Page 32 of The Overdue Kiss

“Updating? Oh, no, thank you. I think we are running just fine without any of those newfangled devices.”

“I’ve been tasked by my boss, Ms. Anderson herself, to do a quick sweep of the library.”

He leans in, his brows furrowing. “Why?”

“The patron numbers are low... dismal at best. I want to help bring more people back into the library.”

“People come here. The school takes fields trips once a quarter for book reports and presentations.”

I scribble notes on my pad of paper. “And what about the rest of the community? This library services over two hundred locals. How many of them come in on a daily basis?”

His fingers run up and down his suspenders. “Uh, I’d have to pull those numbers for you.”

“Go ahead. I can wait.”

“Right now?”

“Yep. If you are using our new software, it will only take a minute to pull that data up,” I say, raising an eyebrow. He answers exactly how I expect.

“Right, but my computer here doesn’t handle all the new stuff.”

“Then what are you using?”

I almost faint when he pulls out a weathered binder, the leather worn and creased. He flips to a page in the middle and spins it to face me like it’s still the 1800s.

“See? As clear as day. I fill out the form and stamp their due date card, and they are ready to go. So much faster than a computer.”

“What about the tablets we sent last year?”

“Oh, they might be upstairs in the storage corner.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and mentally list my options.

One, I do nothing and let nature take its course. The amount of time and energy required to “update” this library would be like building a new one from scratch. Two, call Ms. Anderson and let her know how bad things are here and let her make the call. It’ll probably go the same way as option one, but I’d be avoiding taking responsibility. And three, I do what I came here to do: everything I can to save this library. But to do that, I’ll need him on board with the plan.

I let out a long breath and meet his gaze.

“Look, I’m going to be honest with you, Mr. Sherman. I’m not here to update or modernize anything. The Rocosa Library is on the list for closure.”

A vein bulges on his forehead as he shoots to his feet. “Absolutely not. My great-great-grandfather Douglas Sherman founded this town and constructed this building with his bare hands. This is a historical landmark that can’t be removed as easily as one flicks lint off their shirt. You can’t do that, Ms. Santos. You just can’t.”

“I agree,” I say, knocking the wind from his sails.

“Y-you do?”

“Of course. Libraries are more than just books, they are access to information, technology, entertainment, and educational classes—all while encouraging a sense of community. Without the library, some couldn’t afford these resources on their own, and it’s one of the main reasons I became an Outreach Librarian, to make sure they have access to these opportunities. Iwantyou to succeed, but in order to do that, I need to see where we are failing. You have to be willing to make changes.”

“Well, even if I was okay with changes, the Rocosa Historical Society won’t be. They have their fingers in all our small businesses on Main Street, denying cosmetic repairs despite how much they would benefit the community. Especially with Gladys Monroe heading up the committee.”

“Wait, so we can’t change anything in here?”

“This whole street is in a historical district. Due to the National Historic Preservation Act, the Rocosa Historical Society deems what changes are permitted to the interior and exterior of the building. Unless we have their stamp of approval, not even the mustard wallpaper can be changed unless it’s crusted in mold.” He waves his hand around. “Trust me, don’t think I haven’t tried.”

“What can we do?” I ask, my fingers tight on my pen.

“There is a request form you can submit. If it’s not a necessary change, it usually gets denied.” He shrugs. “And at that point you can appeal at one of the meetings, but you are going to need an excellent speech and a founding family’s signature. The latter I can help you with.”

“This sounds like they purposely make this difficult.”

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