Don't Rush
click...click...click
The librarian scrolled down the page with excruciating slowness. I was standing at the desk waiting for her to find a copy of "Frankenstein" that I knew the Mission Branch had. I had found the book while at work and put a reserve on the copy so that they would have it ready by the time I got to the library, but there had been some mix up and instead of the library reserving the copy from that branch, they had ordered it from another branch. Since the book would not be there for another few days with that odd route, I was trying to find the copy I knew they had in hand.
"Well, here is an illustrated comic book-like version of Frankenstein," the librarian suggested helpfully.
"No, that is not the one I need," I said, "I need the classic version by Mary Shelley."
click...click.click....click.........click
"Here's 'Frankenstein Lives' by Bruce Richardsen."
"Nope, that's not it," I countered, wondering if she had even heard what I just said.
She clicked on that book anyway to show me that it was not in fact at the Mission Branch library. Good to know.
She went back to the previous page. "Here's the cliff notes version."
"No, I don't need that."
click...click "Here's two movies about Frankenstein, but you don't need that."
"Nope," I replied trying to sound happy. "I know you have a copy. I just saw it on the catalogue computer over there." I pointed at the desk a few feet away. "I put a reserve on it earlier today. It had a picture of an old town on the front."
"Okay, well, let's see." The librarian went back to the search results again, this time allowing me to see the screen more fully. It was the same screen she was on before and instead of sliding down to the book she had last looked at, she started at the top of the page again. "Here's an illustrated version of Frankenstein!"
click....click..."We have one by Bruce Richardson, but it doesn't have a picture of a town one the front"
"And it isn't by Mary Shelley," I thought, exasperated.
...clickkkk......clicckkkk....."Here's two movies."
AHHH!!!
The lady was sweet, older, and with a slight accent. She looked at me hopefully, like maybe this would be the moment my face would light up with glee because she found exactly what I needed. Inwardly I moaned.
I shouldn't have needed to be in the library for this book in the first place. I had a copy that I bought at the beginning of the semester because it was on our class booklist, but when I went to look for it this week, it was nowhere to be found. I looked everywhere, but since I had to read the first sixty pages by Friday, I decided to borrow it from the library until I found my copy. It was now Thursday afternoon.
Reminding myself that this lady was not the reason for my initial frustration, I managed to calmly state, "Can I show you which book I found on the other computer?"
"Well, this computer and that one are the same." She told me. I knew that of course. The difference would be that I would be the one searching for the book!
Instead of saying that, I replied nonchalantly, "Yes, but I remember the exact words I typed in and what the cover looked like."
She agreed that I should go over to the catalogue computer and when I found it, she wanted me to raise my hand and she'd come over. I went straight to the computer, typed in the title, scrolled down the page and found the book. It took all of five seconds. I raised my hand.
Normally, I would find the books myself. I know how to use the call numbers and where they are located in that particular library, but this copy was only listed as "Teen paperback." I had no idea where that section was and there were no signs that indicated where to find the Teen Paperbacks. When the lady finally noticed my raised hand, she stopped in her tracks and jumped towards me, like, "Oh! Her hand is raised. That was fast." and she hurried over to me. I showed her the page. She went to the standing swirly racks that were right behind me and started seaching there.
"This is the Teen Paperbacks and classics section. It should be here somewhere."
She and I searched the "S" for "Shelley" section over and over, but couldn't find it. I offered to look online again to make sure I had read the location correctly, but she suggested that I go over to the far wall and look there.
"Sometimes these books get put over there too," she replied as I walked away towards the wall of teen books. I wondered why the classics where in the teen section in the first place. They should be in a section of their own. Teenagers are not the only ones that read classic books.
I perused the authors' last names quickly, "H"..., "J"..., "L". Not there yet.
"M"
"P"
Ah, finally! The "S" authors. I looked at each book, down each shelf until, just as the librarian came over to help me there, I spotted the tiny paperback book wedged between two thick hardcovers on the bottom shelf.
"Yes! Here it is!" I exclaimed, relieved. So much work for such a small book.
"Oh, good! Let's go check it out. I'll cancel your reserve for that other copy and you can take the Quilling books that came in for you too."
"Sounds good to me," I said, smiling at her. "Thank you SO much for your help. I really appreciate it." I meant it, but was relieved to have found the book so I could go home and start reading it. Finally.
