Happyville Library

Finale

Dear Friends,

For a few days now I have been digging through my mind, trying to come up with the right words to write for the final post on the Happyville Library blog, but it’s nearly impossible. Don’t expect eloquence.

When I started writing this blog, it was my anonymous method of voicing my opinions and citing observations, completely subjective and prone to comical exaggerations and embellishments, at everyone’s expense, including my own. For a time, long ago, it was more fun than should be legal. Lily and Melanie would help me lay out what I’d write about, and each of them had a unique and hilarious view of their own to share, and they even commented when I finally published the finished product. Oh, those were the good ol’ days!

Then I got kicked out of my old domain by some Dummies – I’m still bitter.

With the chaos of that move came the introduction of my blog to our dear director, Maya, who has become so addicted to it that no consequence I threaten her with can persuade her to stop reading it. Due to the fact that she was such a devoted reader, many of my friends and coworkers turned on me, making my life a living hell and causing my health to take a dangerous dive. When I asked everyone I cared about to stop reading the blog out of respect for our friendship, they all complied without hesitation, except Maya. Not only does she read every post, but she lets me know she’s read them with comments she makes to me in passing. After she discovered that I was deleting posts to preserve some of the anonymity I had left, and in an effort to stave off any damage my opinions might cause, she subscribed to my blog through an RSS so that she could read anything I published, even if I deleted it 5 minutes later. Clearly my feelings and my health were less important than her access to the silliness that I write about. And that hurts. But she’s the director, so what can I do?

Some wanted me to kill the blog long ago, but I am nothing if not a stubborn mule, and I refused to give it up on anyone else’s terms but my own. I suffered greatly for this, in more ways than I can quantify here.

Without Melanie, Lily, Cassie and Ally actively participating anymore, it was no longer fun for me. I felt myself struggling to come up with anything remotely funny to say, and without the humor, there really was no point to the blog at all. Who wants to read a bitter, despondent librarian’s whining in 2,000 word essays? No one!

Hoping that the phase would pass, I forced the posts, borrowed funniness from the world around me, and tried to keep my chin up, thinking that one day it would regain the thrill and amusement it used to bring me. That day will not be coming. It cannot be restored.

So, what I’ve done is create a new blog, where I will write about whatever I want, but I will leave my work at work. If you’d like to continue reading, and I hope that you do, you can find my new blog at If I Ran the Universe... Please don’t expect stories about the library, my coworkers, crazy patrons, or rogue turds. Writing about work is not going to be a part of it.

Happyville Library is gone.

I’m very sorry, folks. There are hundreds of other library blogs just as funny, if not leagues funnier than this one, so I’m sure you won’t be at a loss for material to keep your library blog needs fulfilled. However, I will miss the camaraderie we all had when commiserating about our jobs. Perhaps I’ll see you in the comments of other blogs.

What I absolutely cannot end this blog without doing is thanking all of you. For almost two years I have vented on this site and you have given me the kind of support and affirmation I couldn’t get anywhere else. Your generosity brought tears to my eyes and your shared stories often left me doubled over in laughter. I would have quit long ago if it wasn’t for the constant encouragement and positive feedback that hundreds of readers gave me.

Some of you have been with me almost since the beginning, and perhaps none longer than dear Beckeye and John Left. Others have actually reached out to me through email and we have become friends. Sheila and Annie, I adore you both! David C. from Canadia, and Not-So-Anon-AV-Boy, you are both in serious danger of actually having to meet me in person. Carla Snuggs, (my favorite library school student, who must now wield a freshly printed MLIS) you have no idea what it meant to me to participate in the interviews for your class, and the incredible flattery you bestowed upon me when you said “your librarian” was better than the librarians chosen by your classmates. You, quite literally, got me through the first 3 months of my new job and kept me from quitting outright, so thank you! Your faith in me carried me through when no one else had any. Phil, Nonanon, Romana, and Travelin’ Tracy: thank you so much for your kindness and encouragement! Lastly but not leastly, Leelu, you must surely be the sister I was always supposed to have. You get me through the day, but most importantly, you just “get” me.

A special thanks to Steven Cohen, who repeatedly recommended my writing (and my long-ago-closed Café Press store) to his own readers. You are my favorite pimp!

To everyone who has ever emailed me, commented or come back repeatedly to read my blog: thank you so much. You made it all worthwhile.

I hope to see you all again.

posted by Happy Villain at 5/22/2007 12:25:00 AM | 43 comment(s)