The library was closed today because our boss called in sick, which meant that we peons had to drag the book cart around the whole unit. I don't so much dislike the act of rolling around as the endless "This stuff is all trash", "Did you bring any good books this time?" and "When you gonna put more [favorite author] on the cart?" The book cart is populated by beat-up donations and books we take off the shelf because we have too many copies, so it usually doesn't have much quality stuff on it. Ereman and I have worked hard at reorganizing the cart and adding some better books. Unfortunately, it is still the very ugly duckling in a not-so-beautiful library.
Such was my attitude, weary of the cutting comments, when Ereman and I turned in the cart. We both wish we had more to offer. Our tired selves went into the education department to let the principal know we had finished.
It was to our great joy and surprise to find the principal sitting at the table in the break room pulling books out of a box that held many more. I recognized some of the covers and exclaimed, "Wow, I didn't think she brought that many!"
Last week I asked my mom to bring up some books out of my personal library at home to donate to the library here. When I saw her this weekend in visitation, she said she had brought those books and a few that she had quickly gathered out of her and my dad's collection. "Okay," I'm thinking, " twelve books or so is going to
be a great addition."Well, this box I'm seeing in the break room has at least twenty books, probably more than double what I expected. Awesome!
"Looks like you two have some work to do this afternoon," the principal said with a big smile. We spent the rest of the day prepping these "new" books for the shelf in a much better mood than earlier today. And my mom said she had more books to pull together; those are in addition to books that another friend said she wants to donate. Maybe this library will receive a complete makeover. It sure could use it.
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