The gloves are coming off at the Prince George Public Library.
Tonight, residents are invited to witness library staff will go head-to-head in their first Book Slam.
From 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in the Bob Harkins branch's Keith Gordon room, the new event will feature five members of the staff performing one-minute reviews of some of their favourite book, CD, magazine or DVD titles in a poetry slam-style face-off.
"We are people who around books all day long and we get really excited about them and that's why we work in a library," said Andrea Palmer, library communications co-ordinator. "So this is a way of conveying our excitement in a fun and performance manner and I really think this is something that any reader will enjoy watching - and any reader who also enjoys a strong opinion."
The event had a test run during June's Beyond Hope library conference in Prince George. A screen featuring a ticking time bomb is set up behind the panelists to count down their time, which makes it a high-adrenaline event for the reviewers, said Palmer.
"It amps up. It starts out quite civilized, and quickly the smack talk ensues. People start cat calling each other," she said. "We welcome audience participation and it ends up being quite a raucous way of delivering book reviews."
Book Slam, 2013 is a free, drop-in affair best suited for mature audiences, Palmer cautioned.
"These are titles that all of us actually read and enjoy so there will be some grown-up content," she said. "Librarians can really turn it up when they have to."
