Over the past few weeks I have grown increasingly stressed about getting out of here. Through prayer and counsel from friends, I decided that quitting my job in the library would be best for me so I could relax and get out of that negative environment.
Yes, the library is a negative place, despite my efforts to transform it into a place conducive to learning. My boss has always had a foul mouth and she also loves to talk badly about others while complaining about her own life as a young single mother. Sorry, but at least she gets to go home to family instead of sharing a prison cell with a stranger. I've encouraged her to go to school so she wouldn't be stuck at this dead-end job but, apparently, none of my ideas are any good. If she's not going to try to improve her situation, I wish she would stop complaining.
Of course, since this is a prison library, the patrons that stop by are not the most polite bunch; in fact, most are quite rude. I'd rather not serve rude folks all day since it just wears me down, so I told my boss a week ago that last Friday would be my last day. The only response I got besides "OK" was a comment that, if she called me out, I would have to come. Even though I had one of the best coworkers yet, I would not be working at her beck and call, and I told her as much. I will go in on Monday and Friday afternoons to help out, though.
Today was my first day without working and it was great. I woke up around nine, read a book until lunch, then spent the afternoon at rec running and working out. I will probably be helping the maintenance department with an inventory tracking system every now and then, but I hope to spend most of my time on personal projects like writing poetry, making progress on my book list, and drawing. I also have a graphic design business to make plans for.
I have to make an effort to be purposeful with my time, but making only a little positive progress is better than treading water in the toxic library until I leave. And my release can't come soon enough.
With the two new guys n the library and my release coming anytime this summer, I'm trying to take a step back form work and let the new guys take over. I figure that I can show them how to do the uncommon tasks, like adding or deleting books, when the opportunity arises. Just in case, I do leave before I'm able to teach them, II typed up a how-to manual for the library, complete with daily tasks and screenshots for walk-throughs of the trickier stuff.
Unfortunately, one of the new guys didn't wait to learn and completely ignored the walk-throughs when adding and deleting books yesterday. He seems to be in a massive hurry to get everything. As we all know - or quickly discover - mistakes pop up like weeds when you rush through something, even when the task is almost second nature. I've told this guy, Dawson, that most of our work is not time-sensitive, but it's like screaming at a submerged swimmer form above the waterline.
It took two hours for me to clean up the mess in our database and another hour to fix the tags on the books themselves. We probably could have done the entire process together in about an hour. That's the cost of impatience.
Yeah, this is a prison library where the workers don't apply for the positions and aren't paid anyway, but the lesson carries to the streets. The habits formed here will stay with him.
I hope Dawson can pull a 180 - or at least a modest 90 - because I don't want to see all my work wasted. I don't want these guys on the inside deprived of a decent library on top of every other thing missing in their lives. I hope the new guys will maintain the progress achieved over the past year and a half.
For the first time in a couple weeks I have coworkers, two of them. That makes this the most workers in the library since my first week. There's not much room behind our desk, so I've been sitting at one of the four tables in our tiny library. The fire code only allows fifteen people inside at a time. After my boss, my coworkers and myself, there is only room for eleven, technically. In reality, we pack twenty during our busy periods.
My main goal right now is to get these new guys trained. I'll be leaving soon and I don't want the library to fade into disrepair when I leave. For the past six months, I have done nearly all the work myself - my boss and coworkers have been pretty lazy. It's like that old maxim: if you want anything done right, you gotta do it yourself.
I think these two guys will be able to do my job just fine. The question is - do they want to? Will they care enough about providing something for the other guys to look forward to - a good library with good service? Time will tell.
Yet another change of staff in the library. West out, Shane in.
West has been on the unit for six years and, unfortunately, has gathered a couple grudges in the administration. One of the guys in classification - the department that does job changes - saw West working in the library and immediately went to the major to complain. Not even an hour later West had a job change in the TDC computer. One of the lieutenants saw him in the hall and threatened to lock him up in segregation if he was in the library. All of this and he had not done anything wrong in the library. It's just the vindictive people working here.
So now my buddy Shane is working with me. He's not official yet, but it should be moving through the proper channels soon. It's cool to be working alongside such a good friend. The job ought to be at least a little more enjoyable.
More good news for the library: we have a Half Price Books hook-up.
On Thursdays I get off work just as the Bible study is starting so I often see the visitors as they come in to lead the class. One of the volunteers, a bear of a man named Rick, brought a box full of books from home a few weeks ago that he gave to the library. So the Thursday crew has already blessed us once.
