Every day in our library, my library assistant and I check in and out an average of 300 or so books in the library. It doesn't occur to many people what happens to those books after they return them. I'll tell you: they stack up! On my lucky days, I have a most wonderful assistant who does the work of the "magical shelving fairy" and puts all those books back in their cozy little spots on the shelves. No! Book characters don't climb out of the books and drag their bound volumes across the expanse of carpet and place themselves between their shelf mates. Library fairies do that! It is the most thankless and least thought of job in any library.
I visit my local public library about once a month for various reasons and I've seen those fairies there, too. Pushing heavy carts full of picture books, adventures, mysteries, poetry, and thick novels bound for their proper place among the tomes. To these volunteers and employees, and especially to my assistant: I give a humble THANK YOU for a well done job. Your fairy wings and magic wand are deserved and we librarians and library patrons are grateful.
