The Lord and the Librarian

“A quote from Jeffrey Archer’s new memoir about his life in prison:

“I’m greeted by a lady in civilian clothes who wears the inevitable badge–in her case, Librarian. ‘Good afternoon,’ I say as I rise from my place and smile. She looks surprised.”

“‘If a prisoner asks you to sign a book, could you in future say no,’ she says without bothering to introduce herself. I look puzzled; after all, I’ve been asked to sign books for the last twenty-five years. ‘It’s just that they are all library books,’ she continues, ‘and they’re being stolen. They’ve now become like tobacco and phonecards, a trading item for drugs, and are worth double with your signature.'” (from The Chicago Sun Times)