Tonight we had an uncommon visitor. Katie is a missionary who is currently living stateside and is full of spunk and, like others in the crew, has a passion for sharing the Christ-life. When I showed up for class she greeted me and asked if I worked in the library. After my affirmative answer, she asked if she could donate books. After another affirmative, I got to hear a cool story.
A few years ago, Katie was trying to start a library in Kenya. She went to a Half Price bookstore and asked if they had any books they needed to get rid of. The clerk replied that the store did not have unused inventory, but she could check their warehouse in Dallas. Upon inquiry, the warehouse attendant said that, as long as Katie had proof of 501.3 (c) status, she could get whatever she wanted. Needless to say, the Kenyan library was a success. And now Katie wants to share the blessing with our library.
I might need some help picking up the books," Katie remarked.
"I know someone who would probably love to meet you and get the books," I replied and gave her my mom's contact info. "She even has a list of suggestions to help out."
What a boon it would be to have more free books for our decrepit-yet-slowly-progressing library.
Last week during lockdown had a trade of friends - one left the unit while one came back.
It seems too often that a friend leaves around here. I've noticed myself almost subconsciously screening guys when I meet them. If you leave within the next few months, sorry, I don't want to get to know you just before you leave. However, if you'll be here more than a year, I'll hang out. Even out of the guys I've gotten to know pretty well, there have only been a few that have written even once after we separated.
When I showed up in the library for inventory, my boss told me that my good buddy, Lelan, had left the previous day. Lelan was a guy I had been in choir with earlier in the year and, for some reason, we just clicked. We spent time in the library when he needed encouragement and I would duck out and wander to the office where he worked if I needed a pick-me-up of my own. My boss said he would be back in a couple weeks, which I hope is true. I'm going to miss our conversations on life if he stays gone.
On the flip side, the same day that Lelan left, my close friend OJ came back. I thought he had left in parole, but he only went to have a chat in person with some parole folks. When he was her in my pod, he would make sure my laundry came out white like the other laundry workers' clothes. In the time he's been gone my clothes have gotten a bit dingy, so, for that reason it's good to have him back. Really though, I'm hoping he gets back to the dorm soon so we can game again.
My legacy of being a target for stupid cases continues.
We came off lockdown yesterday evening, so West and I decided to run book cart today to give people a chance to read while we did inventory. It's not a big deal that our book cart books are out because most of them ate doubles or cast-offs anyway. West also had the crazy idea to do the whole 100-man unit in one day. Now, these are guys who just came off lockdown, hungry for new reading material while the library is still closed. Book cart was busy and that is an understatement.
We started the book cart at 8:30 am and didn't finish until about 7 pm after the 6:30 shift change. It took a while to find someone to open the library for us to return the carts because the night shift isn't accustomed to the library workers being out on their sift. The lieutenant finally let us in.
As I was coming out, I pulled an envelope from under my clipboard with some poetry from a friend, grabbed my book, and headed out.
"Hold on a sec," called the lieutenant, "Lemme see that envelope."
After I handed him the envelope, he stated, "This doesn't have your name or number on it. It's contraband."
"Alright, you can have it," I conceded, "I don't mind."
"No, you follow me. You'll get confiscation papers and a case."
"Really? For an envelope? I do this every weekend."
"Not this one you don't."
When we reached his office, he filled out maybe half the paperwork before handing me off to the sergeant.
"What's that?" asked the sergeant, eying my book.
"A book. I read while I do book cart. Every weekend."
"Lemme see it."
I handed it over.
"No name or number. It's contraband. I'm confiscating this, too."
"Are you serious? I do the same thing every weekend without any trouble. The only difference is that I don't have to deal with this shift."
"Well, tonight you do," the sergeant sneered.
Now I have two bogus cases to deal with at the same time. Wonderful. What will they come up with next?
The day after my pod was shaken down, my coworker and I were called down to the library on our inventory. This task involves printing entire collection, then checking off each book as we go down the shelves. What already a slow process is complicated by the fact that the officers doing the shakedown don't cooperate with us. We asked them to take up all the library books they find, but that has not happened. I expect the inventory to take a big chunk of time after lockdown because guys are usually reluctant to turn in their books.
