ILS Quarterly Training Conference...

Close the library for two days, go to Federal Way, Palisades Retreat and meet with all the other Library Keepers and the Gang of Three (Go3). Budget boredom, no money maybe less, keep the library open even if we can't buy more books, keep the libraries open - once the doors close it is over, they don't re-open. Policies and procedures in the afternoon session, and a tearful farewell from one retiring Library Keeper, Virginia. She said good things about all of us that have been working with her - mostly so far away - she used to call me and tell me she supported some of my more foolish risky statements of discord with the establishment - when I am wrong is it easiest to see when I am leading others astray. She is good people and won't be replaced easily.

Final session was of a DVD from the surveillance cameras in the library at the West Complex of the Washington State Penitentiary at Walla Walla. Tough guy heaven, new buildings for the old Concrete Mama stuff... The temporary fill was Joyce, coming down from Airway Heights to keep the library open, she did and while distracted by a reference question about five of the twenty some patrons worked on an attack on another patron. The attacker walked across the entire library, put a book down on a shelf, and wound up and struck the victim from behind. The blow was for shock (worked) couldn't have done more than dislocate the jaw - but didn't. The attacker then wrapped the victim up in his t-shirt put him in a headlock and then beat on him for two minutes in the corner of the library. One of the attacker's partners, perhaps in more ways than one, sat in a chair facing the whole thing, not missing a blow. One other was close to a filled book cart and moving a little to maintain some blocking of the staff member's view of the library, where the fight was quietly going on. The fifteen or so patrons and two inmate workers kept quietly doing the library thing while glancing once in a while to the struggle. Suddenly two inmates come in from outside the library, all the patrons shift far from the fight in one corner and the first two officers show up and start giving orders to the fighters. The attacker lets victim go, victim starts beating up the attacker, more officers arrive, book shelves are being pushed over and around and books are hitting the floor, victim is hitting the attacker. More officers arrive, restraining and cuffing attacker then victim and walking them out and off to segregation cells. The remaining officers pat search all the inmate patrons and workers, clear them out, look for weapons and get statements from the staff about the fight. She saw only the last thirty seconds of the fight, missing the first two minutes (long enough that a deadly attack would have worked) and thinking the response team was quick during those last thirty seconds of fight. There are two cameras in that library, a panic button in the staff office she knew nothing about, and we watched the attack over and over and discussed what could be done to improve security in the library - better view, staying in the library not in office or workrooms, and of course more staff (which isn't going to happen during penny pinching seasons). Valuable training, very valuable.

I got out of my Earl is a loner mode, went for a motorcycle ride and filled my tank up, the Sun is out and it is cool and so is the Trusty Triumph and I. I ride back and stay for dinner at the Retreat (not normal conduct - Earl is a home boy and never stays - but Virginia doesn't notice). After I help move a table, set some stuff around and look at the preparations. You don't think we were going to allow Virginia to quietly slip into that fabled land of Retirement without embarrassing her. Invited old co-workers, gathered presents, letters from the Secretary of State and the Governor, a great scrapbook made by Joyce, pictures by Earl and Doug over the years, and others. About seven, Jeannie cons (prison reference!) Virginia into coming to the Library to play a board game and the Game is On! Surprise Party, three daughters and a grand-daughter have traveled miles in Virginia's van to attend and all of us and the tears start again, the jokes and tales of the troubles told. Jeannie is her old jolly self and cutting up, Doug has brought some decent drinking whiskey, and there is wine and Lemonaide for me. A cake doesn't last after appropriate picture taking and this social stuff isn't bad (says the guy hiding in the corner) but then it is in honor of Virginia, twenty-four years of institutional library service and she has done a fine job. The governor should have come, but then it wouldn't have been as much fun, would it?