The power is OUT!

I never know whether I should be amused or worried. Example: Today at my work location the electric power was out. (Somebody hit a street pole down the avenue, electric wires everywhere, police diverting traffic, etc) My staff met me as I got out of my car, informing me of the situation. I'm sure the first thing they wanted to hear was that they could go home, but no...This is basically still a library and people can read - by the windows, under the skylights - And we opened our doors to the public on time as always. Life can go on.

For once, there was NOT a great flood of people into the branch as the doors opened. Of course, having signs on the doors that said - No electricity, No computers and Yes, we're open - might have had a bit to do with it; especially the No Computers part. However, several people came in to check. We'd meet people at the door "Hello, the electricity is out. May I help you find something?" And almost every single person would respond "Are the computers working?" (No, the lack of electricity let all the squirrels out of their cages) That is the part that worries me, or amuses me - take your pick. After we'd explain "No, the computers are not working as they run on electricity and the electricity is out," (let me lead you by the hand through this thought process) then they'd ask with all seriousness "When will the computers be working again?" (When we can round up all the squirrels and get them working again?) Oooh the things I want to say, when properly all I can respons with is "I don't know." They then turn and walk out, some of them angry.

And it's not just the computers being out, people come in looking to use the copy machine, or the computer printer, or the wi-fi, and to ask why is it so warm in here? Again we patiently explain the power is out and that electricity runs that particular item.

Have we just become so used to electricity that we can't conceive of losing it? It was a quiet morning though. Even staff couldn't perform basic morning duties - no computers. We pretty much just sat around like lumps, and/or caught up on our professional reading. We did get our shelves all straightened though, and we checked out books the old fashioned way - by hand, paper and pencil.