#3 Initiation

Dear diary,

After the intensive training in the arts of shelving, I was extremely nervous about starting my first shift today at the library. So much could go wrong. I might misshelve the 610's and kids looking up books on how the body works would find the Karma Sutra instead. I might push a book on the top shelf too far, causing the other side of the shelf to collapse and crush someone underneath. The wheels on my trolley might squeak too loudly and bring a stressed-out student studying in the carrels to the verge of a mental breakdown.

I took several deep breaths and thought back to what my psychologist told me. "Your first day might have a few minor hiccups but nothing really severe will happen. It's all in your mind." Of course, how stupid of me. I'd gotten myself all worked up about nothing. It would most likely be an uneventful first day. A wonderfully dull, gloriously tedious 3-hour shift.

Or so I thought.

The moment I walked through the door I knew I wouldn't get that boredom I'd been hoping for. Young kids were running around the library, and without fal they managed to knock books off every shelf they passed, leaving a path of destruction in the wake. The queues at the front desk stretched into the large-print section, and the phones were ringing nonstop. The staff at the desk were both frantically trying to serve patrons and juggle several enquiry calls. Then I saw the trolleys, each of them stacked to bursting point with returns and in-house strays. It was a nightmare.

As I stumbled, bewlildered, into the front desk zone I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around I saw a overly friendly-looking girl with squarerimmed glasses beaming at me. She introduced hersefl as Talia, another shelver, and gestured to a trolley. Understandingly I took the handles and pushed, and on the second try it lurched forward slowly and we headed off into the shelves.

The next three hours was a blur, there was so much else occupying my mind. I can remember a few things, such as finding a bundle of books in one of the carrels which had shredded pages, and I had to deliver them to Bron the library officer for triage. I can also recall Talia and I herding a pack of youngsters into the local history room with our trolleys then locking the door, so at least the damage to the library would be localised.

I don't think I would've made it through that shift without Talia to guide me. She's been working at the library as a shelver for five years, and founded the Shelvation Army Code, which is a promise all shelvers make to stand up for each other and help one another out when in trouble. She's also th shelver-librarian liaison - the person who sits in on library staff members and makes sure shelvers have a voice in decisions about the library (though she jokes, all voices have to be kept quiet in the library).

If every day is like today... *shudders* I don't even want to think about that. I just know that I've always wanted to work in a library, so no matter what I'm going to have to persevere at my job. Wish me luck!