-you arrive for the early shift every morning at 7:30. you turn on the lights. the shadows recede. on thursday, you turn on the lights, but for exactly one second, the shadows remain present. you try to ignore the feeling of terror that rockets through you.
-the circulation computer has been giving staff problems for years; the screen freezes, the mouse sticks, and the monitor constantly flashes “time of death: 3:18. cause: electrocution.” a patron jokes, “must be possessed.” you try to laugh, but you eye the clock: 3:15.
-the library has a metal roof; when it rains, the sound echoes through the whole library, huge raindrops pummeling the building. you have been enjoying the sound of the rain for about 3 hours when two patrons walk in wearing shorts and dry t shirts, commenting on how nice the sunshine feels.
-a newcomer in the town has just signed up for a library card. you are explaining what happens when materials are overdue. books are 25 cents a day when overdue; if they are lost, the patron is hung by their toes on the front lawn. the patron laughs at your joke. you do not. you were not joking.
-one of the clerks, Dawn, phones to say she will be a little late for her 3 o’clock shift. Dawn walks in at 3:15, logs in to her computer. the phone rings. it is Dawn. she will be in at 3:30.
-a patron stops by the reference desk and asks for a certain book. you tell them the book will be in the 300s section. “and where can I find the 300s?” they ask. you don’t know how to reply. no one has seen the 300s section in years.
Given the state of the world, I wholeheartedly beleive that the Social Sciences Section is missing.
Jab loves robots 