Lakewood Public Library: A Love/Hate Relationship

Lakewood Public Library has embarked on a monstrous renovation endeavor. They have built an entire library, connected to the old one, which they are now renovating. In January they will have a gigantic main branch.

Good for them. Problem: they’ve left some of their books in storage until January. This includes just about every book I’ve ever tried to get specifically from the LPL. A few months ago I was looking for Philip Pullman’s Amber Spyglass, the last book in a trilogy I was reading. I couldn’t find it, so I went to the reference desk and found out, “Oh, we haven’t unpacked our sci-fi section yet.” Ok, fine. I found JW’s copy of the book. No problem.

On Saturday I went back to the main branch to use their wireless and get a book for my senior seminar. War of the Worlds. I looked in the new sci-fi section, figuring they might have a copy there because of the Tom Cruise movie. There, on the shelf, were three copies of the Amber Spyglass but no H. G. Wells.

So I went upstairs to the reference desk and talked to the same reference librarian from last time. Did they have a copy? “Oh, we haven’t unpacked our sci-fi section yet.”

You’re serious? It’s possible to be batting 1000 on the books that I need from the library coinciding with the books locked up until January?

I would just go to the Cleveland Public Library if I didn’t still have a copy of On The Road that I took out from the Euclid branch in November 2005. I would probably be arrested just for stepping foot inside a CPL. So, what to do? Pay fines and try to redeem myself with the Cleveland library? I can’t wait until January, I have to read the book now.

Of course, this is happening during the first semester when I ever signed up to write an optional paper early on. My senioritis attitude of “Just get it over with” has landed me with a paper due a week from Wednesday on the book held hostage in the Lakewood Public Library.

If I don’t show up in class this week, it’s because I’ve been locked up for dressing up like a librarian, trying to sneak into unpacked section and release the book I need.