The Europe Challenge

Official announcement from Council members:

Although this library has been a community hub for all kinds of folk for the last decades, budgets are still very affected by the economic crisis and we have had to make hard choices. One of them being that this location will close, in a fortnight. We understand the weight of this decision and apologise for the inconvenience. Please note that other libraries in the area will still be operating as normal.

Dear customers, I am leaving here a box of suggestions/questions so you can express yourselves if needed.

I am very sad to see this library close, but as you can guess, it wasn’t up to me to choose.

Hopefully, I will see most of you again. And if not, I wish you all the happiness in the world.

Kindly,

The Librarian (Alice)

 

Hi Alice,

 

I couldn’t believe it when I saw the sign on the door yesterday. The library is shutting down? How can this happen? What are we going to do without it? Without you? I am at a loss for words Alice. I have been coming to this library for 50 years now… I met my husband Keith here, do you remember Keith? Oh, he had a way with words, my darling. He could talk his way out of any situation really… He absolutely loved coming here. I was so happy you came to his funeral, you know? He would be distraught to hear that you are being forced to leave. Where am I going to get my books now, Alice? I hope you’ll stay in touch.

 

Sincerely yours, Mrs Curdwell

 

~

 

Hallo there!

 

Please give me a way to reach you after the library’s closed, so I can still call you up when I need help with realism when I write my historical novels. Over the years, you’ve given me so many resources that I feel like I could now probably do this by myself, but having someone to run ideas by and discuss such things is such a luxury, I’m not ready to lose it. I hope you’ll enjoy the new adventures this change is going to bring into your life and embrace the not-so-ideal way it came about. Please, do notify the council that if there is a way to reverse this decision, I will do whatever I can to do so. However, I am convinced that you already hit all the stops and did your best to keep the library open. If you didn’t succeed, I doubt I could. Although, tell them anyway, as it doesn’t hurt to try.

 

Fare thee well, my friend.

Arthur Wells

 

~

 

Hello Alice

 

I am so sad to hear that the library is closing its doors. My daughters will be very sad to learn that too. They learned to speak in English thanks to the Wednesday reading you used to do with the children. They still love coming to the library and, really, I do too. I never tell you, but I cut my hair the same length as you on purpose, it was not an accident. I just loved the way your hair looks so much, I wanted to do the same. You gave me the confidence to do it. It is not always easy to fit in when you are not from here. But you showed me that it doesn’t matter who you are, you can be proud and do things that make you happy. I will forever remember this library as the place my girls learned to be creative, to share, and to trust that their voices can be heard. Thank you for making this space feel special.

 

Sama

 

~

 

Alice!!

 

You’ll never believe it! I got accepted into Oxford!!! I can’t believe I got in! This is all because of you, so thank you, thank you, thank you! For the recommendation letter, about all my volunteering here at the library, for letting me hang out with you three nights a week to get all my assignments done perfectly and make sure I always got the best grades, and more than anything, for telling me I should apply in the first place! I’m going to LONDON Alice!! Isn’t it crazy? I actually think I can’t ever come back to this town, since the library is now closing. What reason would I have to come back? Omg I’m so excited to tell you about everything that happens when I’m there! Do you think I’ll finally find a girlfriend? I mean, it’s London, there’s bound to be way more people like me there, right?! Anyway, I hope that you’ll be okay, I’m going to make sure we keep in touch. I NEED my best old friend to give me tons of advice for the rest of my life you know!

 

Speak to you soon! Leah

 

~

 

Oh Alice

 

I am so absolutely devastated to hear about this. Have you already got another job somewhere else? Do you want me to ask my son if they have job openings in his company? You know I appreciate the service that the library provides, but really it always makes my day to come in and have a chat with you. Have you had loads of letters? Any special ones, from that special customer? I really hope you’ll find someone, you’ve been alone for too long if you ask me, Alice. Plus, you’re a real catch! A beauty like you, still of the age to have kids. In my days, men would have been lining up to date you, you know! Oh well. Let me know when you’ve found another job, I will be awaiting some updates.

 

Take care, R

 

~

 

Greetings, library staff

 

I am not surprised to learn about your library closing. It is a disgrace that they kept it open for so long. Whenever I came in to work on the computer, it never did what I wanted it to. Your service has always been subpar. My complaints have never been taken seriously. I’ve been threatened to be banned twice. I am appalled at the amount of noise I had to deal with while in here. You had it coming. And now I will have to drive all the way to the city to print off my work. It is my taxes that pay you, you know! You’ve failed at keeping this place open and now I am the one who has to pay the price. Typical.

