Summer Begins at the Library

First weekday/workday Monday of no school, and a change of rhythm in the traffic at the library. Instead of the wave of children we get at around 3:00 in the afternoon during the school year, they are here all day, but not in such numbers at any one time, as with the wave.

Mondays are always busy, but the addition of even modest numbers of children wanting Internet PC's as soon as we open the doors at 10 a.m. is frustrating to our older regulars and to other adults who have important business to transact online, and can't afford to wait. After 10:30 and well into the afternoon, wait times for PC's were often between 20 and 40 minutes.

The reference desk was very warm work indeed, with people without library cards asking for guest-passes, and a surprising number of high school students already requesting summer reading titles, (Lonesome Dove, Rebecca, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, The Iliad, Brave New World).

The large mirror in the men's rest room had somehow come loose from its mounts, and lay askew, wedged between the sinks and the wall. It looked potentially dangerous, like it might come crashing down and shatter, injuring someone, so I locked the door, posted a sign directing people to the first floor men's room, and called it in.

A man using one of the copiers asked me to put more paper in, and I saw we were on our last ream of letter, so I called the vendor for more paper. We've been out of the large, 11"x17" for a couple of weeks now, but the vendor has run out also, so we'll have to wait for that size.

I had seen DS dismantling the exhibit of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge photography on the art wall, and then James called up from the Media desk to ask where to send some women with their art for the June exhibit. Other women arrived to install a ceramics exhibit in the display cases.

I was on the hot-seat, and by noon I was desperate to be relieved, fleeing to the workroom to eat my sandwich, and then out into the park for a soothing read and a smoke. A blessed hour in the stacks, pulling reserves, and then back to the desk for most of the rest of the day, phones ringing, walk-ups often two deep.

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground. (Genesis 3:19)