Back when I was sixteen years old and bussing tables at “The Hungry Farmer Steakhouse”, I had a sure-fired way to let people know we were closing. When closing time came around I just started sweeping the dining room and putting the chairs up on the empty tables. If you were still eating, you got the hint. We wanted to go home. If you didn’t get the hint, I might lean on my broom and glare at you.
Tonight, I was up at the local library here in Lewisville and they had a novel way to tell me it was time to go home. Now, most libraries have an intercom system to tell patrons it’s closing time, but Lewisville Public Library adds a nice touch to it. At 30 minutes to closing, they play a recorded message that the library is soon closing. Then at 15 minutes till they announce again and start playing mellow classical music. It’s not jarring, but it’s different from the usual silence so you feel something about the library has changed. It’s enough that you are mindful of the need to leave. Then at 10 minutes to closing they announce one more time and the music changes to a bubbly jazz music as if to say in a friendly way, “Bounce up and dance on out of here. We’ll see you the next time around.” I wasn’t bold enough to see what happened after that.