We are about halfway finished now and I'm really enjoying the quiet in the library. Better than the quiet, though, is our lunch. Because the unit is locked down, the dining hall is closed. That doesn't mean the kitchen is empty. There are plenty of workers that fill the johnnies and go pass them out.
When my boss leaves for lunch break she has been leaving us in the kitchen for what we call daycare, and what great daycare it is. This first day we were dropped off, the kitchen guys made Barbecue roast beef with onions and peppers. Using hoagie buns, we made awesome sandwiches. Yesterday the guys made pepperoni pan pizza. Those two meals were better than anything I've eaten in prison so far, and they came during a lockdown!
Today West and I were dropped off too early to get in on the food so while he went out with the johnny crew, I made lunch for the two of us. Using bananas, butter, cinnamon and brown sugar, I made fried bananas to put between toasted bread with peanut butter. I had not had fried bananas in years and had forgotten how awesome the caramelized surface is.
So now I'm wondering why we can't be on lockdown more often. I'm loving this.
"Eww" led to BRAKKABRAKKA, *cough*, *cough*, and "Ah..."
After this region was inundated with rain over the weekend, one o f the drainage pipes started backflowing into one of the main hallways of the unit. The smell was nauseating right outside the main dining hall as a few guys did their best to sop up the mess and squeegee it away..
This unit seems to have been built on a floof plain or former lake because our track floods with the smallest amount of rain. This means the water takes a bit longer to go away and, thus, the stench lingered.
Even though this drainage problem has most likely been present for years, it has always been dealt with in the most typical TDCJ fashion: short-term benefit, long-term disaster. Luckily, we have a new-ish assistant warden who takes care of the things the right way. He called in outside contractors to bust up the concrete hallway and fix the pipe. This shut down the main thoroughfare to the dining hall with loud hammering and clouds of pulverized concrete, To accommodate the traffic, the rec courtyard was opened up for both hallways.
I love having the courtyard opened up. Every time I go to or from work I get to go outside, feel the sun, and get some fresh air. I'm not the only one that enjoys it, either. Another nice thing about the courtyard being open is that is gives us a place to go when my boss leaves the library. Today I was playing a card game in the library during count time when my boss took her lunch break. Normally we would have to stop playing and wait in the hall for count to clear, but today we simply moved to the table in the courtyard. It was great weather, too.
I guess I shouldn't get too comfortable, though. The contractors will probably finish up before the weekend. At least the problem will be solved and I had a nice break from the norm in the meantime.
Today was certainly and odd one. I had an unexpected day off after a power outage. Each month on the last Friday of the month the maintenance crew turns off the unit power at 7 am to test the generator system. This always knocks out my alarm clock, so i wake up late every time. This morning was no different, except that it happened on a Tuesday and the generators didn't kick on. When I woke up at 8:15, the electricity was still out and it stayed out until after the officers were finished with the morning count. This meant I couldn't go to work; the lights couldn't turn on anyway.
When the power was finally restored, I went down to the library for work. I didn't stay for long. My boss wasn't feeling well and decided to go home to rest and
recuperate. That left me with the rest of the day to myself back in the dorm.
I've got to say, days off in prison are not near as fun as days of on the outside. We really don't have much to do, and even Munchkin can wear out after too many games. I just lay in bed and read my current book, Lowboy. I would have liked to stay active and productive, but I guess one more day to add to the years isn't so bad.
Since I've been the only official worker in the library, I've asked a few friends to help out when they are able. It's not that one person can't keep the library running; it frees me up to do shelf maintenance and add books when I have a second pair of hands. Even then I have stayed busy because my buddies aren't familiar with many of the workings of the library. I enjoy the company, too.
This morning, however, there was a new face waiting outside the library. I got a new coworker. Braswell is a guy in his mid-forties that I recognized from his work int he unit supply office and infrequent stops to pick up a book from the library. The administration moved quite a few guys who had clerk jobs with female bosses, a new six-month policy to prevent relationships from starting. What's funny is that most of the female bosses complained and got their workers back. Did they really expect all these women to just hand over work to an inmate they have no reason to trust?
Luckily, Braswell will be sticking around in the library. He's a quiet guy who has initiative to learn his job and a bit of a brain to go with it. I don't know what I could have asked for a better guy to work with. I'm looking forward to seeing him settle in and glad to have permanent help again.
I had a huge picker-upper today in a form I hardly expected.
