"Gene and Bill are as funny in person as they are in their comic strip. They'll tell you important things as they keep you laughing nonstop with their unique perspectives on libraries, books, customer service, or whatever else you can convince them to talk about."
-- Nancy Pearl

"Bill Barnes was a smash hit at the Florida Library Association 2013 conference! He kept us laughing while reminding us of our (and our customers') foibles. Learning how he and his partner develop their comic strips was interesting and seeing it in action as he created a strip from one of our attendees “worst library story” was outstanding."
-- Ruth O'Donnell, Conference Coordinator

“The Unshelved keynote was the perfect wrap-up for our conference. Our attendees stated over and over how much they loved finishing with a humorous presentation that sent us back to our libraries recharged with energy and enthusiasm.”
-- Rita Ennen, 2012 North Dakota Library Association Conference Chair

"Your keynote address was the highest ranked keynote we’ve had in my three years at ILF. Of those who took our conference survey, 97% rated your keynote session as “excellent” or “good” – with the vast majority rating it as 'excellent.'"
-- AnneMarie Chambers, Conference Manager, 2011 Indiana Library Federation

"The Unshelved keynote was the best session/speaker we've had since I've been at MCPL. Funny and relevant."
-- Attendee, 2011 Monroe County Public Library Staff Development Day

"This was the best presentation, not just from this Staff Training Day, but from all of them that I've attended. It let us laugh at ourselves, our co-workers, and our patrons, but was ultimately affirming of our profession."
-- Attendee, 2011 LA County Public Library Staff Training Day

"The Dayton Metro Library staff absolutely loved the Unshelved programs at our 2011 Staff Development Day! In fact, our attendees ranked their talks higher than any other program in my 10 years coordinating this event. Gene and Bill were so easy to work with and two of the nicest, funniest guys I have had the pleasure of hiring."
-- Jennifer Kadel, Training Specialist, Dayton Metro Library

We love making people laugh on the web and in person. We've delivered professional keynotes to conferences, universities, library systems, and corporate gatherings in over 40 states and internationally*. Our peculiar insights into librarianship and customer service leave attendees smiling and talking among themselves. They depart energized, validated, and uplifted. We’d love to speak to you and your group, wherever you are.

We also do a variety of workshops with adults and teens at individual libraries and schools.

Finally, several times a year we sell our book-friendly merchandise at large, book-friendly conferences.

You can see a complete list of upcoming events at right, or scroll down to learn more about what we do and how to hire us.

Keynotes

We've got two, going on three, great keynotes for professional gatherings.

If you work in libraries you know that sometimes you have to laugh or else you'll cry. In this 50 minute keynote we deliver the laughs as we take you on a tour of the world's only library comic strip. The staff and patrons of the Mallville Public Library are instantly recognizable, and give your audience a unique opportunity to gently laugh at themselves and the people they work with on both sides of the desk. We deconstruct some of our greatest hits, and Gene tells some of the true-life stories that inspired them, as well as a few he had to leave out.

This keynote has garnered standing ovations at dozens of state and regional library conferences, library schools, library staff development days, and corporate customer meetings. It is appropriate for all kinds of librarians: public, school, academic, and special**.

Here's a video clip of our opening skit, the Unshelved Library Simulator.

Tough customers got you down? Let us teach you how to stop worrying and learn to enjoy difficult people! In this 50 minute keynote we focus on the Unshelved approach to customer service: the customer is seldom right. Most customer service interactions can be enjoyable if you have the right frame of mind. Or, failing that, at least you can have the last laugh.

This keynote goes beyond libraries, and is suitable for any audience that deals with the public. It's also a great choice for groups that have hired us to speak once and want to hear something new!

We imagine that you have invited us to teach your group how to do a better job banning books from libraries. We give a thorough, detailed, and helpful training. We'll tell you why to ban books, which books to challenge, who at the library to work with, what kind of approach you should take, and how to anticipate (and work around) a library's standard response. We'll also teach you the different types of secret censorship and how to use the library's collection development policy to your advantage.

We are longtime opponents of censorship, and in this talk you will gain a deeper understanding of who you're up against in the fight for intellectual freedom.

This keynote is currently under development but we are happy to present it as a breakout session.

Breakout Sessions

We have done a number of smaller, less formal programs with audiences of adults and teens. These are a great choice for individual libraries and schools, and if you've already hired us to do a keynote we're happy to throw in one of these for free if it doesn't add to our travel time. These work better with focused audiences who come to have a conversation. Here are some popular topics:

Graphic Novels from the Inside

Gene loves comics, and in this program he shows us some of the reasons why, showing moments that demonstrate the unique power of this amazing medium.

See You In The Funny Pages

We've got two fun options for producing art live at your event.

1. While Bill warms up his drawing arm by sketching Unshelved characters on an easel, Gene asks the crowd for their favorite work stories. Bill then illustrates as many of the story elements as time permits. All the drawings are raffled off to the crowd at the end of the talk, making for memorable (and collectible!) keepsakes.
2. At the beginning of your event, attendees submit their best work stories. During a break, Bill and Gene pick one and write and draw an Unshelved comic strip. When we return we share our favorite stories, with some insight into why some were better suited for comic strips than others, then unveil the winner and the resultant comic strip. The original art is given as a gift, with prizes for runners up.

How To Become an Internet Celebrity In Just Ten Years

A quick tour through the ten year history of Unshelved, from dumb idea to Internet sensation. Learn how we've use social media to help make Unshelved a success, why Gene uses a pen name, the comics Bill started before Unshelved, and how we manage to make a living making fun of librarians.

Pressing the Money Button

Aimed at cartoonists and other graphic professionals, this workshop contains loads of details about finding additional sources of income by:

• Self-publishing
• Merchandising
• Advertising
• Licensing
• Personal appearances

Find out how one webcomic pays two and a half salaries. Learn tips on how you, too, can press the Internet’s money button.

How to Hire Us

We charge a speaking fee that varies with distance and venue, plus expenses (economy travel, accomodation, meals). For more information, references, availability, and a price quote, please contact Gene with as much detail about your event as possible. We look forward to hearing from you!

(Sorry, we have a limited number of spots free in our calendar, so we can't accept every invitation. We book strictly on a "first come, first served" basis, so email sooner rather than later!)

-Gene and Bill
the Unshelved guys

* Canada
** All librarians are special