This past weekend, I had the sudden urge to dive into a book. I didn't want just any book. I wanted the perfect book. So, on Monday after my AIS class, I decided to scour the USF library for the perfect book. This adventure took longer than I had anticipated. I thought I knew the USF library pretty well but I was mistaken. A process I thought would take thirty minutes ended up taking about three hours. This is primarily due to the fact that the book I had my heart set on was impossible to find. The book that I really wanted to read was "Columbine". "Columbine" is the definitive book about the Columbine High School shooting. It is written in the same vein as Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood". This book came out last year and I was going to buy it but the combination of school and no money forced me to put this novel on the side. This is a shame because I have heard nothing but amazing things about this novel. I was overjoyed when I found that this book was available at my college's library. On Monday, during AIS, I looked up the call-number on the computer and wrote it down on a small piece of paper. When class ended, I quickly made my way to library and up the stairs to the third floor, where the book was said to be available.
After about a half hour of searching every crevice of the FN3013 section I decided to enlist the help of the library system experts located on the first floor. I was not too worried about not being able to find the book because this is not an uncommon occurrence. There have been several occasions where I have not been able to find a book or film in it's appropriate place and have walked out with said book in hand. The library often keeps books in a side room where only library workers are able to access. I gave the library systems expert the call number and waited as she went to the side room to locate the book in question. I was met with a wave of disappointment when she returned empty handed.
The library systems expert explained to me that it was not in the secret side room and to try the shelving areas on that floor. The shelving area is where books, movies, and other library materials are placed until they are put in their proper place by library systems experts. She also informed me that I could fill out a form that will dispatch library employees to locate the missing book. I thanked her for efforts and returned to the third floor and walked to the shelving area in search of the elusive novel. I would be lying to you if I said that the shelving area was easy to navigate. It was an absolute nightmare. After about ten minutes of puzzled glances, I deciphered the order. After spending fourty-five minutes meticulously combing through hundreds of books, I realized that my efforts were futile. "Columbine" was nowhere to be found. . .
I sat in the third floor lobby wallowing in despair for about five minutes. I had my heart set on reading that book. My dreams were shattered. . . Just when I was about to give up and exit the library empty handed, something caught my eye. It was a poster that said "Read". I was then hit with a sudden epiphany. The library is filled with thousands of books. So what if the book I was looking for was missing in action, there were plenty more "fish in the sea" or in this case "books on the shelf". I got up, headed down to the first floor, and logged into a computer. I had a new mission to complete.
My new mission was to find a new even more interesting book to enjoy. I researched a few titles and condensed my choices down to two titles. One of the novels, "World War Z" by Max Brooks, was unavailable at the Tampa USF campus. I would have to travel to the St. Petersburg campus library to retrieve this title. Luckily, the second of the two titles I had selected was available in the Starbucks Leisure Collections section. The Starbucks Leisure Collections is a selection of noteworthy titles conveniently placed in the libraries Starbucks, which is located on the first floor. I found the book almost immediately. The book in question, Chuck Palhiniuk's "Pygmy", initially peaked my curiosity last week at a bookstore. According to my research, the novel is about a North Korean soldier posing as a foreign exchange student in order to commit an undisclosed terrorist attack. The premise seemed very intriguing. After reading about five pages of the "Pygmy", I realized that this book was not for me. The novel was not as exciting as I had anticipated and the writing style was a bit hard to follow. I placed the book in the shelving area and walked out the library.
After exiting the library, I began the trek to my car. About halfway to my destination, I remember the title of a book that sparked my interest a few weeks ago at a bookstore. "The Lost City of Z" by David Grann. The book is about the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Percy Fawcett during his exploration of the Amazon. I then remembered that I had saw this book sitting in the Starbucks Leisure Collections. I turned around and made my way back to the library.
I found "The Lost City of Z" about as fast as I found "Pygmy". I checked out the book and made my way up to a comfortable seating arrangement located on the second floor. I opened the book and started reading. Before I knew it, I was deep into the second chapter. It seemed as if this book was tailor made for me in mind. It had mystery, adventure, danger, and intrigue. I had finally found the perfect book. All I have left to do now is finish it.
- "A tale of deadly obsession in the Amazon!"
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