As I was walking back to the dorm after work, a friend stopped me to say he just dropped off a big package in the mailroom for me. He works in supply so I asked it it was our library supplies finally coming in.
"I don't know," he said, "but the box had your name on it. It was pretty big, too."
A big box with my name on it? Weird. I wasn't expecting anything to arrive. Time to investigate!
As soon as I stepped into the room I saw the box. The words "Simon and Schuster" rounded the bottom rim. How strange and unexpected - a package for me direct from a publisher. Then it struck me. I wrote a letter to Scribner last week describing out library and asking for donations. Scribner, I had forgotten, is a subsidiary of Simon and Schuster. I didn't even think I would get a reply, much less a box of books the next week.
"You won't be able to get the books until next week," said the mailroom lady. Killjoy, I'm thinking. "But we can open the box now so you can see what you got in." Woohoo!
My buddy, the mailroom clerk, opened the box and we saw hardbacks, paperbacks and a small not on a Simon and Schuster card saying "hope this helps. Enjoy!"
In my letter I said we would accept galley proofs or slightly damaged books, but, as my friend and I sat on the floor shuffling through the books, I saw that they were all final production copies. Most of them are fairly new releases, too. What a blessing!
I really hope to turn over most of this library's inventory and we are well on our way. Since I started asking for donations in February, we have added close to 850 books and this box of books only adds to the total. Our shelves are packed full, but we continue to replace the books no one checks out, dusty and yellowed. I believe education and reading can help guys stay out once they get out, and that better material gives more motivation and better options to the guys.
Thank you, Simon and Schuster and everyone else who has donated books!
Today's events have been months in the making and, unfortunately, they weren't pretty. It all started when my last coworker quit working the library. when Ereman left, he took a Marvel Comics art book with the understanding that he would be bringing it back when he finished the drawing he was working on. For the past month I have been asking him to bring the book back, hearing that someone else was borrowing it, never a name attached.
Early this week a friend told me someone was trying to send out a Marvel book through the mail. When I went to identify it, the spine had our tape and the interior has the same smears. Unfortunately, it had been stripped of all ,marks that identified it with the library. A hold was still put on the book, though.
Today, someone brought in a stack of his books to be donated to the library and said that the one on top belonged to Ereman. I said he would have to bring us our book before he could take his. Even trade (except his is a $6 paperback and ours, the Marvel Comics Encyclopedia, is a $30 coffee table book.) Later, one of Ereman's coworkers in the commissary came to pick up Ereman's book.
I'm sorry he put you in the middle of this but Ereman has one of our books that he needs to bring back before he gets his," I explained. The guy sighed and shook his head before leaving as if to say "What kind of stupidity is this? Over a book?" Yeah, it is fairly petty.A few minutes later Ereman himself showed up for the book I told him the same thing: we need our book first.
"You either give me my book or get yourself in the hall so I can beat your a**, mother-f*****r.," he shouted in the crowded library while holding the door open. It seemed as if he was just trying to make a scene and a fool out of himself.
"Watch how you talk to my worker," came the command from my petite boss. Ereman then launched into a verbal assault on her before turning back to me and demanding his book again upon threat of a beating.
"Just give him the book," my boss sighed, ready to see Ereman leave.
I handed the book to him and watched him leave. Moments later my boss was on the phone calling in the incident. Two sergeants came to get the story form my boss before calling for Ereman to be sent tot the security office and getting my story in the hallway. Shortly afterward, I saw a cart with Ereman's stuff being taken to segregation to meet its owner.
I don't know what the end result will be, but I hope Ereman wakes up to his own short fuse and deals with it in an appropriate manner. A quick temper never leads to good places. I don't think we'll get the Marvel Encyclopedia back, but it is a small price to pay if Ereman is able to change. Please pray that the situation is redeemed according to God's will.
I apologize for my lack of new entries. I have not had the desire to write down anything for a long time. To make up some of the missing entries, I'll do my best to bring you up to the present with a summary of events.
Just after Ereman quit working in the library, a "mysterious tip" accuse me of establishing a relationship with my boss. A few weeks after a scare form one of the sergeants, that situation, as ridiculous as it was, was diffused. I spent a week working alone until I got a new coworker who turned out to be more security than worker. I don't mind, but it leaves me busy during the day and mentally exhausted in the evening. The new coworker received an FI-1 parole answer not long ago, which means he could go home any day.
