Sometimes, They Don't Come Back

Sometimes they come back on time. We sort them, plop them in place on the cart, and ship them back to the shelves to be handled and picked over. But too often, they're overdue. Occasionally they show up with a handful of coins. No note. No "sorry". Others never pay their fines; we just find the books in the outside bin.

After they've been gone for a long time, the pages are usually creased and wrinkled, the corners bent—even on sturdy, library bound specimens, and all too often they have water...