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A story by Arlene Sandler. This historical cautionary fable imagines a library’s removal; it does not establish that the Des Peres Branch Library closed.
Once and only once upon a time, there was a little library in the middle of a big residential neighborhood. It had a little book budget and a little staff, but tried to serve its public within its limitations.
Most neighborhood residents never came into the library. In fact, some didn’t even know it was there. Others came in, couldn’t find what they needed. got mad and left. They forgot that it was a little library and could only have a little collection. They also forgot that it was connected to a large system of big and little libraries and that they could get their book by asking. Still others preferred to use The Nearby Big Library With Sunday Hours, even though they were paying taxes to support the little one.
The staff tried to get people to come to the library. It tried to get schools to send classes. Nothing worked. Everyone was sad. Princess Daisy and Smiley’s People sat on the shelf in The Shadow of the Moon and just stared at one another.
The Downtown People who add up the books that are taken home to be read did not like numbers they were adding from the little library. They took the library away.
Some people didn’t care. They still went to The Nearby Big Library With Sunday Hours. Others did care. Children had nowhere to go after school. Some readers went to the store and found out that books and magazines cost a lot of money. Many people now had to drive or walk much further to use a copy machine. Fewer people attended meetings. classes, and fund-raising events because there was no longer a convenient place to post notices. Angry parents had to drive their children to another library the night before their book reports were due. And the rats multiplied something fierce.
Once and only once upon a time does a neighborhood get the chance to have a library.
Originally published in The Paper, April 1980.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1980_04.pdf, printed page(s) 4; PDF page(s) 4.
