When up to your butt in alligators - please drain the

I was thwarted, the Corrections Sergeant wouldn't allow one of my inmate clerks to deliver F-unit (IMU and Seg) books without an escort - and wouldn't provide the escort. So I stumbled and the books sat in bins on the floor of the library for days. I wasn't smart enough to drain the swamp, I was looking at the alligators. I walked into the prison yesterday and went to the place and pulled the plug. I took the first of my clerks coming in from lunch and we went to F-unit, through the control gates, by all the cat calling cheerleaders on their way to chow (pay attention to me, please pay attention to me). Through the second interior set of control doors, sign in desk. We dropped off the books and grabbed a bin of returns to check in. It will work in the future, just don't tell my boss. My boss thinks that movements beyond the bookcases and chairs behind the desks are in the realm of impossibility and other fantasy worlds, for real professional librarians anyway.

It was an interesting day after, my three newest workers continue to amaze me with their immaturity and lack of knowledge and curiosity, we work on it. The experienced clerk asks, when it becomes obvious that my stress level is way up there and about to explode, isn't it a good thing that I don't bring a gun. That makes me laugh, I respond that all the children would want to touch it and see if it was anything like the pearl handled chrome Super deluxe that they remembered shooting sidewize.... just kids at play. When I really get upset I wish I had just enough C4 and detcord to take the library down properly - without any humans being harmed. A big enough bang would bring me back into focus and off of the alligators. I missed the inmate patron that stole the four brand new magazines from my desk in the library, he didn't want The Advocate, but the three Robb Report magazines were gone when I went to process them. Ah, did I forget I am in a prison where crime against the state and authority is honored, where they have nothing and everything over that makes them feel rich and blest? Looking at the alligators again aren't I? Look at the big teeth on that one!

Well, I don't read the Robb Report, I will never aspire to having that much money to throw around looking rich and cool. About thirty minutes after the theft was discovered another inmate walks in and gives me three new books worth about sixty bucks at our discount - donations to the library collection since he has read them. There is balance in the world, even my little one. I order more ILLs, check for the return of all the overdue notices for ILLs, all completed save one, and one that we never received that we will have to pay for, we will call on that one. I order a few more books for this month's book cart and answer email and put incoming book purchases into the catalog, thirty titles, we are always improving the collection. Library life is so much better than draining swamps, but I do miss those big at my control explosions.