are Jessica, who only came because the kid she didn't want had to visit for a homework assignment and she just *needs* to yell at her child for asking to borrow two books or stay an extra five minutes, or Michael, who came in to look at porn on our computers for whatever fucking reason, or Karen who just wanted to come by to throw a fit that the particular book she wanted was checked out and harrass our staff about our collection being too limited.

99% of the time, the people we need to ban are middle to upper-middle class white people while the homeless and mentally ill/disabled people mind their own damn business and are honestly some of the best patrons we have.

goatmilksoda

I bring this up because today we had a man come in. He stopped at the desk, pulled up a chair and said "I'm newly homeless and was living in my car. I'm disabled. It was impounded. It's raining. I don't have a phone and I don't know where to go tonight."

And we did what we could to help. He was incredibly kind and patient despite his obvious anxiety and stress, more than most able bodied, housed patrons are to us under much less dire conditions. I liked knowing that we were the first place he came.

We have so many people like this who come in everyday. Many are quiet and keep to themselves, but sometimes they talk to us.

They tell us about how they're taking a few courses on a scholarship they applied for from our library's computer at the local community college to get their diploma. Or ask about a manga or dvd or book we might have to help them pass the time.

One woman, who comes in daily with her tattered walker always says hello to me and likes to work on the new jigsaw puzzle with me when we set one out.

So like, treat unhoused people like people. Treat disabled people like people. I don't want my library to feel like the only safe space in the world, but I'm glad it can be one of them.

I'm so sick of hearing about how "the homeless are ruining everything" when they are some of the kindest, most respectful people here. Sometimes they mutter, might not have had a place to shower, and might need a little extra space for their backpacks but that's FINE. It Doesn't Matter Actually. None of that is a problem or any of my business to care about (unless they request help/services), and I also don't think it's any of yours.

oysters-aint-for-me

there’s a used bookstore in rural western massachusetts (the montague book mill) whose motto is “books you don’t need in a place you can’t find” and i just feel like that summarizes tumblr too

oysters-aint-for-me

posts you don’t need on a site you can’t search