In a post-pandemic world, our library is STILL closed. Schools are starting to open up, restaurants are gaining in capacities, people are starting to come out of their homes, but our library remains a fortress. No one in. No one out.
Meanwhile, we all slog through the library catalog at home on the computer and look for books to check out. It’s just not the same searching online. I pull up list after list of books I think the kids might like. Each one sits down at the computer and searches for hours on end. It’s a bit like torture just to find the perfect book and then discover it’s already checked out! Ugh!
So, we finally get our lists submitted. We wait and wait. Then one day, suddenly we get the email. Our books are in! They have been located, sanitized, processed, and run through the book wash, whatever that is. Then they are bagged up into that special brown paper bag and stamped with our family name.
But wait, there’s more… then we reserve a date and time (yes, we have to make a special appointment) just to pick up our books!
Finally, our day has come. It’s time to drive to the library and get our treasures. It’s like Christmas morning all over again every time we pick up the books. I love this part.
We drive into the empty library parking lot and my youngest son suits up in his “year-long flatten the curve” mask uniform of the day, anxiously exits the family van, and dashes to the doors.
They are locked! He looks back at me bewildered. He looks past the glass again. It’s a librarian! He hasn’t seen an actual librarian in over a year! They do exist! It’s a miracle!
But…..she won’t let him in.
Darn, that Covid-19! Foiled again.
He waits somewhat patiently, kind of like he’s doing the potty dance – prancing around in front of the doors. He watches as the learned librarian lurks around in the vestibule, placing big brown paper bags of books with family names on them just in the right alphabetical order on the table.
It’s time! She’s leaving. But wait, he has to remain behind the super safe automatic glass doors until that librarian liberates herself into the safety of her covid free zone where all the treasures of those sought after books reside. She locks herself in, finally hits the button, and….
Open sesame! The shiny glass doors glide open in front of my son. I imagine the sound of organs playing as he is allowed to enter his book sanctuary…..but only for a minute!
He, ever so briefly, darts into the vestibule, by himself of course. Heaven forbid he actually enters while another person, not related to him, is in the entryway! There might be a guard nearby ready to enforce the six-foot social distancing rule!
He searches the alphabetized bags to find the M’s. That’s it! He’s located our family bags. Yes, BAGS. When you have four kids, and each one might order 10 books, that’s 40 books to lug home! One of the other kids in the van sees that he needs help so they quickly run to the rescue, but not without that trusty mask! Never leave the van without that mask lest Dr. Fauci gets ahold of you.
