Library, Wednesday [05/16]

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

With the area properly cleared and safe for people to walk through, Thursday opened the library. She pushed the door open and looked inside. The grimace on her face said it all.

While the structure was intact and (after a cursory look inside) Special Collections was seemingly undisturbed, the main library itself was in shambles. Every single book was off the shelves. Some of the shelves were flat on the ground. Chairs were on their sides or up-ended. The computers looked worse for wear.

They had some work ahead of them, that was for sure. It didn't help that the power was seemingly out.

"Best get to it then," she said to herself and moved to pick up a chair.

[OOC: While we're not looking for any new library aides until Fall, feel free to come by the library when it's opened by one of the current aides and help clean and reshelve. Please follow the instructions given by the librarian and the aides.]

Comments

Fourth Period

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

Lunch was over and it was on to trying to find a list of all of the books in the library to do a stocktake while it was all in shambles.

Re: Fourth Period

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Oh dear." Karal stopped just inside the door of the library, looking around with great concern. "May I help? At all? Please? All these books."

Re: Fourth Period

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

Thursday was a little amused at the kindred spirit who hated to see books in such disarray. "You're more than welcome to join in. I'm not entirely sure where everything is meant to go yet, but help yourself to a pile if you'd like to help tidy. Are you a new student?"

Re: Fourth Period

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I am, yes. Very new." He smoothed his robes down and picked away across the floor. "Is there a method of categorisation? I'm not from this world, so the ones I'm familiar with aren't going to be much help."

Re: Fourth Period

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

"The Dewey Decimal System, but we're a while away from trying to reshelve just yet. I don't think the books were displaced too much, so as long as they're grouped together based on location, we should be close to the mark. I'm looking for a list at the moment to see if we can check off books that are too badly damaged or missing."

Re: Fourth Period

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal nodded, already heading for a pile of books. "If you locate it, I believe I can assist. I have an excellent memory," he began clearing a space to sort and stack them, "I was trained to retain anything I hear or see, if it is necessary. I should be able to tell you which ones on your list I've seen and what their condition was." It would take some effort, but he knew he could do it. He hefted a book in his hands and looked back at her, suddenly hesitant. "If you think that might help?"

Re: Fourth Period

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

Thursday was pleasantly surprised. "Consider your services hired for as long as you can bear to spend your time in here."

Re: Fourth Period

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Hi Karal," Isabel smiled. "How are you?"

Re: Fourth Period

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal glanced up, startled. He'd been so engrossed in remembering every book he looked at it he hadn't even heard her come in. "Good afternoon, Isabel," he said, looking sadly around the library. "have you come to help put this to rights?"

Re: Fourth Period

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I was just coming over to check in, I didn't realize it would be this bad," she said. "But yes, I'm one of the library aides so I'll be around to help straighten up."

Re: Fourth Period

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I will likely be here until it is restored," he said, smiling as he carefully dusted off a particularly large hard cover. "The librarian seems to think I can assist. If I'd known you were a library aide, I probably would have pestered you to let me in."

Re: Fourth Period

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

It was Wednesday, and even though she hadn't been there for the last few weeks, habit finally kicked in and sent Isabel over to the library.

"Oh this isn't good."

Re: Fourth Period

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

"Not particularly," Thursday admitted. "But it could be worse. The library could be The Pile of Ashes Formerly Known as the Library."

Re: Fourth Period

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You're right," she nodded, automatically picking up some books off the floor. "And at least the books are back to just being books again. I don't think I could have taken much more of the clucking."

Re: Fourth Period

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

"Their eggs tasted fine. A little inky, but fine."

Re: Fourth Period

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh." So much for the mini novella idea then. She'd have to let Dawn know.

"So you'll be taking over now?"

Re: Fourth Period

[im-fullmetal.livejournal.com]

Edward had heard that the library was still standing. And he hoped that the books were well. And not chickens. And if they were chickens, someone should probably try to take care of them.

He pushed open the door to the library and stared. "...this is worse than Sheska's house."

He came in and started looking around. "I'm bad luck for libraries. That's what it is," he muttered to himself. "Least this one didn't burn down jus' before I got here."

Re: Fourth Period

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

"And hopefully won't any time in the near future," Thursday said, appearing from behind a table. "Come in and start sorting if you're here to lend a hand. I'm afraid we don't have much in the way of a lending service today."

Re: Fourth Period

[im-fullmetal.livejournal.com]

He jumped slightly as she appeared then nodded. "No, no burning down, that would be bad. I can help sort. Anywhere in particular you want me to start? Do you have an alchemy section? I could start there."

Re: Fourth Period

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

"Alchemy isn't exactly a popular form of science here, but I'm sure we'll have some books on it. Unfortunately it's my first day, so I'm not entirely certain where it is. I saw some science books over there earlier, so if you want to start there, just organise the books into neat piles. Thanks for your help."

Re: Fourth Period

[swerval_zero]

Zero figured she might as well lend a hand and headed up to the library. "Hello?" she called as she peered around the door. "Please don't enslave me again, I'm not going to be here lo--oh, squall," she said as the library's condition filtered in.

"Well," she said after a long moment of stunned silence. "I s'pose it could be worse. It could be Zombie Weekend again."

Re: Fourth Period

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

"I take it zombie weekend wasn't good for the library?"

Re: Fourth Period

[swerval_zero]

"No, definitely not. Zombie soup everywhere, an' bookcases knocked over, an' bullets lodged in bookcases...it was bad." Zero decided not to mention the part where she'd shot the librarian.

What? He got better!

Re: Fourth Period

[no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com]

Zero not mentioning that part was a good thing. Thursday had had more than enough of being shot at for a while. "Somehow I don't think zombie soup would have gone down very well with the books."

Re: Fourth Period

[swerval_zero]

"They made out surprisingly well. I mean, you can't even smell the stench of the undead any more. We had to mop a lot, though. Many buckets of Pine Sol gave their lives," Zero said solemnly.