Fixing and Making Things at the Library

I was a little girl's hero at the library when I fixed her fidget toy. She had a pink plastic fidget spinner on a strap like a wristwatch, and it had snapped off one of its lobes where it was thinnest next to the central hub bearing. Fortunately, it was a clean break with no apparent distortion of the plastic, and I had super glue on hand.

I was concerned it would break when reassembled, because it has a friction fit on the bearing, but the larger piece handled the majority of those stresses and it held together. I warned her I couldn't guarantee it wouldn't break again, but she was pleased as punch, declaring I could "fix anything."

We also rearranged our Young Adult corner of the library to make way for some shelving changes and make better use of our space. Well, I say "we," but Ms. A and the other Ms. A moved the books while I made new signs. I indulged in some creativity with various styles ranging from cartoony to retro neon to grungy punk rock 'zine, and the rest of the librarians helped me narrow down what worked until we had a consensus. I hope we're not too old and out of touch with what the youngsters think is cool. We'll see.

Unfortunately, there are also things I can't fix at the library.

Management seems to be resorting to micro-management, leading to tension and frustration throughout the district. It's making our jobs harder, but there is no communication about what problem it is all supposed to solve.

We also have escalating tensions with the moral crusaders who have convinced themselves libraries are part of a secret plan to turn the kids LGBTQ or something. Yes, we have LGBTQ materials. When a matter is in public discourse, the job of the library is to present all points of view so far as possible. We also try to carry as many new books as possible, and not censor any of what is being published. Let's also not forget that LGBTQ members of our community are also extorted to fund the library just like the evangelicals. No, there aren't secret drag queen story hours to turn the kids transgender. Besides, we aren't Portland or San Francisco.

The constant pressure from these busybody control freaks grates on our nerves, and the bureaucratic nonsense is just heaping more stress on us. It feels lonely at the circulation desk sometimes, as if we are under attack from all sides. I wish administrators and moral crusaders alike could see the reality of fixing a little girl's toy, finding classics for new readers, and providing a healthy social and educational environment for people of all ages. So if you have a library card, do something nice for our librarians. They're all likely in similar situations across the US, and perhaps around the world as well.