[2604] in Humor
HUMOR: Those reference librarians!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sharalee M. Field)
Sun Jan 3 22:56:32 1999
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 22:56:18 -0500
To: humor@MIT.EDU, mowu@MIT.EDU, "MEGallagh@aol.com" <MEGallagh@aol.com>,
wheger@wbc-architects.com,
"kris.m.kelly@us.pwcglobal.com" <kris.m.kelly@us.pwcglobal.com>,
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immer@MIT.EDU, jack.gingras@ae.ge.com, tlawlor@palmerdodge.com,
nkahn@gph.com, GDeVoe@rimco.com,
"Jean, Marc (GEAE)" <marc.jean@ae.ge.com>, celia_kent@harvard.edu,
Maryellen Fitzgibbon <mfitzgib@fas.harvard.edu>,
cjwells@fas.harvard.edu,
Cheryl Guarino Buccelli <c_buccelli@harvard.edu>,
cnichols@fas.harvard.edu, leite@fas.harvard.edu,
jhassel@fas.harvard.edu, jbeall@fas.harvard.edu,
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<brainard@fas.harvard.edu>
From: "Sharalee M. Field" <sharalee_field@harvard.edu>
>Return-Path: <connie@nanospace.com>
>Date: Sun, 03 Jan 1999 10:41:24 -0800
>From: Connie Kleinjans <connie@nanospace.com>
>To: connie@nanospace.com
>Subject: HUMOR: Those reference librarians!
>
>Actual Reference Interviews reported by American and
>Canadian library reference desk workers of various levels.
>
>Patron: "I'm looking for a book."
>Mental answer 1: "Well, you're in the right place."
>Mental answer 2: "Here's one." (Hand over nearest volume.)
>Audible answer : "Can you be a little more specific?"
>
>=====
>
>Patron: "I got a quote from a book I turned in last week but I
>forgot to write down the author and title. It's big and red and
>I found it on the top shelf. Can you find it for me?"
>Mental answer: "Books classified by color are shelved downstairs in
>the [ non-existent] third sub-basement."
>Audible answer: "What were you looking for when you found the book
>the first time?"
>
>=====
>
>In an art library:
>
>Patron: "Do you have any books on Art?"
>Ref: "Yes. Did you have a certain artist in mind, or a period or
>style in mind?"
>Patron: "No."
>Ref: "I guess you'll have to look through our 120,000 books and
>see if you find anything."
>Patron: "OK."
>
>=====
>
>Patron: "Do you have anything good to read?"
>Reference person getting her audible and mental answers mixed up:
>"No ma'am. I'm afraid we have 75,000 books, and they're all duds."
>
>=====
>
>Telephone patron: "Do you have books on leaves?"
>Library worker: "Nope, we keep them on shelves."
>(She then hung up. Can you tell she's not too fond of Reference duty?)
>
>=====
>
>Caller: "I have a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. It's all blue with
>swirly stars on it. Can you tell me where I can get it appraised?"
>Ref. : "Sir, does it say 'Metropolitan Museum of Art' on the bottom?
>It does? Well, what you have there is a poster that they sell in the
>gift shop. I think they're about $10.00."
>
>=====
>
>Patron: "I am looking for a globe of the earth.
>Ref: "We have a table-top model over here."
>Patron: "No, that's not good enough. Don't you have a life size?"
>Ref: (after a short pause): "Yes, but it's in use right now!"
>
>=====
>
>Patron: "I have to write a two-page paper on the Civil War, can you
>help?"
>Ref: "What aspect of the war interests you?"
>Patron: "What aspect? You mean I have to choose something in
>particular about it? I thought I'd just write about the whole thing"
>
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