The other night I dreamt that I had gone to the library during a break from work to pick up my books on hold, and the librarian for whatever reason wouldn't give them to me. Instead, she handed me a blue ticket that said they'd be ready in half an hour. I frantically tried to explain that I didn't HAVE half an hour -- I had to be back at work, but she wouldn't budge.
Suddenly I'm in the Starbucks next door to the library, which isn't even close to reality; both libraries that I frequent are stand-alones or by a post office, but there IS a kind of creepy Starbucks* near my office and that's the one I dreamed about. So I'm in line at the Starbucks and the librarian shows up, dragging a metal cart filled with books -- the books I want! -- and she STILL WON'T GIVE THEM TO ME. She rolled them in with her to taunt me, and also so they wouldn't be out of her sight, and I wanted to just grab them off the cart but I couldn't. I was filled with anxiety and impotent rage when I woke up.
This is not the first time I've had anxiety about suddenly being banned from libraries.
* It's creepy because there is a flashing neon fish tank/sea world depicted in the office space above, including a pink octopus that wiggles. It's completely bizarre, but The Ames will back me up that it exists, and there is something wrong about it.
Nooo! Being denied your requested books is a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree - being banned from the library is definitely the stuff of nightmares! Horror!
ReplyDeleteThat is horrifying!
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago I got to the library too late to pick up my requested books and discovered they had SENT THEM ALL BACK to their libraries. So there I was with all three of my kids and I had to go searching through the stacks to find something to read. My kids were crazy and several of the library-goers gave me the stink-eye, but I made it out alive. I am a book-requesting junkie.
I love that this prospect gives us all chills. I can't believe they sent them back, Natalie. Such a bummer!
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