I read a wonderful book last weekend: "Miss Zukas and the library murders" by Jo Dereske, Avon Books 1999. Miss Helma Zukas, an US-American librarian with lithuanian roots, works in the public library of Bellehaven. When suddenly a dead man is found between the stacks (fiction, MO - NE, by the way), she and her friend Ruth, an unorthodox artist, can throw light on the crime. Zukas is a quite proper and accurate librarian (yes, it is quite stereotype), but she is portrayed with affection and certainly not "black&white". She contrasts perfectly with bohemian Ruth. The books are funny and exciting, and, along the way, the readers can learn a lot about American public librarianship (if they want to). And please have a look @ the cover!
The author was a librarian herself, which is fortunately reflected in the texts. There are many more mysteries with Helma Zukas: for example 'Out of circulation', 'Final notice' and 'Miss Zukas shelves the evidence'.