the librarian

This afternoon there was a flurry of activity taking place in the library.  An older gentleman complained at the Ref desk of chest pains and shortness of breath, leading our LIC (Librarian in Charge) to call 911.  Two screaming fire engines and an ambulance showed up, just as toddlertime was letting out and the library was flooded with staggering, screaming 1 & 2 year olds.  There was a total of 11 firefighters in all and they clustered around the old man and began checking his vitals.  Those of us at the Ref desk were front and center for it all, but what really bothered me was that we were BUSY.  People kept storming the desk, demanding their holds or bitching about the computer wait, all while this man was likely having a heart attack 5 feet away.  He was on a stretcher, hooked up to an IV and surrounded by burly dudes barking into walkies talkies, but did anyone care?  No.  And the most galling part was that the circ attendents (all female, mostly single or divorced)  were all but draped over the counter trying to attract the attention of the rescue crew.  One of them came up to us afterward, not to ask about the man’s condition, but to lament the fact that the firemen/paramedics were short and ugly.

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