Adventures in Libraryland: A Mannequin's Murder

I returned to play library today and staff surprised me a wonderful belated birthday brunch. They also trashed my office as tradition when I am away on vacation. One year they turned my desk around and I didn't notice for three hours until I tried to open a drawer. Another time they placed furniture against the door and locked me out (I have two doors). Recently, staff turned the room into a cattery, with stuffed kitties, cat balls, and a pretend litter box (ew). Other pranks include taking Moocow (a cow puppet) hostage with a photograph of a blindfolded cow puppet and a ransom note. (I can feel the love. Can you?)

Another devious prop used for pranks are mannequins. A few years ago we borrowed Stan the Mannequin from a sister library to dress up and use for a large program that was occuring. Stan was delivered on a Friday morning and I did not work until Saturday. Someone (who was probably caught on the security camera) dragged the upper half of Stan (he arrived in two pieces) in my office. When I opened the door on Saturday, I saw a figure sitting at my desk and jumped the proverbial ten feet. Someone placed the bottom half near another staff member.

After we shipped Stan back to his home, we liked the idea of mannequins displaying books. So, a staff brought in a mini-Stan. He had no legs, no arms, but a torso and head. We had a naming contest and his name was christened Rudy. Rudy lived on the display table until 2008. He started to fall apart, so we decided he could retire (and be put in the garage sale after the branch closes for renovation this fall) .

(Back to the current story... you can see in the photo what I came back to on Monday.) Today, I attempted to move Rudy the Mannequin out of my office. I dropped him, not on purpose! He landed with a loud THUMP. Oh my God. I killed Rudy! Worse, I beheaded Rudy! His pasty mannequin head rolled out of my office. I enjoyed the looks on my staff's faces. After they recovered, they started with the jokes... that they were going to call the FBI and that I tampered with evidence when I took Rudy's torso to the trash. And then the head mysteriously disappeared, only to appear in my bag next to my laptop. THANK GOD I opened the bag before a meeting. Rudy's torso is in the trash (he gave my custodian quite a scare--Rudy's the gift that keeps on giving). His head is in the middle of a staff member's garden. May Rudy rest in pieces.