 

Good riddance. Mrs Grips

 

~

 

To our favourite Librarian in the world

 

There couldn’t be worse news than this one we just got. Alice, both the children are wondering what the hell we are going to do without you. Not only, the library service, which is such a treasure for home-schooling, but also YOU! I don’t have any idea of which Jeeves book I’m supposed to read next, I don’t even know which one I’m on right now. You’re the one who keeps track of that for me. Emma is asking me if you’ll still come to her 13th birthday next month? Ilias is wondering if you could just give him all the books that have anything to do with Romans, Greeks, Mythology, Dragons, or any that you think he’ll find funny. He says you usually know what he likes. Oh, and he just added anything about Space as well! I told him that this isn’t how it works and that you’ll just send all your stock to another library in the area, but he says no one will know if you pinch some for him. I didn’t know I raised him to be such a thief! I guess he just doesn’t like the idea of his favourite place in the world going away… We have been trying to reason with him, but I’m not sure it’s working. Please, know that we are so grateful for all the years you’ve accompanied us through. If ever I am asked what helped me the most to keep the kids out of trouble, I can tell you the first answer will be your library, the safe space you created for them to explore and be themselves. And I think I need to thank you for this as well, as I got more and more used to having this in my life as well. I think I’m a better person because of it. My husband wanted to also say thank you for all the biographies you had him discover over the years.

 

We’ll miss you loads, Charlene

 

~

 

To Lady Librarian

 

I am not happy library is closing. Why? My mummy says it is not my fault. But is it because you have no Blu-tack left? Because I asked too much times? I hope it is not why.

 

Bye! Jamie

 

~

 

Dear Alice

 

I wanted to write this letter to thank you for all the days you made better. I used to come into the library to get the books my mother was ordering in. You really are the one who got me back into reading, back then. And even though it is hard to admit, I think I fell in love with you a little bit, throughout the last two years. I know from your point of view it probably wasn’t much. Just some recommendations here and there, some pleasantries, some smiles. You offer perfect service to every single customer who comes in, so it can’t have felt any different for you. But for me, it was everything. I wish I had the guts to ask you out, go for coffee with you while you tell me again why you think some indie author will fit my tastes in books perfectly. I wish I was the kind of person who knows how to interact with women as pretty and kind as you are. Unfortunately, you are closing at the end of the week. I am only confessing in this letter because I know this is my last time here. Because I thought it would be a shame for you to never be told how amazing I think you are. How you make everyone feel at peace as soon as they set foot in this space. How I admire your organisation skills and how no one has ever been as quick as you to tidy up a shelf. How I enjoyed every single second that found me close to you, even and especially the long silent ones. Alice, if I ever see you again, out and about, please be assured that I will never impose, never even come and talk to you if you’ve not made it clear you want to be approached. And I will certainly never address my crush on you, so feel free to ignore half of this letter. I write this in a similar fashion to people stranded on islands who would send messages in bottles to the sea. I write this because you have a special place in my heart and always will. I write this to say thank you, for making me believe in love again, after I got my heart stamped on. I write this because, sometimes, it’s nice to know that someone was paying attention.

 

Yours, faithfully, Tom

 

~

 

Hi there!

 

It feels strange to write you a letter instead of sending you an email, you know? I just wanted to let you know that I’ve asked our superior to let us know if there are any job openings in the area in the months coming. I know I’ve only been working with you sporadically, whenever there was a need, but I really enjoyed the time we shared, the things you had to teach me, as well as the beautiful environment of the library. This was an amazing job, mostly thanks to you, and I am confident that whatever you choose to do after, you will be the best person for it!

 

With all my love, Gladys

 

PS: It’s your last week ever, are you finally going to ask Tom out?

 

~

 

Good morning Alice

 

I am devastated to read about the library closing down. I have no idea what my grand-daughter and I are going to do every Saturday morning from now on… This was always the best place to have a real moment of shared joy, both for her and me. Not only because of the books we would pick for the week, but also because of all the no-screen children’s activities you offered, and how it allowed me to connect with her. I hope you won’t forget how happy you made us, as we won’t forget the smiles you put on your faces.

 

Kind regards, Angus

 

~

 

Miss Alice

 

To tell you the truth, I have always thought it was dumb and annoying that my dad could only come and pick me up an hour after school had ended. That I was forced to wait in the library, silently, doing my homework because I wasn’t allowed anywhere else. I know I never told you, but I wasn’t happy about it. But with time, I learned so many things from you, that I think now, I will be grateful for this hour overlap. I will remember the way you taught me to interact with people, even though I was shy and thought I was better off not speaking to anyone. I will continue organising my files the same way you do, even though you never actually showed me your way, I just copied it because I thought it was good. I will thank my dad for not allowing me to just wander outside every day, waiting for him, and forcing me to use the wait time to do useful things instead. And, of course, I will always tell everyone to go to the library if they have a little time to kill. Thank you for helping with my homework too sometimes, I know you’re not actually supposed to do that, but it made me more confident in my work.

 

Good bye,

 

Sun

~

Hoping this will find the right librarian: this is Tom Gutra’s phone number. I am his sister and he has told me today about finally telling you about his feelings, but in a letter. Just so you know, he’s a good guy, has been talking about you for so long now I feel like I know you. I know he didn’t want to pressure you. I don’t either, but I figured, if you’re interested in him, you might as well have a way to contact him. Do with this number as you want, I haven’t told him I was dropping this note off, so he won’t ever know if you decide to ignore it. Although I do think that sometimes in life, when one door closes, it is because another one has opened.

Mary Gutra

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About the Author

Jeanne (born in France, 1996) is a French native living in Scotland and working in libraries in the Highlands. Libraries are some of her favorite places in the world, and she loves giving them the appreciation they deserve. She is also a professional freelance translator from English to French, which allows her to work on amazing projects. She has a passion for books and the arts in general.