What a day it has been today. The network was down at work from just before I began at 7:30 this morning until about 2:30 this afternoon. I completed all the work I possibly could without a computer in about 15 minutes. The rest of my day until the network was restored, I spent telling students “the internet is down” and devising ways in which they could print their papers that they needed to turn in for class that day. I also read a few magazines. And played solitaire, minesweeper, and mahjong. In addition, I chatted with my coworkers and we all were a little frightened about how much a network outage affects our work.
Until today I forgot that it is National Library Week. I have been too busy to make plans to celebrate appropriately. As a result, all I have are two things for you.
A couple of public libraries in California have begun seed lending libraries. Patrons can “check out” seeds from the library to plant in their gardens. Then, after harvesting, they save seeds and return them to the library for the next year’s growing season. How cool is that?
If you, like me, don’t have a television, or if you don’t watch 60 Minutes, the glories of the internet will allow you to watch Morley Safer’s visit to the Vatican library. The library is closed to the public so this is a rare chance for you to see not only what it looks like inside, but also some of its treasures. And oh my goodness is it ever amazing. The only person who is allowed to take anything out of the library is the Pope. I immediately began putting together a plan on how I could become Pope without having a sex change operation or becoming Catholic. I dropped my scheming though when I realized that I would not be able to read most of the items in the Vatican library since I don’t know Hebrew, Greek, or Latin. Yes, I could learn, but by the time I reach proficiency I’d be too old and weak to be able to carry the huge volumes out of the library and read them in bed. But then again, the Pope has minions, also known as Archbishops, so maybe…
Whether or not you are celebrating Library Week, just remember one important thing:
Librarians are the secret masters of the universe. They control information. Never piss one off.
Aptly said by a character in “The Callahan Touch” by scifi writer Spider Robinson.
Happy Library Week! Thank you for being a librarian!
(((hug)))
I’m going to print that quote off and give it to our local librarians. We are in a very difficult area and some of the local youth can give them a very hard time. I would love to see that printed in mile high letters and hung over the issue desk.
I would always be most respectful to librarians – they are bound to be the only ones with access to something I want! Sorry about your computers – hope you’re network is back up and running today.
I love the quote! I once read a sci-fi short story which turned the idea of dragon protecting its treasure into librarian protecting her books. It was cool.
hahaha, that quotation is fabulous….and true! You just don’t want to anger someone that controls the universe.
Sylvia, thanks all around!
Annie, I am sure you will make the day of your librarians
Litlove, oh I know you treat librarians right
So far today the network is up and running. Hooray!
Michelle, it’s a great quote. I like the sound of that scifi story with the dragon. If you ever remeber the title, please let me know!
Hungrybookworm, that’s right, librarians know secrets no mere mortals can fathom so it is not a good idea to make them angry
All the librarians at my library branch are w-a-a-a-y cool. Not a grump in the bunch, so they never do anything to anger. Even when I didn’t realize you had to sign up to use one of the computers and one of them had to come over and gently ask me to “sign in, please,” she did it so sweetly and quietly. But underneath that calm exterior, I got the feeling if she had to, she could kick butt and take names.
Stefanie for Pope (obs after being endowed with magical langauge powers)! I love the idea of a seed lending library (very Big Society – maybe our PM will cotton on) but imagine your own private library. And I bet the network always works for his minions.
I’m in complete support of your candidacy for Popehood! I’m sure you would make plenty of reforms I’d approve of, in between glutting yourself on the library volumes.
And man, I have worked in a completely computer-dependent environment during a network shutdown. So amazing how you can’t do ANYTHING without it.
I will never piss a librarian off, trust me!! You would be awesome as Pope (as long as you invited me to see your library, that is
)
Grad, so glad all of your librarians are nice! They are probably all well-trained ninjas, discreetly dealing will all sorts of problems on a daily basis and most people are none the wiser
Jodie, thanks for your vote! I will invite you to visit my library once I am annointed
Isn’t the seed library idea cool? I’m thinking of investigating it further to see if it might be viable to propose to my public library.
Emily, I appreciate your vote! When I am Pope I will send you a personal invitation and I will even allow you to choose one or two books to take to your room to read while you are visiting
And yup, computer dependency kind of stinks. Makes me really want to find a manual typewriter to have at home for when the power goes out.
Dorothy, I’m sure you are good to all librarians
and yes, for your vote for my Popehood, you are of course welcome to come visit whenever you’d like and spend as much time in the library as your heart desires 
I’m not sure I could even fill 15 minutes with work if our network went down–luckily it happens very rarely! I love the idea of a seed library–I wonder if they have cataloged the seeds?
Danielle, heh, my 15 minutes of non-computer work was something I had been putting off doing for awhile, sort of saving for a rainy day. Good question about whether the seeds are cataloged! They must have some kind of system in place to keep track of them and who has checked them out.