Back on the Island in the Library...

I keep forgetting the thousands of people that are waiting for news about the Library, so here goes. I have had my annual evaluation: I am found to be in compliance more often than not, I am a bit better when working with others, I am keeping the Gang of Three posted and aware, will have to check the banned books list more often, and I have weeding priorities scheduled with my monthly reports. I feel much better this year than last - since being thought of (and on record) as not polite shamed my parents' best efforts and myself. Only five more to go?

The Audit team for the ACA certification had their three day visit, and the entire prison glowed - but I am mostly proud of two and a half of the library work crew and the Corridor Porter as technical expert in the wax, fast buffer (red pad, white pad), cold water or snapback. They put a mirror finish on the library floor yesterday morning that was remarkable - and so I am remarking about it. If the bakery were open I would be buying them a dozen doughnuts apiece, might even plug in the coffee pot if I didn't fear it would spoil them. The Audit went well, the Superintendent sent us an email saying so and I forwarded it to my bosses.

We have been hitting the weeding hard, and finding way too many books with pages missing, pictures removed and in general destroyed for petty gratification. Discouraging, since there was a comment posted on our Institutional Library Services blog about how Washington Prison Libraries have a reputation for quality materials and service, if we are a bit discouraged what is it like caring for a library that is completely falling apart? The destroyed books are removed from the collection, the ones that wore out are replaced - and I love replacing books that have been read a few hundred times to the point un-repairable. But I almost cry about the ones that Stupid destroyed for his personal pleasure - and it doesn't help when someone says - well we are in a prison everyone here is a lawbreaker. Our recently re-elected Governess has been scrabbling to find a couple tons of money - she will be right behind the next bailout plan - since most of her tax money is from latte sales and they aren't hot except at the bikini bottomed Latte stand. Overall she is looking at cutting services and programs and although prisons can't be cut - she says - the stuffing inside of them is up for grabs. The inmates will get cheap comic books and boring government manuals for self improvement in their future.

Which brings me back to the coming new Hope, I am thinking the heat under the pot we have all been swimming in will get turned up. Don't know if it will boil us before we jump or not, but I have seen two comparisons that remind me about how fragile civilization is for a country and voter choice having dire results - the election of Hitler (he didn't seem to have bad things in mind for Germany) and the elections in Rhodesia that produced Zimbabwe - going from a country that fed millions to one that can't feed itself. If pirates from Somalia, that fine country of gangs and clans and tribes, can take ships at sea and the civilized world looks on fearing insurance rates might go up, I wonder if it isn't time to allow the whole thing to collapse. Lets us all go hide under our beds until the uglies get hauled off by the enlightened government of goodness sakes. Then I remember that I am working in a prison library, the shelves and patrons are full of fantasy and ugly reality, I have to bring some order find the correct information and attempt, one patron at a time, to make a difference -- my posterity depends on it. Yours does, too. Be careful out there.