and when it is gone?

In the prison library I have been having problems this week. Not with my workers, although one is at school all week for his programming (learning how to get a job when he gets out). Also not with the library nor the patrons that need our services, when we are open we are on top of being helpful - well, as helpful as we can be; being male, proud and pugnacious (I am too old for pugnacious - but playful and petty would also get in the way). In the library my being gone for household maintenance and forgetting my keys one morning held us back a little. But those times can be overcome by working harder and faster - I can't give back the hours open for them that could have used them on Tuesday, but I try.

Nope, the big problem this week is the crashing of the secure computer data exchange and storage system that I have to reach through to the Internet, my supervisors, support systems, action agencies and information not in print. On Tuesday I was called to be informed the Internet was closed until repairs could be made. I wasn't in the office to receive the call, they left me a message. Remember that the Internet is designed to work around large burning radio active holes that were part of defense systems or cities of some enemies. Everything can get around switching points that disappear in mushroom clouds and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions or meteor strikes, unless all traffic to a really secure protected constantly monitored system must pass a gate keeper, then the death or absence of the gatekeeper and the locking of the gate means nothing works. It is Friday and yesterday, if we went by time travel back to the month of August and could match our DNA and memory of long ago changed passwords and identities, then we could log on again. Since we didn't have to give back our salary for the missing period - I logged back on - but they aren't giving me another month of September and half of October for my retirement - so it wasn't a real time trip.

I am back on the Internet at work, ordering books to borrow, reporting their arrivals and departures, building carts of books and CDs to recommend for purchase. Finding information not in our print reference materials, business and local government addresses and stuff that I never knew inmates lose sleep over. It was an interesting few days, working on without the distraction and support that I normally have from the Internet computer. Made me wonder what y'all would do without the internet; at work, in your shopping, as entertainment and education. Go to the library? We are open.