The two dogs and I headed to the library for a couple books. It probably would've been quicker to look up the information online, but this was productive multitasking. The dogs got to see-smell what was happening outside, clearing all our heads with exercise and fresh air, and scratching off a couple other errands at the same time.While the hunting dog checked her network of trees, bushes, and wall niches where she'd seen each squirrel, chipmunk, or cat over the past six months, I tried to remember which books had the information sought. The smaller dog kept both our distracted heads on course, steering us directly to the library door as soon as she determined that was the intended destination.

While the hunting dog checked her network of trees, bushes, and wall niches where she'd seen each squirrel, chipmunk, or cat over the past six months, I tried to remember which books had the information sought. The smaller dog kept both our distracted heads on course, steering us directly to the library door as soon as she determined that was the intended destination.When we arrived, mounds of books were being hauled outside and loaded into container-sized boxes by staff and volunteers doubling as longshoremen. It looked like fun, so I moored the pups out of the busy main channel and joined the lightering. They even let me carry some of the big heavy boxes all by myself! The older dog settled in, enjoying all the activity. The younger one watched awhile, then began singing. She was either lamenting her exclusion or coordinating our efforts with work chanteys-with her musical abilities it's a subtle distinction.

When we arrived, mounds of books were being hauled outside and loaded into container-sized boxes by staff and volunteers doubling as longshoremen. It looked like fun, so I moored the pups out of the busy main channel and joined the lightering. They even let me carry some of the big heavy boxes all by myself! The older dog settled in, enjoying all the activity. The younger one watched awhile, then began singing. She was either lamenting her exclusion or coordinating our efforts with work chanteys-with her musical abilities it's a subtle distinction.The library was culling in preparation for upcoming work on the interior. The dogs found it surprising that libraries cast off books because they assumed everything ever printed molders in ballast somewhere deep inside them for eternity. (My daughter's first job out of college was at the Folger Library, a large building across from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., that holds the world's largest collection of Shakespearean information and related materials. During her orientation she learned that its "new" book collection begins in 1832.)

The library was culling in preparation for upcoming work on the interior. The dogs found it surprising that libraries cast off books because they assumed everything ever printed molders in ballast somewhere deep inside them for eternity. (My daughter's first job out of college was at the Folger Library, a large building across from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., that holds the world's largest collection of Shakespearean information and related materials. During her orientation she learned that its "new" book collection begins in 1832.) The Library of Congress does try to have copies of almost everything, but even a brief calculation of number of books, magazines, and newspapers produced every year makes it clear no library can possibly acquire everything new or keep everything it has.

The Library of Congress does try to have copies of almost everything, but even a brief calculation of number of books, magazines, and newspapers produced every year makes it clear no library can possibly acquire everything new or keep everything it has. The actual de-accessioning had taken place days earlier. Some books were badly damaged and worn, obviously needing replacement. Others had become obsolete (there probably isn't much demand around here today for a book listing the top roadside attractions and restaurants in 1940s Iowa). Many hadn't been checked out since clippers slid down their tallow-greased ways into the river. We've personally often found older books on topics like home repairs to be more thorough in what to do and clearer in how to do it than many contemporary DIY books emphasizing speed and convenience (e.g., how to prepare tallow for greasing ways); and clever children's books can secretly provide answers to those embarrassing gaps we all conceal about random topics we're expected to know about as adults but somehow missed out on the day they were covered.

The actual de-accessioning had taken place days earlier. Some books were badly damaged and worn, obviously needing replacement. Others had become obsolete (there probably isn't much demand around here today for a book listing the top roadside attractions and restaurants in 1940s Iowa). Many hadn't been checked out since clippers slid down their tallow-greased ways into the river. We've personally often found older books on topics like home repairs to be more thorough in what to do and clearer in how to do it than many contemporary DIY books emphasizing speed and convenience (e.g., how to prepare tallow for greasing ways); and clever children's books can secretly provide answers to those embarrassing gaps we all conceal about random topics we're expected to know about as adults but somehow missed out on the day they were covered. None of the crew could resist sifting through the books one more time as the half a dozen or so of us lugged them out the door. By the end, reefs of books had accumulated around the steps where we'd each set aside those "few" that caught our eye. That's a serendipitous feature inside the library too, where the books are properly arrayed on their shelves. You head there with a specific topic in mind, but while cruising the stacks you unexpectedly come upon novel (pun by younger dog) items and check them out as well. Whether strictly coincidental or not, we know a fair volume of librarians, yet Dewey's beady little decimals remain demented as far as the mutts and I can determine. We can't fathom how two books on exactly the same topic are separated by hundreds of numbers and several shelves, so we spend a lot of time wandering the rows and imposing on the staff's patience to help find our obscure requests. Sometimes they've already anticipated our interests and set a book or two aside for our next visit.

None of the crew could resist sifting through the books one more time as the half a dozen or so of us lugged them out the door. By the end, reefs of books had accumulated around the steps where we'd each set aside those "few" that caught our eye. That's a serendipitous feature inside the library too, where the books are properly arrayed on their shelves. You head there with a specific topic in mind, but while cruising the stacks you unexpectedly come upon novel (pun by younger dog) items and check them out as well. Whether strictly coincidental or not, we know a fair volume of librarians, yet Dewey's beady little decimals remain demented as far as the mutts and I can determine. We can't fathom how two books on exactly the same topic are separated by hundreds of numbers and several shelves, so we spend a lot of time wandering the rows and imposing on the staff's patience to help find our obscure requests. Sometimes they've already anticipated our interests and set a book or two aside for our next visit.The remainder of the discarded books (punny response by older dog) got hoisted unto a truck, off to be sold online or donated to various organizations. The company hauling them away paid so much a pound. Whodathunk of measuring information by the pound? Some of the group worried residents would question jettisoning any books during stormy budget periods, but a good college friend once projected how the world will end: It will cease to exist when the number of National Geographics abandoned in attics and basements reaches a critical mass and implodes through the center of the planet, so a word to the wise should arrest that mistaken concern. The library has bought us more time from that fate by eliminating dog-earred unwanted pieces (pun by me), recouped some sorely needed monies, kept paper out of landfills, helped other good causes, made room for things yet to come, and we got to enjoy the process to boot. We headed home with more than we went for as usual.

The remainder of the discarded books (punny response by older dog) got hoisted unto a truck, off to be sold online or donated to various organizations. The company hauling them away paid so much a pound. Whodathunk of measuring information by the pound? Some of the group worried residents would question jettisoning any books during stormy budget periods, but a good college friend once projected how the world will end: It will cease to exist when the number of National Geographics abandoned in attics and basements reaches a critical mass and implodes through the center of the planet, so a word to the wise should arrest that mistaken concern. The library has bought us more time from that fate by eliminating dog-earred unwanted pieces (pun by me), recouped some sorely needed monies, kept paper out of landfills, helped other good causes, made room for things yet to come, and we got to enjoy the process to boot. We headed home with more than we went for as usual.

The transcriber has drifted around Mystic for some time, much of it with dogs.