Frances O'Brien, Head Librarian, is having a hellish time. For once, it's not of her making. Frances' mother, suffering from dementia and a horrible personality, lands on the O'Brien doorstep. Adding to her woes, morale at the Middleton Interactive Learning Centre is at an all time low. To stay open, the library must run as a business and return a profit. As the staff has a hard enough time enforcing the return of a book, this latest initiative could spell the end of the library.