Covert Library Ops…

The notice came in from one of my strategically placed scouts on the west side of town.  There was a tempting book in the Little Free Library on the walking trail along the drainage ditch that runs behind the big church.  Despite scant details, it sounded like a promising tip, but who knew how long it would be before some other fan of historical true crime sagas might snag it.  As I planned my strategy, the knot of nerves in my stomach gradually drew tighter. 

The weather forecast was stormy, but my opportunities were few, so as I headed home from work – armed with my waterproof bibliosatchel – I made my move.   Quietly pedaling my way through the unsuspecting neighborhoods, I found the trail, overgrown with the vigorous weeds of summer.  After several twists and turns, ignoring the roar of a nearby lawnmower and concealing my intentions from the boys playing on the path, I found it.  As far as I could tell the library and the bench adjacent to it were completely unoccupied.

Casually leaning my bike up against a light pole, I gently opened the library door and peeked inside.  There it was, buried under all the usual Dan Brown and Janet Evanovich paperbacks.  A Serial Killer In Nazi Berlin – written by Harvard educated lawyer Scott Andrew Selby – tells the true story of madman Paul Ogorzow, who terrorized the women of Berlin during World War II.  Despite the depressing premise, it looked like a promising read, so I stuffed it in my bag.  In its place, I left behind a book that I hoped might lighten the mood a bit, The Days Are Gods, a memoir by a writer who moves from Los Angeles to a small town in northern Utah. 

As I made an inconspicuous getaway, I reflected on the fact that even the smallest Little Free Library contains a vast world within it, spanning time and space and transporting readers to places as different as Nazi Germany and Mormon Utah.  Open to everyone all the time – check out the many worlds inside the Little Free Libraries near you! 

 

dave
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