Tuesday 30 January 2024

Dusty's books

 Dusty was set to work tidying the library. But mostly she set about chasing lizards that were hiding in the corners and pouncing on them. 

Oh no, thought Whaea Selina. This is what you get when you have cats in the library. I shall have to employ someone else. 

She called up her database and looked at her WILs Workers In Libraries. These were the children who had nothing much to do at lunchtime except be bopped by flying balls. This got a bit old after a while. They didn't ask for much pay, perhaps just a smiley stamp on the hand. 

Whaea Selina had removed the working computer and reconfigured the dashboards until there was only ONE button to press - return or issue. It couldn't fail and made a satisfying beep when a book was issued. 

This was to stop gamers from infiltrating the library and taking up all the bandwidth data, and throwing all the books out the window. The last time she had a machine check in the books, it cost so much in power and electricity and lost time with all the whirring noises it made that she ended up unplugging it along with the TV and the ipad and the telephone too and taking them on a long trip to the e-waste collection where the equipment got turned into TikTok machines. They had to now consider the nationwide ban of 'smartphones' in schools.  But would children still come to the library when there was only one button to push and couldn't text their friends? 

 At least cats had zero interest in computers apart from sleeping on top of them. 

Dusty, what do you think of this noob? Dusty looked up. 

The book was about Minecraft and it had so much squares in it that it made Whaea Selina's eyes swim. Dusty swished her tail no. 

Or this one? My Baby Kitten Book.

Yes. Dusty swished her tail again. 

Hmm I may put you in Collection Development instead of Circulation. Dusty purred. She was in charge of the library kitty too and there was now an undisclosed amount to be spent on new books. 



Wednesday 24 January 2024

Dusty

 The shelves needed dusting. There was nothing quite for it but to rearrange them into some sort of order, after the spines had faded and the paper had yellowed, like expired cans at the back of the pantry cupboard. Who knew what toxic brew or marvellous medicine awaited in those perishable mystery containers.

Whaea Selina assessed the library. Definitely needed some carnivorous plants to eat all the flies that weren't being caught by the cobwebs. Everything is so last century but those computers and devices are shiny new black things with push buttons don't even work!   How will I ever cope? She wandered about in a daze. 

I'm sorry, we can't pay you, said the powers that be. 

Oh, she replied. I'll just do what I can. 

This involved some rearrangement of the furniture. This was hotly contested territory. I need someone to be here all the time. I know I'll call Mr Muggs.

Mr Muggs was not available, but he sent a look-a-like cat rescued from the SPCA  Whaea Selina called Dusty. She was black and white and had a very long tail, which was very furry and could also double as a bookmark. 

Dusty was to be the new library assistant.