The library card cafe

 

I went to relieve one of my favorite co-workers at the front desk of the library. It was six in the evening. I was scheduled on the desk from six until seven. I said something dark about library cards. My co-worker reflected that she hadn't registered a library card in the whole hour she was at the desk. She was surprised that this had been so.

"They're all waiting for me." I said eeyorishly as I took over the desk computer. I started to add what was probably going to be a hilarious quip as she walked away, but a woman came to the front desk and interrupted me.

"Can I get a library card?" She asked.

As soon as I finished I raced to the back room to share the hilarity of it all with the co-worker who had just missed out.

"They were all waiting for you." She observed drolly.

So I went back to the desk where a man and his son stood.

"We're new to the area and we'd like to get library cards."

I briefly toyed with the idea of converting Clerkmanifesto to an all complaining about library cards all the time format. But there were three problems with this plan:

1. Complaining about library cards might be nearly as boring as making library cards.

2. Library cards are wonderful.

3. Making library cards for people is a lot like getting a vaccination: One might dread it a bit. And it might sting momentarily. But it's over quickly and one probably won't have to get another library card for that person for at least a year but usually forever.

So I scrapped the new Clerkmanifesto library card complaint format and made these cute designs, some suitable for t-shirts, instead. I was only occasionally interrupted to make library cards.