Ten great Records about Libraries

I was recently asked to contribute to the Vinylthon Zine, part of Vinylthon 2025 — an annual celebration where radio stations around the world spin at least one hour of vinyl -only music. With the brief wide open—anything to do with vinyl — I decided to bring together two of my favourite things: records and libraries. Here's what I came up with.

Libraries and music might seem unlikely bedfellows. One, as far as the cliche goes, demands silence, the other thrives on sound. But this is not necessarily the case. Get it Loud in Libraries, a UK initiative which brings rock music into libraries and, in a much smaller way, my experience hosting Shush! Sounds from UCC Library proves otherwise.

Shush! Sounds from UCC Library goes out live twice a week on the community radio station UCC 98.3 FM, Cork, Ireland. On Monday morning show I invite University College Cork staff to curate 45 minutes of their favourite music while sharing insights into their work, touching on the role of the library in their research, and the role it plays for the University College Cork community. The Thursday evening show is a chilled out, downtime hour of music

For me, music and libraries are both deeply personal things, often shaping who we are and for me to bring the two of these together is something I feel really lucky to be able to do.

And so for this deep dive into vinyl, I’ve gathered together a selection of songs that reference libraries, and librarians — whether literally or metaphorically.

Some celebrate the magic of books, others play with the idea of knowledge, and a few revel in the mystery of librarians themselves.

And for that reason, here are ten songs about libraries, all available on vinyl, that I believe you must hear.

A Design for Life – Manic Street Preachers

Though I’m not the biggest fan of Manic Street Preachers any song that opens with the line
Libraries gave us power must be included. 

So, for that reason I start this list with their 1996 smash A Design for

Karen – The Go-Betweens

Perhaps my favourite library song is Karen, the B-Side to Lee Remick, the first single from the Go-Betweens, released in 1978.
This is a real paean to the librarian's readers advisory skills.

I know this girl
A very special girl,
And she works in a library yeah
Standing there behind the counter
Willing to help with all the problems that I encounter

Helps me find Hemingway
Helps me find Genet
Helps me find Brecht
Helps me find Chandler
Helps me find James Joyce
She always makes the right choice

Libraries – Seabear

Icelandic indie folk band, Seabear, have a wonderful track called Libraries which can be found on their 2007 album The Ghost that carried us away. Libraries contains the beautiful lines

And I don't believe you live in a library
That sails the sea
Sleeping with a book-blanket out at sea 

Like you told me 

 

I Am the Sub-Librarian – Piano Magic

London indie ambient post rock collective Piano Magic have a wonderful track called I am the Sub Librarian which can be found on their 1998 EP The Fun of the Century and their third album, the 1999 released Low Birth Weight

The song is about a sub librarian who goes to work on the council bus from Chalk Farm to Highgate Woods, with a sports bag of borrowed books, listening to Carole Kings’ 'Tapestry' on her Walkman.

The full lyrics of the song are:

I am the sub-librarian, come in on the council bus
Chalk Farm to Highgate Woods, sportsbag of borrowed books
A steady diet of Brautigan, 'Tapestry' on the walkman
Paranormal ill-health from dusting off the top shelf
I am the sub-librarian, counter girl, tea-maker
I am the sub-librarian, swan feeder, spectacle breaker
I am the sub-librarian

 


Young Adult Friction – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Another contender for my favourite library related track is Young Adult Friction from shoegaze influenced indie pop band The Pains of being Pure at Heart

This track about young love was released as a single in 2009 and can also be found on their self-titled 2009 album

Bonus points go to the band for mentioning library terms such as stacks and microfiche in the lyrics

Between the stacks in the library
Not like anyone stopped to see
We came, they went, our bodies spent
Among the dust and the microfiche
Dark winters wear you down
Up again to see the dawn
In your worn sweatshirt and your mother's old skirt
It's enough to turn my studies down

 


Books About UFOs – Hüsker Dü

Even Hüsker Dü have a song about libraries.

Their track Books about UFOs describes a character who sees a girl in the library who reads all about UFOs and he gets attracted to her intellect as well as her weirdness.

He muses, one day he might even name a planet after her to get her to notice him.

This track can be found on their seminal 1985 album New Day Rising

Walking down a sunny street to the library
Checking out the latest books about outer space
Going to the fruit stand to buy a dozen oranges
She and the books and the oranges go back to her place

She tells the same old story to everyone that she knows
She's just sitting in her room reading books about UFOs
....
Her life revolves around all of the planets
And she is constantly aware of all the changes that occur
I'm going to turn into a lens and focus all my attention
On finding a new planet and naming it right after her

 


The Book Lovers – Broadcast

Birmingham band Broadcast have a track called the The Book Lovers. This dreamy, retro-futuristic track can be found on from 1996 EP of the same name. It was collected, along with other early singles onto the 1997 album Work & Non-Work

It contains the lines

Lines and lines
Of the spines
Colored everyone
Oh, oh-oh-oh

Down the aisles
Along the titles
Where you and your eyes
Read with your eyes

 

Lisa Librarian – Velocity Girl

BubbleGrunge rockers Velocity Girl, who released three albums on the Sub Pop label in the 1990s released a playful track called Lisa Librarian which can be found on their album Copacetic released in 1993

This track, like the Go-Betweens Karen, taps into the same mystique - portraying the librarian as a figure of fascination and admiration.

I try not to tell
Tell it to those other boys
But I'm just jealous
While you're reading books to girls and boys

Oh I want to see you
And I want to visit you at work
And I'll be quiet
And you could recommend a book

 

Let There Be Shelving – Thrilled Skinny

I’m not sure that Let there be shelving, a 1991 single / EP from Luton’s Thrilled Skinny is technically a library song,

But any song titled Let There be Shelving becomes an honorary library song in my view

This single, released in 1991, contains the lyrics

Let there be shelving 😊

 


The Librarians Are Hiding Something – Swingin’ Utters

And for my final selection I choose a, hopefully tongue-in-cheek punk song that plays on the idea of librarians as gatekeepers of secret knowledge. The Librarians are Hiding Something, a 2012 single by American Punk Rockers Swingin Utters.

The track finishes with the enigmatic lyrics

Oh the librarians, contrarians
Can't fly on a wing
Oh the librarians, barbarians
Are liking nothing

Which leads me to believe one thing
The librarians are hiding something
The librarians are hiding something
The librarians are hiding something
The librarians are hiding something

 


Above is but a small selection of Library related songs which I want to highlight. If you asked me next week this list might have changed to include tracks from acts like Frank Zappa, Engine Alley, Green Day, Arctic Monkeys, Jimmy Buffet, Daniel Johnston (several tracks), Angie Hardy amongst others

Martin O’Connor is Communications Coordinator at University College Cork, Ireland.

He presents two weekly radio shows on UCC 98.3FM, Cork, Ireland. He presents a show every Morning at 11 – 12pm GMT. He also presents another show at 6 – 7pm GMT – this drivetime show is an hour of ambient chilled downtime tracks.

For more information and to listen back to all the previous show check out Shush! Sounds from UCC Library check on linktr.ee/ShushRadio