Maybe the audience is mesmerized, or perhaps it is just very early on the third day of the conference and they've not had their coffee yet, but a hushed silence falls across the room as the group of dancers in sensible pumps, lab coats, and wigs finish their surprisingly well-choreographed routine with a flourish. The audience erupts into thunderous applause. Numerous emails and clandestine meetings to practice signature moves have led to this moment, and the flushed performers smile at one another, exclaiming, "We did it! We pulled it off!" No, it's not a flash mob ... it's a book cart drill team, though the parallels are acute. To borrow a line from the current hipster fashion: librarians were shaking off convention with spontaneous song and dance in public places before it was cool.
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