Oregon Legal Research Blog
The Law Librarian and the FBI: A Shaggy Dog Tale in Six Parts: PART THREE
(PARTS ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE and SIX)
Lucy: That kid in school sure said some mean things about you today. How come you didn’t hit him?
Charlie Brown: I have observed that whenever you try to hit somebody there is a tendency for them to try to hit you back.
Lucy: Your are a shrewd judge of human nature, Charlie Brown.*
You might be wondering why I didn’t make a federal case out of this. After all, Gerry Spence might be willing. And, librarians in recent years have acquired a higher profile than in years past. Ask Michael Moore. But making federal cases is Mr. Spence’s job, and even Michael Moore’s; it’s not mine.
Besides, I just wanted my books back, not to become a poster child for Librarians Done Wrong by the FBI. Librarians try not to jump to conclusions. Libraries are sacred, but they are also confessionals. We listen to people’s problems all day long and more people than not end their stories quite differently from how they began. So I did not assume the books were with the FBI, even though Brandon could not find them. Let s/he who has never misplaced a library book throw the first stone (or the first overdue notice).
To be continued ….
* Schultz, Charles, “It’s back to school, Charlie Brown!”, Ballentine Books, p. 19.