An Imperfect Librarian Read Free Page B

idea. What are you talking about?”
    â€œWho cares about binoculars? Stand up to the prick!” On the word prick , crumbs shoot out of his mouth. He brushes them off one leg of his trousers and splatters coffee over the other.
    A number of people, Henry included, are opposed to the library’s strategic emphasis on computers. I can’t blame them. If there’s one role that the Internet is going to change, it’s the librarian’s. You don’t need to be Nostradamus to predict that. Who needs a librarian if all the knowledge in the world is at your fingertips? I’m not surprised that the other librarians are wary of what I do. They didn’t support spending a chunk of the budget on a new digital systems unit. But they don’t take it out on me personally. They don’t. Francis does. One of the first moves I made when I began my position was to get access to all administrative databases on campus. I can’t be expected to domy job efficiently without it.
    I wanted to explain that to Francis so I asked for a meeting with him. He invited me to his office. I went straight to my purpose. I told him I’d set up access to all the databases; I’d visited the different units and understood how they operated. Next, I described my vision to digitize Special Collections materials in five to ten years. I explained that I’d need access to his databases, inventories of materials, information about how materials were presently organized and catalogued, plans for future acquisitions and so on.
    He listened carefully and didn’t interrupt or ask any questions, even when I explained some of the more complex details about how the access would be centrally controlled by software designed especially for the library. I finished what I had to say then waited for his reaction. He was leaning so far back in his chair, I was afraid he’d tip over. He brushed something off his shoe. When I asked him how that sounded to him, he told me it sounded like I was telling him how to run his unit. I explained that wasn’t what I meant. This was a great opportunity for collaboration, I told him.
    â€œYou mind your affairs and I’ll mind mine. How’s that for collaboration?” he said then rose out of his seat, opened his office door and motioned for me to leave.
    If I had my time back now I probably wouldn’t have complained to the Chief Librarian. I would have waited a few days instead of firing off the letter that very instant when I was frustrated and angry. I shouldn’t have cc’d Francis on it. The Chief called the two of us in for a meeting. Francis said he’d be more than willing to work with me. Not a problem. Of course I could have access to his databases and inventories, whatever and whenever I needed. “Come for a tour anytime,” he said.
    I left the meeting after the three of us had shaken hands. As a rule, I take the stairs, not the lift. I have to remind myself tosubstitute elevator for lift, cellphone for mobile, truck for lorry, apartment for flat and so on. The stairs are adjacent to my office, whereas the elevator is at the other end of the corridor by Edith’s office. I don’t want to encourage her by walking past. She doesn’t need an excuse to think I might be interested in her. The stairwell door closed shut behind me. I trudged up the dirty concrete steps. I’d almost made it to the main landing and was thinking this was another occasion where I’d completely misread the situation. I’d fussed about Francis for nothing. The door opened and closed below. Someone was rushing up the steps behind me. I stopped to let them pass while I caught my breath. It was Francis.
    â€œI forgot to mention a few items at our meeting,” he said, standing on the steps next to me. “Don’t think you’re going to play with my databases, inventories, future acquisitions anymore than you’re going to play with my