h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We definitely need a shushing section. And the famous librarian's sigh. There is the standard peer over your glasses sigh, And the head shake, finger in the air sigh. And of course the hands on hip, rolled eyes sigh. And when things get desperate, we switch to The Glare.

Dumbest question of the week? The winner could win a .

And we could have some serious stuff too. I have a list somewhere of the reasons books are better than drugs. I'll hunt it up.

Ask a librarian -where we invite researchers to pose questions ?

The tape of library sounds would be a hoot.

So are we going to move our discussion here?

Might be a good idea now that the other link has gone off to be edited.

Ahhh, ‘the glare’ indeed a vitally important expression!

Time to start compiling bits from the other threads and pasting them in here.

I’m having an afternoon filled with interruptions from hormonal male sports students. I’ve already had to track down one lad who’s signed onto the computer bookings as “Ivor Large 1.” Luckily I didn’t have to go through and urghhmm ‘under-cover’ investigation to track him down, he was the only male in the back room.

I love it, too!

Bizarre coversation of the week so far:

Picture the scene, it's 9.15am, and people are starting to trickle in to the library. One gentleman comes up to the issue desk, where I am serving penance for my sins...

Him: Do you open at nine o'clock now, then?
Me: No, we open at half past eight.
Him: Oh, I thought you opened at half past nine.
Me: We do on Mondays - that's our training time.
Him: Oh, right. So you open at nine o'clock?
Me: No, we opened at half past eight today.
Him: Oh. So are you open now then?

Pssst - you've missed out an 'r' in the title...

So I have, !

Off to sort it out now.

It's very quiet here atm. One student in the back room on a computer and myself.

I'm stuck inputting bibliographic info. Lots to do, but rather dull.

I definitely think a list of librarian role models (mostly fictional, I should think) would be an interesting thing to include.

How about links to the various 'libraries' within hootoo?

Ooh, and I like the 'ask a librarian' idea. Once someone has posted an 'ask' it could become quite competitive as to which of the active librarians could come up with an answer fastest!

Once we've consolidated a bit, it would be good to get the details of our existence into the Post.

David - would love to be able to say he's on a break

Sorry I haven't been around much. I'll try to keep in better touch.

David's bizarre conversation reminded me of a patron we had a few years back named Billie. She has died, so I guess I can use her name. She was in her 70's when I met her and had extremely poor vision. So, she always expected us to pick out books for her. She could read large print at home with a magnifier.

The trouble with selecting books for Billie was that she only read westerns. To further complicate the selection process, she didn't want to read any books with Indian or Mexican characters. And she preferred dead authors. "Don't send me any of those newfangled writers," she would repeat each time I saw her. And she didn't want any women in her stories. "There weren't any women out west in those days," she would say.

We have quite a good selection of large print westerns, but not too many that met Billie's exact criteria - especially the one about no Indians. Fortunately, her memory was poor, so I could repeat titles and she didn't seem to mind.

I nominate the following for the stupidest exchange I've ever had with a library patron.

One day Billie happened to notice my last name. "What kind of a name is that?" she asked me.
"It's Portuguese," I replied.
"You aren't Portuguese!" she told me. "I knew your Grandma!"
"My husband is Portuguese. That 's my married name."
"Oh. I never heard of anyone being Portuguese. What kind of a person is Portuguese?"
"Well, Billie, they come from Portugal. I'm sure you've heard of Portugal."
"Did your husband come from Portugal?"
"No, he is from Connecticut. His ancestors came from Portugal."
"What language do they speak?"
"Portuguese. People in Portugal speak Portuguese."
"Not them! His people in Connecticut! What language do they speak?"
"English, Billie. People in Connecticut speak English."
Then she looked at me and said, "Well, then, do you speak English? Cause your Grandma would be upset if you didn't."

Interesting...

How about a list of library fees we'd like to be able to charge? I'll put one together.

Speaking of fees. There is a movement on to change the name of "fines". They are to be referred to as "extended use fees".

Surely not!

I think people are going crazy. Last week a woman called and was angry because she couldn't pick up her recyclable trash bins at the library. Then this afternoon a woman called and asked if we check out cake pans shaped like bunnies.

You can't make this stuff up.

Hello Hypatia and Odo.

Maybe you could link to the bookworms club, thinks have been a bit quiet there recently but i've tried to link to all our entries on books..it's here.. A745544

Thanks Z. I've been going to check out the Bookworms Club. It looks like an interesting site.

So many conversations......so little time.

hope you like it, let me know if there's anything we should have included!

In our library, the main photocopier room is directly opposite the enquiries desk. Yesterday I overheard a student asking the person on duty for enquiries 'is there a queue for the copiers?'

It's reasonably busy here atm, I'll start adding bits to the page druing the Easter Hols. I'll be here on my own then with nothing to do.