Nonfiction Book Reviews

This morning, I went downstairs and started doing outside check-in.  As is common, there was a stack of books already sitting on the counter that fellow employees were giving to me to check in.  I started doing check-in, not paying a whole lot of attention to the titles of the books, when I saw a book that needed a new barcode.

I quickly pulled up the book in the computer to “send it to mending” (that’s what we call it when we tell the computer program that the book is being fixed and/or mended, so that we know where in the library it is at) when I happened to see the name of the person who checked the book out on the screen.  It was a fellow coworker of mine at the library.  I then did a double take and stared at the title of the book.

It was a book on saving your marriage.  I looked at the next book in the pile - another book about trying to stave off divorce.  With a feeling of dread, I checked it in and checked the patron portion of the computer - yes, it was the same employee.

I felt sick to my stomach.  I had no idea that this person was struggling with their marriage.  I felt like some sort of interloper, that I would know something this huge and significant without meaning to, and certainly without wanting to.

I completed check-in this morning like normal, but inside, I was just sick.  It wasn’t as if I could walk up to this person and say, “Hey, so I see that you’re on the edge of divorce.  My condolences.”  This person has no idea that I know.  And quite frankly, I didn’t want to know.  At the same time, I’m sad and I want to hug this person and tell them that I feel for them.

There are some days that I learn more than I really wanted to know about my fellow men.  Working at a library seems to bring that to the forefront.  When you check out 15 books to someone about being pregnant, there’s a pretty good chance the patron is going to have a baby.  Same thing with books on advanced cancer; books on dealing with a new medical diagnosis; and yes, books on dealing with divorce.  The titles tell me, whether I really wanted to know or not, the inner thoughts and lives of the person checking those books out.

And there are some things I just didn’t want to know.

Sad today…

Hava

PS Before I forget, two important things: First off, tomorrow at midnight is the end of my first contest here at Nonfiction Book Reviews.  So if you haven’t entered that yet, be sure to get your entry in soon.  The other thing is another contest, this one happening over at Book N Around.  She has a massive book give away that you don’t want to miss.