Posts by Billy Parrott

OK readers. Some time back I did a blog post in which I firmly stated I was the real Billy Parrott. I'm writing today to formally acknowledge that I am only one Billy Parrott. I am Billy Parrott, the librarian. I'd like to introduce you to the other Billy Parrott. He's the actor.

From 1990 through 1995, the television viewing public was obsessed with the goings on in Cicely, Alaska. Northern Exposure ruled the television airwaves. And while our airwaves were dominated by this quirky drama, on the show itself the airwaves were ruled by Chris Stevens and his KBHR radio show Chris in the Morning.

Have you been waiting patiently? Perhaps catching up on your reading? Are there books you’d like to finish before the new season starts? Have you been rewatching all of the previous episodes, timing your viewings to flow perfectly into the new season? Will you be attending viewing parties dressed like your favorite character?

In preparation for the long awaited return of Mad Men, I’d like to present the revised Mad Men reading list!

I am a librarian. I like things to be in order. I like things to be complete, but I have been troubled for the past year. You see, Sally Draper was shown reading a book in Mad Men season four, episode five ("The Chrysanthemum and the Sword"), and I could not for the life of me figure out what that book was. The Mad Men Reading List was incomplete and, as a librarian, that troubled me to my core. I made screen captures to get an image of the illustration. I checked the promotional still from AMC's website to get an image of the cover. I pushed pixels to make the images clearer. I searched Google for hours with no luck.

A recent conversation with a patron at the Battery Park City Library reminded me of one of my past blog posts in which I pondered the time-saving methods and ideas of Mevil Dewey. I'll have you know that since that post I have implemented none of Dewey's radical ideas. Interestingly enough though, a few of my colleagues do use his methods by spelling my last name "Parrot" instead of "Parrott." Though I personally have not yet benefited from Dewey's time saving techniques, many of my colleagues have, so bravo to the continued productivity! Upward and onward!

There was once a time when one thing was certain: when the credits started rolling, you knew the movie was over.

Unless you liked the musical score or were curious to see who played the Security Guard or who the supervising hairdresser to the third assistant director was, then there was no point in sitting through the credits.

This just isn't the case anymore.

One hundred years ago this month people lined up at the Louvre to see an empty space on a wall.

On August 21, 1911 a guard at the Louvre noticed a painting was missing. He initially thought nothing of it, assuming it was behind the scenes being photographed. It soon though became apparent what had really happened.

Someone had stolen the Mona Lisa.

Long before Forrest Ackerman coined the term Sci-Fi man has imagined escaping the confines of this planet and exploring the vast unknown regions of outer space. 

Space tourism is a burgeoning field but with a cost of about $20 million for a window seat it is a trip that most of us will never make.

My suggestion is to settle on the next best thing: a visit to your local library!

I haven't been in the library profession very long, but I have been a librarian all my life. 

I have always found information, collected information, and put information in order.  

Collected. Completed. Categorized.

A childhood of comic books, baseball cards, flea market bric-a-brac. 

I'm an INFJ.

I was a librarian in a past life.

March 15, 2011 marks the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Battery Park City Branch of The New York Public Library.
 
We’ve had a very busy year.

Last week I started a Tumblr account for The Battery Park City Branch.   I'm thinking it will be used for content too long for Twitter and too short for this blog.  The majority of the first few posts have been about library related ephemera: comic book art depicting libraries, things found in library books, and anonymous snapshots.

He is arguably the most recognized musician in New York City. The slight smile, patient and reassuring, that greets you every morning as you wait in line at the corner bodega for your coffee and bagel.

Regardless of socioeconomic class or race, from Bed-Stuy to The Bronx, from East Village to the Upper East Side, all New Yorkers know: Dan Smith will teach you guitar.  

Sure, there is still the postseason.  The Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants are in the World Series, but with the Yankees out of the picture for many New Yorkers the 2010 season of baseball is officially over. This seasonal end to the national pastime combined with the current seasonal change in temperature always brings to mind one thing: the other national pastime. Football.

They are among the most asked Library questions of the past year:  "Do you have those books? You know the ones I'm talking about? The ones I see everyone reading. The Girl Who Played with Dragons? The Girl Who Kicked the Fire? The Girl with the Hornet's Nest Tattoo?"

What if someone told you that you had one week to live? What would you do? What places would you visit? Would you read any books? Listen to any particular music? Would the common and insignificant things you pass every day become more meaningful? Would that apple taste any better if you know it was your last one? Who would you thank? Who would you apologize to? 

The revised Mad Men Reading List is now availble here.

If you follow The Battery Park City Library on Twitter then you've seen our tweets linking to books that have appeared in the hit television show Mad Men. These titles are a great way to gain insight into the episodes and the social and cultural times in which the series is set. Like the set and costume design, the literary choices of the show really add a stamp of authenticity. Dipping into these classics is also a great way to help with withdrawals while waiting for new episodes to air.

A few months ago I began thinking about the earliest books I remember reading and the first librarian I remember. The librarian was an older gentleman named Paige Ellisor. One book in particular stands out in my memory as a favorite. I recently began searching for a copy of that book, to read it again after over thirty years, and to try and see why I found it so memorable.

It happens quite often:  "Are you the actor Billy Parrott from Lars and the Real Girl ?"  "Dude!  Were you a Security Guard in The Incredible Hulk, Breakfast with Scot, and Resident Evil: Apocalypse?"  "I loved your work in Saw III. Can you sign this?"

I just smile and reply, "Sorry, I'm not an actor. I'm only a librarian."

Has the recent roundup of Russian spies left you wanting to read up on the wide world of espionage?  Then I have the book for you: Agent Zigzag, by Ben Macintyre.