Library Stabbing

A security guard was fatally stabbed at the Finkelstein Memorial Library, a frequent destination of my youth.  My friend's mother was one of the librarians, and my friend also became a professional educational librarian.  It was a small library as libraries go, though I did not realize that until I started accessing the NYC Public Library System in late high school, then University and large city facilities thereafter.  Now we have networks.  My own local library branch seems about like Finkelstein in capacity but it links to a statewide system that I can access from My Space. 

Wherever I lived or worked, the local library or the University Library has been a refuge.  It provides resources but takes me from the distractions of home to the distractions of magazines that I might not otherwise access or reference books that have entries for people or places that I knew personally.

I never questioned the safety of being there.  Most had door attendants to limit theft of materials and sometimes to make sure that only University affiliates entered.  But mostly they functioned on an honor system.  Look at what you want.  Try to maintain decorum.  Sign out what you want to borrow.  Return things on time.  I doubt if any of the front door attendants was armed.  Nor was the guard, now of blessed memory, at Finkelstein.