I started and completed a "contract job" for the kitchen captain. He had me help streamline the kitchen by reformatting the Excel stuff they had been using. It was awesome to be problem -solving on a computer again. I'm hoping he needs more work done so I can use my strengths again.
The unit had a volleyball tournament in which my team was in and out in the first round. Woohoo! Luckily, we are having a soccer tournament soon. Soccer has been my sport since age 8, so I'm far more comfortable with a ball at my feet. I was just drafted in the first round and our team looks decent, a few guys that can really pass the ball around.
In mid-May, I had a strange physical occurrence. My right field of vision went out in both eyes for about an hour, followed by a terrible headache that stayed with me for eight hours. I went to the infirmary and they referred me to Galveston, a trip I was unwilling to make for such an infrequent aberrance. I think it was a buildup of stress and a bit of dehydration taking its toll on me, but I've been feeling great recently.
Because of the stress, I backed off from the choir for a few weeks. That freed me up a couple of more nights for me to chill and spend time with God reading and praying. Last week was my first back with the choir and with the egoism and dictatorial attitudes I've seen, I'm tempted to step away again. However, I think right now God wants me to be right there.
And that's the whirlwind recap. Hope you enjoyed (though probably not as much as the full entries.) Thanks for your prayers and support.
My goodness, this has been a stressful week. I feel like I have been playing UN between North and South Korea every day at work. My boss and Ereman, my coworker have been at odds and both are doing the silent treatment to each other. Both are also prying at me for information on what the other is saying about the other. It's been ridiculous.My boss has been getting handwriting analysis done by various other staff to confirm her suspicions. Yesterday, she went to the major to request Ereman's exit from the library job. Of course, since the library is also the gossip mill because of its availability to everyone, my boss has also been asking other inmates what's going on. This results in reckless hypotheses being tossed around as I just sit in silence. I tell her that she ought to just let the job change go through and leave it at that.
I've given the same advice to Ereman, who asked for a job change Tuesday to avoid being fired. Boy, Ereman has been extremely vindictive the whole time. Even though he asked for a job change, he has been showing up in the library for work. However, he does no work at all, content to take a few magazines and supplies. The library's atmosphere is tense just because he's there. Even more, when my boss showed up a few minutes late, he told her boss in front of about ten inmates that she shows up late every day. I tried to correct it but Ereman kept interrupting.
While all this is going on, I have to do all the work on my own. It is tiresome, especially with the stress of dealing with the toxic atmosphere. My boss said I could choose my next coworker, but I don't want that kind of responsibility. I just told her she should choose someone she knows and preferably not a white guy so there is more diversity for scrutinizing eyes.
I hope this is over soon. I'm tired. I would ask for a job change, too, but I know this is only temporary and there would be no one in the library who knows what's going on. I love books too much, too. Guess I'm just stuck for now.
For a couple months I've been taking off every morning from work to go to rec for an hour and a half. I figured out with Ereman that our mornings are really slow, so it's not hard for him to maintain things while I'm gone. The library is pretty easy anyway. Take names, number, and book info and pass it on to the boss to be entered into the computer.
Anyway, I've been working out and running with Doc again. He pushes me on the weights and I push him on the track. It's a great arrangement.
This morning, however, we had a third join us for the run. He's a guy out of my dorm who had heard about my runs (they really aren't that special but anyone who runs more than a mile is strange here) and wanted to join us.
With three in the pack, we didn't want to hog the track running side-by-side, so we settled into an Indian run. For those who don't know what an Indian run is, it is where the runners travel in a vertical line and the runner in the rear overtakes the pack on each lap or interval. Unfortunately, we did it backwards - the front man dropping to the back.
Believe it or not, it is easier to speed up over a short distance than slow down. This logic kept our front man from dropping back, which meant that the other two guys had to speed up to overtake him. Over a few laps we went from a decent jog to a medium-paced run and we only got faster. I'm not accustomed to so many speed changes and was worn out after only eight laps - about two miles. Doc and the new guy wondered what was wrong with me, but, for some reason, I couldn't keep pace with them.
Today was the beginning of a three-day long audit by the American Corrections Association (ACA). This group's accreditation is necessary for better funding and , though we are already accredited, we must be audited every three years. I have no doubt that this place will pass, but the administration is freaking, regardless.
