Editor's Note Bad Service

My local library is only a few blocks from my house, an eight-minute walk. That's very convenient. The service I get there, though, that's another story.

The library seems to have been set up for the convenience of its staff. Most of the time librarians sit in a room behind the checkout desk. I can see them through a small window, their backs to me, eyes glued to computer screens. To get checked out, I either have to be patient and hope someone notices me, or break library protocol by shouting out "Excuse me!" I normally opt for restless finger drumming and throat clearing.