In what Vivienne describes as an effort to ‘increase community literacy engagement,’ she launched a one-on-one Reading Companion program last month where she personally sits with patrons and discusses whatever book they’ve borrowed. The sessions are thirty minutes, held in a private alcove in the back of the library, and are — mysteriously — only available to male patrons who have outstanding fines. The city’s literacy board has called it ‘innovative.’ Three of the board members have also signed up for sessions.

Participants emerge from these sessions visibly dazed, clutching their now-stamped library cards and already pulling up the library’s website to reserve their next book. One man reportedly checked out a Spanish-English dictionary — despite being fluent in Spanish — just to have something to discuss. ‘I’m really trying to improve my vocabulary,’ he said, unconvincingly, as he scheduled his fourth consecutive session.