Anyone who has had a puppy can identify what happened to the book pictured at left. And apparently anyone who has worked at a library can too. This damage was incurred months ago, when Tillie was still eensie (though big enough to clamber to the top of my desk and discerning enough to find the call number tag quite tasty). I've just been blithely renewing the book, which happens to be from a library other than ours. But this week, its time was up: my online request for renewal was denied.
I decided to seek the advice of our librarians beginning of course with the circulation desk, and our favorite librarian (OFL). Because of OFL's tendency to go on about things (a tendency well documented here at blogos), when I saw from the front of the line that she was wrapping up with her current patron, I stuffed the book in the bag clutched underneath my arm and decided to explain the problem, thus avoiding the shameful moment of showing OFL the book itself.
OFL: "Can I help you?"
ME: "Uh, yes. I have a library book from another library that has been accidentally damaged, and I was hoping I might get some advice about what to do."
OFL (uncharacteristically businesslike): "Let me make a phone call."
[makes phone call; returns]
OFL: Okay, if you follow the yellow tape on the floor (?) you'll find Stuart, and he'll be able to advise you."
Me: "Thank you!" [turn to leave, and then--]
OFL: "One time we had a book chewed up by a puppy dog, and (shakes her head, looking down) there wasn't much we could do."
[Insert sound of 'Debbie Downer' skit from SNL.*]
So I slunk along the yellow tape to Stuart who took the book in his hands, turned it over once, and asked simply, "new puppy dog?"
[*Oh, what the heck, insert a Debbie Downer video.]