A Stormy Night

by Mary Reiman

It was a stormy night. That sounds like the first line of a suspense novel, doesn't it? It is not.

The synonyms for stormy: blustery, wild, tempestuous, turbulent, rough, choppy.

Ten years ago.

The evening of May 30, 2011, during a night of wind and rain, the Lincoln Public Schools District Office (LPSDO) burned to the ground. The following days felt wild and tempestuous for those of us who worked in that building.

When we left work that Friday night before Memorial Day, we never imagined we would not return the following Tuesday. Who would have thought we should have looked around our workspaces to see what was there that would soon need to be replaced? Who would have thought to carry out personal photographs or special irreplaceable items given to them during their career? Who would have thought...

There wasn't time to grieve. It was more important in that moment in time to think. The task was to quickly remember what needed to be replaced. We created pages and pages of documentation from each of our Library Media Services staff detailing what items were on their desks that they used daily. This wasn't about losing old videotapes or DVDs or magazines. We processed the books for our school libraries. Those schools would not get those books in August. How could we take the time to worry about ourselves when we needed to be worried about them. 

For a few moments, the questions were simply: Where do we go? What can we do without our "stuff"? When would we see our colleagues from other departments again?  Where are they?

I remember walking into our temporary facility with only a yellow notepad and pen in hand. We didn't need paper clips or staplers or notebooks. We had nothing to clip or staple or organize. It was surreal. 

In 2011, digital resources/technology were offering new ways of sharing information. For us, the task included considering what not to replace. In the midst of being stunned, we needed to be visionary and see this as an opportunity to shift our thinking about how best to serve our teachers and students. So that's what we did and I am forever grateful for the dedication of the library staff for coming together to brainstorm the possibilities, get out of their comfort zone and be willing to learn new ways of doing business. 

There are so many memories I have probably blocked out. Perhaps the high points and the low points have been blocked and I remember moments from the middle. I do remember the importance of continuing to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward. We couldn't stop, we couldn't stand still, we couldn't let the wind swept fiery forces win. 

I thought it would be easy to write about this now, ten years later. I was wrong. 

It is fascinating to me that it seems there was no time for anger. Now I find that it comes back to me in waves. I don't want to be angry anymore, but I am. Angry about splitting the staff into 4 separate buildings for several years. Angry that I couldn't quickly solve a problem by walking around the corner to another office, asking my question, getting a quick answer. Some of the other departments were miles away. I missed my colleagues. I missed our spontaneous conversations that led to some of our best ideas. Angry that my favorite souvenirs/mementos of my career became ashes.  Angry for the disruption in our mission of supporting our school librarians.  

The new LPDSO we moved into after two years in temporary spaces is lovely. No doubt about that. But it still seems like an immense price to pay for the comfort of new furniture and equipment. 

People talk about life changing experiences. May 30, 2011 changed me forever. I left a piece of myself in that building on a stormy night ten years ago. Perhaps others did too. Interestingly enough, we seldom talk about it.