We used to live in a town with a gorgeous library that I’ve used and loved since 1988. When we moved a few miles away to our new house eleven years ago, we discovered with shock and dismay that we’re just over the line in another library’s district. We loved and used our original library so much, we actually paid an annual fee that allowed us to continue using its services.
This year, we learned that all of the libraries in our county have agreed to let patrons use any library they would like for free, as long as items are returned to the location from which they were checked out. To participate and avoid paying that steep annual fee we’d been paying, we simply had to obtain an updated card from the library that receives my taxes.
We secured those new cards and stopped by our favorite library to start the new system. I set out the new card next to my beloved old card that I’ve used for over two decades.
The librarian who waited on us was one of the sweetest ladies on staff with a big smile and bright blue eyes.
I asked, “Can I keep my old card?”
She didn’t respond to my question. Instead, she looked up and said, “I have to call and verify that you’re a patron at the other library, but just this once.” She got up to make the call, so I figured I’d ask again about the card in a few minutes.
She sat back down and said we were confirmed. She brought up my account with my old card and stared at the screen for a moment.
“You have a small fine of forty cents,” she said, “but we’ll worry about that later.”
“No, no, I hate to owe anyone anything,” I said, unzipping my wallet and digging around for change.
She swiped the new card. “You’ll use this new card from now on,” she said.
“Okay,” I said as I pulled out the coins and stacked them neatly next to the paperwork.
And then I couldn’t believe my eyes! Faster than a blue jay could snatch a peanut from the feeder and toss the shell to the ground, she whipped out a pair of scissors, snatched up my beloved old green library card and snipped it in two.
Snip.
I gasped. “But…I wanted to keep it.”
She tossed the two halves in the garbage can. “You can’t use it anymore.”
“I know, but…I still wanted to keep it.”
She moved on to my daughter’s account without saying another word about it. I looked at my daughter with my mouth wide open in disbelief…maybe horror.
“Sorry, Mom.” She patted me on the knee.
“But…”
“I know,” she murmured sympathetically, “it’ll be okay.”
“I can’t believe she did that,” I whispered. “And she’s going to do it to yours, too.”
“But that’s okay,” she said. “I don’t mind. You’re the only one who cares.”
“I care!” piped up my son. “I’m not bringing my card in for a year!“
As the librarian finished updating my daughter’s account, I saw her pick up the scissors. “Wait! Would you pause before snipping this one?” I asked. “I need a photo of this!”
“Well, sure!” And she posed like she delighted in destroying a reader’s symbol of intellectual curiosity and love of lifelong learning.
“Got it,” I said with a dramatic sigh.
“Okay!” she chirped.
Snip.
Photo credit: “Lost library card” photo by Ann Kroeker.
It’s easy to subscribe to annkroeker.com updates via email or RSS feed.
Visit NotSoFastBook.com to learn more about Ann’s book.
22 Responses to End of an Era
Leave a Reply
About
Blogger: Pursuing a Christ-centered, creative, curious, slightly quirky, slow-down life and sharing it with you, post after post. (Home of Food on Fridays).
Author: Not So Fast: Slow-Down Solutions for Frenzied Families
Content Editor: The High Calling (Family/Parenting)
ann kroeker. curator. (read it, liked it)- I Do: Doing | The High Calling February 22, 2012
- Mom’s Fight | winncollier.com February 21, 2012
- Beautiful Mundane | winncollier.com February 21, 2012
- Long Distance Lobsters: Cooking with Zoe: A letter to my love February 12, 2012
- Teeter Tottering: Two February 12, 2012
- Romance in 500 Words « Simply Darlene February 12, 2012
- Stetsons « A DIFFERENT STORY February 12, 2012
- Of Green Mohair and Breakdowns « Sandra Heska King February 12, 2012
- Kimberlee Conway Ireton » Blog Archive » Author Interview: L.L. Barkat February 12, 2012
- The Telegram « Megan Willome February 7, 2012
LOL, That would have been painful for me too!
The nice thing is that I get to keep using my library…it’s just the end of the card. Sigh.
You have to watch those librarians. They’re quick.
You’d never guess she had that kind of speed if you saw her in person, Glynn. What a surprise that was!
Oh Ann … You are cracking me up! I can’t believe you got a photo of this. What a hoot.
She was really something, willing to pause and pose the card and scissors like that, grinning the whole time.
Oh my goodness! I know this was painful for you, but I can’t stop laughing
I intended it as humor, even though I was really shocked; so I’m glad you got a laugh.
Good thing you didn’t show that librarian’s face!
She looks like the sweetest older lady you’d ever meet…you’d never guess she has this destructive side to her!
she did you a favor. how do you think i got into this mess????
love, mom
That’s true–she forced me to “declutter” before it even became clutter!
She clealry has a cold heart!
But the upside is she has good taste- I like her top.
Oh, you are too funny! (and cute!)
This made me laugh out loud!! Oh my word…what a crack up. And…odd.
August 25, 2011 at 10:03 pmWhy did Jocelyn Wildenstein’s sgrreuy turn out so horrid? If you don’t know who Jocelyn Wildenstein is, she is a lady that went through plastic sgrreuy, with horrid final results. Google her (images will pop up), and prepared to be scarred for life.
A heartless act if ever I’ve seen one Ann! I can go you one step further. I sort of attach personalities to inanimate things – they have feelings and they talk. I can hear that poor little card yelping for dear life. sigh……
How unfeeling can someone be? Especially a librarian!
Sorry, Ann.
At least you have a picture of your daughter’s card to remind you of your history with the library when it was run by kinder people!
Blessings,
Janis
WELL then. That hardly seems fair! I am so sentimental – I would have been heartbroken!
(And, Ann, I keep meaning to email you to let you know I got the Green Mama books weeks ago and I have been loving it. THANK YOU again so much!)
How horrible. What an outrage. She did not have to cut it up…right there with you Ann.
That’s pretty crazy. But at least she was willing to let you take a picture…
~Luke
OK, the only thing funnier than your story and picture is your mother’s comment.