We're taking a bit of a breather while the world rearranges its underpants. Meanwhile, the other blog is here.

Monday, January 12, 2009

I don't think the time was entirely wasted

I've spent most of the afternoon at Carbootsale Library. While I've been there it's been full of people:
  • Older folk coming in for a chat and a read of the magazines and perhaps to take out a book to read in bed.
  • A couple of young lads checking out the jobs bulletins on the PCs.
  • A young woman bringing back a book her housebound mum had just finished reading.
  • A "little mother," herself not any more than seven, overseeing a troupe of infants in the children's library: six sat at the table colouring in 'picture of the month' sheets; three over in the corner playing with the cars; and another three sat on the floor looking at picture books of tractors with big wheels.
  • Half a dozen young lads between the ages of six and ten, most of whom seem to be playing games on the Bratz website.
  • Two old chaps checking out the details of the next meeting of the parish council.
  • Somebody wanting a bus timetable.
  • A bunch of kids wanting to know if loan copies of The Guinness Book of Records are back yet.

And the laugh of it is that by any of the standard performance indicators this is Dead Quiet.

2 comments:

Gadjo Dilo said...

Nobody asking for the Dosteyevsky or the Kierkegaard then? Ach, the callowness.

Webrarian said...

Sickening, isn't it? The price of everything and the value of nothing...

I recognise the scenario - a much-loved, valued and used library. Not a would-be bookshop, nor a would-be IT training suite. But somewhere you can go for free, mind your own business if you want to, and enjoy yourself.