The librarian scrolled down the page with excruciating slowness. I was standing at the desk waiting for her to find a copy of "Frankenstein" that I knew the Mission Branch had. I had found the book while at work and put a reserve on the copy so that they would have it ready by the time I got to the library, but there had been some mix up and instead of the library reserving the copy from that branch, they had ordered it from another branch. Since the book would not be there for another few days with that odd route, I was trying to find the copy I knew they had in hand.
"Well, here is an illustrated comic book-like version of Frankenstein," the librarian suggested helpfully.
"No, that is not the one I need," I said, "I need the classic version by Mary Shelley."
click...click.click....click.........click
"Here's 'Frankenstein Lives' by Bruce Richardsen."
"Nope, that's not it," I countered, wondering if she had even heard what I just said.
She clicked on that book anyway to show me that it was not in fact at the Mission Branch library. Good to know.
She went back to the previous page. "Here's the cliff notes version."
"No, I don't need that."
click...click "Here's two movies about Frankenstein, but you don't need that."
"Nope," I replied trying to sound happy. "I know you have a copy. I just saw it on the catalogue computer over there." I pointed at the desk a few feet away. "I put a reserve on it earlier today. It had a picture of an old town on the front."
"Okay, well, let's see." The librarian went back to the search results again, this time allowing me to see the screen more fully. It was the same screen she was on before and instead of sliding down to the book she had last looked at, she started at the top of the page again. "Here's an illustrated version of Frankenstein!"
click....click..."We have one by Bruce Richardson, but it doesn't have a picture of a town one the front"
"And it isn't by Mary Shelley," I thought, exasperated.
...clickkkk......clicckkkk....."Here's two movies."
AHHH!!!
The lady was sweet, older, and with a slight accent. She looked at me hopefully, like maybe this would be the moment my face would light up with glee because she found exactly what I needed. Inwardly I moaned.
I shouldn't have needed to be in the library for this book in the first place. I had a copy that I bought at the beginning of the semester because it was on our class booklist, but when I went to look for it this week, it was nowhere to be found. I looked everywhere, but since I had to read the first sixty pages by Friday, I decided to borrow it from the library until I found my copy. It was now Thursday afternoon.
Reminding myself that this lady was not the reason for my initial frustration, I managed to calmly state, "Can I show you which book I found on the other computer?"
"Well, this computer and that one are the same." She told me. I knew that of course. The difference would be that I would be the one searching for the book!
Instead of saying that, I replied nonchalantly, "Yes, but I remember the exact words I typed in and what the cover looked like."
She agreed that I should go over to the catalogue computer and when I found it, she wanted me to raise my hand and she'd come over. I went straight to the computer, typed in the title, scrolled down the page and found the book. It took all of five seconds. I raised my hand.
Normally, I would find the books myself. I know how to use the call numbers and where they are located in that particular library, but this copy was only listed as "Teen paperback." I had no idea where that section was and there were no signs that indicated where to find the Teen Paperbacks. When the lady finally noticed my raised hand, she stopped in her tracks and jumped towards me, like, "Oh! Her hand is raised. That was fast." and she hurried over to me. I showed her the page. She went to the standing swirly racks that were right behind me and started seaching there.
"This is the Teen Paperbacks and classics section. It should be here somewhere."
She and I searched the "S" for "Shelley" section over and over, but couldn't find it. I offered to look online again to make sure I had read the location correctly, but she suggested that I go over to the far wall and look there.
"Sometimes these books get put over there too," she replied as I walked away towards the wall of teen books. I wondered why the classics where in the teen section in the first place. They should be in a section of their own. Teenagers are not the only ones that read classic books.
I perused the authors' last names quickly, "H"..., "J"..., "L". Not there yet.
"M"
"P"
Ah, finally! The "S" authors. I looked at each book, down each shelf until, just as the librarian came over to help me there, I spotted the tiny paperback book wedged between two thick hardcovers on the bottom shelf.
"Yes! Here it is!" I exclaimed, relieved. So much work for such a small book.
"Oh, good! Let's go check it out. I'll cancel your reserve for that other copy and you can take the Quilling books that came in for you too."
"Sounds good to me," I said, smiling at her. "Thank you SO much for your help. I really appreciate it." I meant it, but was relieved to have found the book so I could go home and start reading it. Finally.
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