The Driving Insane

Caller: "Hi I have another research question. I want to know if there is a book I can look at that just lists American journalists throughout history. I am looking for this guy Charles A. Dana."

She then told me everything she knew about him. He was born in 1809 or something. I pulled up several biographical essays in Biography Resource Center, told her what I found and offered to email the information to her. She didn't have email.

"What does the 'A' stand for?"

Anderson.

"It does???? SO WEIRD! We know all the Danas and I don't know who this guy is."

OK.

"But what I really want to know is if there is a way I can find out about all the journalists in one book."

uh, ok.

Man holding up a magazine: "Where can I get a repo of this?"
Copy machines are over there -->.

Old man: "I'm looking for books on brain engines."
(Both of us on the desk thought he said "brain" engines. Turns out he was saying "marine engines".

A patron asked for "a lemon tree book on math."

After the librarian switched the conversation to Spanish, she deduced that he meant "elementary".

A piece of scrap paper with the following written on it:

Black Magick
WITCHCRAFT
VOODO

"Conspiracy" was crossed out.

Tonight our security guard was in the men's restroom and he heard a prolonged rustling of paper coming from the handicapped stall. He became suspicious and peeked over the door and saw a guy stuffing seat covers into the toilet. We have been having a problem with someone (or someones) doing this on a regular basis. We may have caught our perpetrator.

The guard and the male librarian on duty gave him a plunger and made him unclogged the toilet and made him leave the library with the firm instructions never to do that again. At least now we will know to watch out for the guy. hah!

I think it is so funny that they actually gave him a plunger (and then wrote that up in the incident report).

I wasn't @ work today @ my library, but my coworker kept me in the loop via email:

mom and teenage daughter (who looked like she was 30) come to the desk. Mother hands me a paperback book and points to the spine and asked what the sticker means (it was a D). I said that means the authors name starts with a D. That's how we file paperbacks by authors last name.

Her: "well isn't there any rating system on these books"
Me: "well, no; This book is an adult paperback best seller off of these racks right here"
her: "I know. that's ware we got it. Why isn't there a rating system on them?"
Me: "well, they are adult books for adults, we don't and the publishers don't put ratings on books."

I told her the young adult section was over there if she wanted more age appropriate books for her daughter.

Subsequently, her and her daughter got into a big fight by the paperback rack on what she was "allowed to read."

I changed my template. Not sure I like it, but oh well. Who cares. Apathy reigns @ your library.

"I'm looking for the book Cohousing."

"Ok, it's checked out right now, but I can put you on the waiting list for it."

"I'm interested in talking to the person who has the book. Can you attach my information and let them know?"

"What?"

"You know, since they are interested in cohousing, I would like to talk to them and see if we could get together."

"No. That is not a service we provide."

A normal looking woman asked me if I knew when we were going to get book seven of the Harry Potter series. I know we have the most recent HP book, but I didn't know what number it is, but while I was still processing the question she helped me out by saying, "I've already read book 6, Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince."

"So...have they even anounced the release of the seventh book?"

"No, but I was just wondering when you would get it in."

"Well, certainly before it has been published."

"Ok, just let me know when you get it. Do you you have any videos on tai chi?"

"That we do have."