This morning I went to the library, because I needed to get a book with normal 30-days loan period. There’s a website where you can reserve a book and get it brought to the library of your choice. It’s a good service, but when I tried to reserve the Finnish version of Everything’s Eventual (Maantievirus matkalla pohjoiseen) it kept reserving a book with a 14-day loan. Not enough. Plus, if you call a library to reserve a book, you need to go there to get it. Only the staff could reserve a specific book and get it brought to a specific library. So I went to the library and told the lady there that I need a normal loan-period book. She reserved one for me and I went happily to the department to do an assignment because I needed a graphical program — Protégé — for it (couldn’t do it today so I have to plan it well for Monday and go to the dept. well before a lecture), and I just thought I’d check if I can see the reservation in my info. The librarian had reserved a book with a 14-day loan period AND it wasn’t even available yet! The due date was May 5th! I knew the book could’ve been found in many libraries around the neighbouring cities waiting in the shelf. So what’s the logic?! I was angry and annoyed (and not to mention stressed with all the stuff that’s piling up) and cancelled the reservation and accidentally also cancelled the English version of Carrie that was on its way (and probably at the library here already…) so I had to re-reserve it and now I have to wait for THAT to arrive. At least I have books to study while I wait.
Then I checked if Maantievirus was in any library I could get to and luckily it was. A kind student I know and often chat with told me how to get to the library and off I went. When I got to the library it took me a while to find the right – horror – section and there was a man flipping through King books. He finally stepped aside a little to read a book more carefully so I got to browse through the shelves. I realized Maantievirus wasn’t there so I tried to see if the man had it. I asked him if it was the book and it was! :laugh: He asked if I needed it and I said that I did and had come all the way just for that book (stupid me I didn’t say I needed it for a translation studies research). He said I could have it and he can get some other book. I couldn’t believe it and I was really really really happy. I hope the man found something to read. :) Good taste he has, at least.
So, now here it is, beside me. Maantievirus matkalla pohjoiseen translated by Ilkka Rekiaro. And I can keep it for a whole month. I couldn’t be happier.