I Put the Would-Be in Would-Be Library Vigilantism

A week of Social Things. I went to the session for the first time in six months and had a good time. People were playing a lot of tunes that were popular a few years ago-- it was like Fiddleheads Revival Night: Best Hits of 2005.

I had planned to go skating yesterday with some friends, but we arrived unexpectedly in the middle of an unadvertised big skating competition. We stuck around to watch people in costumes falling down a lot. Seriously, I had no idea people fell so much in competition. It looked painful. :( I was secretly rather glad to be spared the inevitable bruises from my own inevitable falling.

Now I have bruises from the bleacher seat instead.

...

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I have the special talent of asking librarians for a book that will, upon further inspection, prove to be mysteriously missing. This point was illustrated in the incident when I was looking for City of Ashes in the BPL. It wasn't on the shelf, and the YA librarian was strangely unconcerned about a book that was not where it was supposed to be. We agreed that it had probably been left lying around somewhere in the library, and would be back soon. I returned two weeks later, hoping that it had been found. It had not. The YA librarian was strangely unconcerned about this, even after I explained the situation.

It was then that I resolved to take matters into my own hands. Here was an injustice; here were the authorities failing to do anything (such as find the book) or to care that there was an injustice right underneath their noses. If the proper authorities (ie, library staff) would not act, I would have to search the vast and trackless aisles myself.

Accordingly, on Wednesday I packed up the three volumes of Dororo to return and headed over, determined to also locate the MIA copy of City of Ashes. I arrived, sweaty and a little bit sore from my shoulder bag, only to discover that the library was closed for Bunker Hill Day.

Only in Massachusetts.

Who even has a state holiday on a Wednesday, anyway? Figures.

The next day I went back in hopes of better success. The trip was successful, in that I returned Dororo, delivering a three-volume thump to the return slot. Then I headed upstairs for a token check of the shelves, even though I knew from previous experiences that City of Ashes would be stubbornly, inexplicably missing. I was steeled for an afternoon of relentless searching as I entered the YA room... and promptly saw the book sitting on the shelf where it was supposed to be.

So the trip was also a success in that I got the book, but I’m afraid my career as a library vigilante hasn't taken off. Yet.

I Put the Would-Be in Would-Be Library Vigilantism

A week of Social Things. I went to the session for the first time in six months and had a good time. People were playing a lot of tunes that were popular a few years ago-- it was like Fiddleheads Revival Night: Best Hits of 2005.

I had planned to go skating yesterday with some friends, but we arrived unexpectedly in the middle of an unadvertised big skating competition. We stuck around to watch people in costumes falling down a lot. Seriously, I had no idea people fell so much in competition. It looked painful. :( I was secretly rather glad to be spared the inevitable bruises from my own inevitable falling.

Now I have bruises from the bleacher seat instead.

...

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I have the special talent of asking librarians for a book that will, upon further inspection, prove to be mysteriously missing. This point was illustrated in the incident when I was looking for City of Ashes in the BPL. It wasn't on the shelf, and the YA librarian was strangely unconcerned about a book that was not where it was supposed to be. We agreed that it had probably been left lying around somewhere in the library, and would be back soon. I returned two weeks later, hoping that it had been found. It had not. The YA librarian was strangely unconcerned about this, even after I explained the situation.

It was then that I resolved to take matters into my own hands. Here was an injustice; here were the authorities failing to do anything (such as find the book) or to care that there was an injustice right underneath their noses. If the proper authorities (ie, library staff) would not act, I would have to search the vast and trackless aisles myself.

Accordingly, on Wednesday I packed up the three volumes of Dororo to return and headed over, determined to also locate the MIA copy of City of Ashes. I arrived, sweaty and a little bit sore from my shoulder bag, only to discover that the library was closed for Bunker Hill Day.

Only in Massachusetts.

Who even has a state holiday on a Wednesday, anyway? Figures.

The next day I went back in hopes of better success. The trip was successful, in that I returned Dororo, delivering a three-volume thump to the return slot. Then I headed upstairs for a token check of the shelves, even though I knew from previous experiences that City of Ashes would be stubbornly, inexplicably missing. I was steeled for an afternoon of relentless searching as I entered the YA room... and promptly saw the book sitting on the shelf where it was supposed to be.

So the trip was also a success in that I got the book, but I’m afraid my career as a library vigilante hasn't taken off. Yet.