Sneezeweed

When I reported in at the library for volunteer duty there were books piled high on the desk.  Librarian Trevor told me that since around 1 p.m. on Wednesday the Internet service the libraries in our consortium use has been unavailable.   Updates he received were full of IT alphabet soup but pointed toward a routing issue.  There is an off-line system which allows libraries to check out books - it can be reconciled with the real system later.  It can't, however, check books back into the system.  As he was explaining how to use it an update came through that a 'band-aid' was in place so the system was again working - but very slowly.  We checked and, yes, the system was working, and, yes, it was slow.  I signed off.  All the libraries were probably trying to use it.  Instead I worked on inputting statistics which is an entirely different file.  I finished w/ those around 5 p.m. - just when most libraries would be closing.  Our library, though, has chosen Thursdays to stay open until 7.    I signed back on and was rewarded with a significantly faster response.  Was able to check in all of the piled up books, pull the books requested by other libraries, and reshelve our books.  Caught up just about closing time.  Had enough time though to print Trevor's pun-of-the-day on the white board:  "BOOKKEEPING: The profession of people who don't return library books."