- Sep 22, 2013
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The modern world is gauged by traffic, commerce, and information-management (e.g., Wall Street, European Union, NATO, WikiLeaks, etc.).
The quality of both storage and retrieval of information affects the evaluation of metropolitan prestige, which is why we celebrate bureaucracy-paranoia films such as City Hall (Al Pacino) and Ghost in the Machine (Karen Allen).
The Internet has changed the way we think of access to documents and information and speed of communication. This has altered social perspectives on the infrastructural labors associated with the maintenance of book-dense public libraries. Why go to the library when you can download a text immediately online from the comfort of your home laptop?
So this ghost-story I wrote is in honor of yesteryear's 'civilization captain' --- the dependable and diligent librarian.
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Samantha was excited about her new job at the Library of Congress. Having graduated from the prestigious Ivy League school the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in History, Samantha wanted to be a dutiful pedestrian civil servant by honoring the social value of the respected Library of Congress. She was soon considered one of the best employees there, and she even started dating a nice male co-worker named Stephen. Everything was just fine.
One day, Samantha picked up the newspaper while doing a rotational shift at the reference desk at the library. She noticed a very unusual headline: "American psycho stalking and killing librarians all across the country!" Samantha nervously proceeded to read the rest of the article. The serial killer, referred to by the police as 'The Librarian Ghost,' sent in a note to the LAPD which read, "I demonize the American librarian, since the world has become completely callous towards the labors and honors of steady data/info shelving. It's all about Burger King and eBay now, and we won't stand for that 'consumerism indulgence'!"
Samantha deduced that the Librarian Ghost was most likely some kind of civil servant or bureaucrat with a terrible grudge against the modern world. The killer had murdered 10 librarians across the USA, in states including Virginia, Michigan, Colorado, and Washington. Samantha feared for her life and wondered if the serial killer would target the Library of Congress next. She decided to start carrying pepper-spray in her purse so no one could force her while she was walking to her parked car after work; Samantha's shift ended every night at 11 pm. However, one night, while walking to her Kia sedan, she noticed a figure in a hood walking towards her.
The figure walked closer and closer and then removed the hood when facing Samantha. Samantha almost had a heart attack. The figure looked exactly like Samantha! Samantha was gasping and asked the person, "What do you want? Who are you? Are you my estranged twin-sister my mother never told me about or what?" The figure then eerily replied, "Do you believe in reincarnation? I'm the ghost of Jack the Ripper inhabiting the spirit of your unborn sister --- unborn, since your mom secretly considered having an abortion instead of giving birth to you!" Samantha asked the 'spirit' why her mother never told her, and the spirit/figure explained, "Your mother was raped."
Samantha was at the Library of Congress bright and early for work the next day. A police officer walked in and approached Samantha (who was working at the reference-desk). He suspected that the Librarian Ghost would most likely strike an employee at the Library of Congress very soon. Samantha asked the cop why the police suspected that, and the officer explained, "The Library of Congress is the last bastion of dependable civil service!" When the cop asked Samantha if she wanted a bodyguard, she eerily replied, "I'm not scared of Jack the Ripper." The cop then realized Samantha was an ally of the Librarian Ghost.
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Willard Library Ghost
The quality of both storage and retrieval of information affects the evaluation of metropolitan prestige, which is why we celebrate bureaucracy-paranoia films such as City Hall (Al Pacino) and Ghost in the Machine (Karen Allen).
The Internet has changed the way we think of access to documents and information and speed of communication. This has altered social perspectives on the infrastructural labors associated with the maintenance of book-dense public libraries. Why go to the library when you can download a text immediately online from the comfort of your home laptop?
So this ghost-story I wrote is in honor of yesteryear's 'civilization captain' --- the dependable and diligent librarian.
====
Samantha was excited about her new job at the Library of Congress. Having graduated from the prestigious Ivy League school the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in History, Samantha wanted to be a dutiful pedestrian civil servant by honoring the social value of the respected Library of Congress. She was soon considered one of the best employees there, and she even started dating a nice male co-worker named Stephen. Everything was just fine.
One day, Samantha picked up the newspaper while doing a rotational shift at the reference desk at the library. She noticed a very unusual headline: "American psycho stalking and killing librarians all across the country!" Samantha nervously proceeded to read the rest of the article. The serial killer, referred to by the police as 'The Librarian Ghost,' sent in a note to the LAPD which read, "I demonize the American librarian, since the world has become completely callous towards the labors and honors of steady data/info shelving. It's all about Burger King and eBay now, and we won't stand for that 'consumerism indulgence'!"
Samantha deduced that the Librarian Ghost was most likely some kind of civil servant or bureaucrat with a terrible grudge against the modern world. The killer had murdered 10 librarians across the USA, in states including Virginia, Michigan, Colorado, and Washington. Samantha feared for her life and wondered if the serial killer would target the Library of Congress next. She decided to start carrying pepper-spray in her purse so no one could force her while she was walking to her parked car after work; Samantha's shift ended every night at 11 pm. However, one night, while walking to her Kia sedan, she noticed a figure in a hood walking towards her.
The figure walked closer and closer and then removed the hood when facing Samantha. Samantha almost had a heart attack. The figure looked exactly like Samantha! Samantha was gasping and asked the person, "What do you want? Who are you? Are you my estranged twin-sister my mother never told me about or what?" The figure then eerily replied, "Do you believe in reincarnation? I'm the ghost of Jack the Ripper inhabiting the spirit of your unborn sister --- unborn, since your mom secretly considered having an abortion instead of giving birth to you!" Samantha asked the 'spirit' why her mother never told her, and the spirit/figure explained, "Your mother was raped."
Samantha was at the Library of Congress bright and early for work the next day. A police officer walked in and approached Samantha (who was working at the reference-desk). He suspected that the Librarian Ghost would most likely strike an employee at the Library of Congress very soon. Samantha asked the cop why the police suspected that, and the officer explained, "The Library of Congress is the last bastion of dependable civil service!" When the cop asked Samantha if she wanted a bodyguard, she eerily replied, "I'm not scared of Jack the Ripper." The cop then realized Samantha was an ally of the Librarian Ghost.
====
Willard Library Ghost
