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Alex waits in line for the key to the room his Division paid for, to pick up the key his Division paid for, to unlock the lock his Division paid for. He watches the minutes on the clock tick off. Only one librarian working. The librarian takes a student to a computer terminal across the room to explain the rudiments of searching an electronic card catalog. His rhythm is slow. He sees Alex and nods. Twelve minutes. The next in line wants references. She doesn’t know where to look. She jots down notes. One of the sources is on CD-Rom. “What’s that?” she asks. More computer instruc-tion. Seventeen minutes.

Finally it’s Alex’s turn. He gives him his faculty I.D. The librarian scans it and hands it back to him. “I’m sorry but you have a fine. You’ll have to clear it before I can check out the key to you.”

Another librarian shows up and leans over the desk. Alex explains.

“I went through this earlier. I have students waiting. I spent several hours taking care of this and was told everything was fine. I’m just trying to do my job.”

“Who did you talk to?”

I went to my Division Director and she talked to the Library Director and I was told this was all straightened out.”

The librarian who has just arrived looks at the computer screen and mouths his name. “They called about you. You’re supposed to go to Circula-tion to take care of your hold.”

The line at Circulation is always long and he doesn’t want to stand in another line. He knows what will happen. They’ll want him to pay the fine, or refer him back to Reference. He does what any normal person would do in this situation. He keeps repeating his request.

A colleague once told Alex that this is the best way to handle things. Pick a story, a simple one, a request. Don’t embellish. Just keep repeat-ing, “I want my meat.” Whatever they say, what-ever objection they make, just repeat: “I want my meat.” Damn it. I want my meat.

“I was told this was all taken care of. I need to get into my room. I have students waiting.”

“If that’s true then you can go to Circulation and they’ll take the hold off for you,” says the first librarian.

No way will he stand in that line.

“I have students waiting.”