The following transcript from a conversation I had this morning with a librarian at the public library illustrates why things take so long in the South.
"Can you tell me where the books by William Faulkner are shelved?"
"What?"
"I want to read some Faulkner. Where are his books shelved?"
"I'm not sure... Do you want books by William Faulkner or books about William Faulkner?"
"I'd like books by Faulkner. Do you have any?"
"Well, if we do, they're either over there in the section called 'Fiction' under the "F" for Faulkner or else they're over in the Classics Section over there. We have a Youth Classics Section and an Adult Classics Section and if he's over there, and not in the Fiction section, he'll be in the Adult Classics section."
"OK. Thanks."
I found nothing in the Fiction section by Faulkner. In the Adult Classics department I found three books and chose
As I Lay Dying. At the checkout desk with the same librarian, I asked:
"Are patrons allowed to renew checked out books?"
"You can renew books. That's okay. You have to come in and renew the book here at the desk or you can call us on the telephone and renew the book over the phone. You can only renew one or two times but you can do it in person here at the desk or you can call us on the telephone and do it that way. If somebody else wants to use the book, though, or if it's a new book or something like that, then you might not be able to renew it. It just depends if it's new or somebody is waiting to read it. You can just ask us and we'll check to see if somebody else wants it and then you can't renew. But if nobody else wants it, then it's okay. You can renew it again.
"OK. Thanks."
