Voices from the past, at OPL

I finally finished the epic office purge of 2011 (did you know that was happening? see photographic evidence of one of the two offices, pre- and post-purge).

I spent some time yesterday reading through old Bookmobile reports, dating back to the 1960s. There were many gems, including stories about inclement weather, a parade of staff changes, and a hilarious incident report from 1976 involving a woman angrily declaring, "I don't want any more of your books!"Ah, some things never change.

I found this quote from the 1966 annual report especially evocative of the times, and the final words are quite lovely, although the sentiment about the youth is pretty deplorable! Plus ça change....

"So now, armed and equipped as we are, we hope we will acquit ourselves well in the Mobile Service in 1967 - our Centennial Year, remembering we are an integral part, however small, of service to Canada and Canadians. Having in mind especially the young people of this country and their present disinterest and "nothing to do" problem, I should like to quote from the Globe and Mail, one of R. J. Needham's quotes - "Youth centres won't solve the "nothing to do" problem. People whose heads are furnished are never stuck for something to do; people whose heads are empty wouldn't know what to do with whatever was given them. There is only one way I know to fill heads and that is with books." This is our fuction and our privilege."