They are worried about stuff that isn't even a part of a well-run unit. For the past few weeks, the paint crew has gone into overdrive. Walls, trim, doors, and new murals have been painted, which has probably created a hazardous place to live due to the fumes. There was nothing wrong with the most of the paint anyway. What's funny is seeing guys with the blue accents on their white uniforms from absentmindedly leaning against wet paint.
Even my boss has been stressing out. We've been told that the auditors will come in to ask questions and look at records. My boss has only been on the job since January and she hates to talk in front of people.
Today, when the auditors came in with the unit major, she froze up. As the questions came, she hesitantly answered. Seeing her fear, the major tried to help with the answers. One of the auditors' questions was about Spanish books, so I pointed out our small collection. From then on, the auditors directed their questions toward me. I wasn't sure if I should answer directly or defer to my boss, but the major gave me a silent nod as a go ahead. With his approval, I went on to answer more questions. The library audit took about ten minutes total before the auditors said thanks and moved on.
I was told this evening by a friend who works under the unit ACA coordinator that the library did well. Now my boss can stop the worrying. After two more days, I'm sure the whole administration will relax a bit.
"You're a jerk!"
These words were directed at me and came form the mouth of my boss in the library today. They surprised me and may surprise you, too.
My coworker, Ereman, and my boss often talk about people behind their backs and spend much of the time when the library is empty spinning gossip. There's another guy that often stops by to trade his share, too. This guy is always commenting that I am always quiet and reading.
"You sure like to read, don't you?" is his usual question.
Yes, much more than talking about people badly.
Anyway, the three others in the library were doing their usual "gos-swap" and labeling certain guys as stalkers. My boss is a young blond that many guys find attractive, so in this environment there are some that come to the library to get a good look. Ereman calls these guys stalkers and is quite liberal with the use of the label. He's probably on target with some of these, but he extends the label to guys with poor social skills who just come off as weirdos.
I don't think it's our place to judge these guys, especially so superficially. One of the "stallions" comes by each morning to poke his head in the door and greet us. When he actually comes in the library, he asks Ereman or me for a recommendation, grabs a book, and leaves. Yesterday he came straight form work without a pass. Because he had to go get a pass to come in, he awkwardly joked to my boss that he should have a permanent pass.
This led to my boss labeling him a stalker, which led to me defending him and others, which led to the opening exclamation of this entry. She got mad at me for defending someone who wan;t there to defend himself. When asked why, I explained that they were wrong about the guy and that they were judging quite a few people harshly without understanding everything. That's part of why I'm here: people not understanding the situation fully. It upsets me to see it so often and so blatantly, even though I do it myself in my head. That doesn't mean it needs to be spoken or projected onto so many. Ereman's reasoning that it protects our boss isn't quite valid. It makes this place more threatening than it needs to be.
* Matthew 7:1
"Are you ready to leave?'
In the library I was shelving books. The question came from my boss and was directed at a guy standing by the check out table.
"No, I'm not ready to leave. I'm waiting to check out these books.
"You can holler at either one of us when you get ready," said my co-worker, who was also shelving and rearranging books.
"No," the guy said as he turned with a scowl, "One of y'all needs to be behind this table all the time to work."
Hearing voices escalating, I moved to the table to hurry this guy out the door before things got crazy.
"Man, we have work outside that table, too," retorted my co-worker, getting louder.
"You'll check out my books first."
"STOP!" exclaimed my boss. "STOP IT GUYS. NOW!"
"Shut up your worker's smart mouth first," mumbled the angry customer under his breath.
I quickly and calmly checked out the books and showed the guy out the door, hoping that he and my co-worker would not cross paths soon. For the first time in a while the library was dead silent.
The library here has one amenity that no other prison library I've seen has - inter-library loan. I'm surprised any libraries at all would lend books to a prison, but we have an agreement with the local high school library, which doubles as a community library.I used the Tex-share program when I was going to community college to visit the nearby university for research materials. Just like that community college, our prison library has weak selection of books. The agreement we have with the local library effectively quadruples our collection, quite a boon for a reader like me with different tastes than the usual guys.
I gave the system a try this week. When I asked my boss to check on the availability of a few books, only one of the five was in the local library's collection. My coworker had better luck with a few books targeted for young adult readers. Apparently they still favor high-school reading over sci-fi and non-fiction for an older audience. The book I got is on the bestseller's list anyway, so it wasn't a surprise to find that they had it. I guess other guys will gain more from the inter-library loan agreement than I will. It's just cool that it's in place.
