They have been advertising the Festival of the Book around town for a while now. They had cushy full color posters printed, and Pete Fromm and Jamie Ford were the festival rock stars. My hope is that the library would not want to deprive these authors of the biggest possible audience. Admittedly, I was not there at 7 p.m. on the dot. But, in none of the advertising or the Great Falls Library website did it say you would not be allowed in after a certain time. There was also no direction as to where in the library the reading would be held. I assumed when I arrived at the building, a friendly librarian would greet me with a smile and say, “Are you here for the readings? Well, right this way. Please enter quietly because it has already started.”

It looked dark as I approached the doors. There were cars parked in the lot, so I expected people inside. I try to open the front door, no luck. The next person tries, in case I wasn’t smart enough to open it on my own. Nope. If you pressed your face against the glass, you could read the dry erase board inside the entry that said there was a reading going on, as well as the poster. OK…OPEN SESAME. No, didn’t work. There is another book enthusiast trying to call somebody on the inside. That attempt was another failure.

Defeated and annoyed it was back to the car. One girl pulled up and asked where to go. Hell of we knew. Our last effort seemed to involve something criminal. Trying the back doors of the library. Sure enough, we went in the exit and had to sneak downstairs. From the look on the woman’s face behind the table, she was startled to see us.

There wasn’t enough seats for everyone so people were sitting on the floor like a confused kindergarten class. So, were they purposely trying to limit the number of people? It seemed strange to shun people who wanted a little literary culture. Especially after the effort they put into promoting it. Was putting a sign up that said Enter Through Side Door OR Sorry, Lecture in Session, Please Join Us Again Tomorrow too much strain? Anything would have been a help. So, to all of those that turned away before me, and those who tackled the door after I was gone, it will forever be Festival of the Locked Door.