Re: ridiculous reference questions

["Karen G. Schneider" <kgs@BLUEHIGHWAYS.COM>]

>Dear Friends,
>   Even though these reference questions are funny, I hate to see librarians
>laughing at patrons behind their backs.

I appreciate your kindness--there aren't enough thoughtful people in the
world--but I think one reason people share these stories on LM_NET is that
they can keep a "stiff upper lip" around the patrons who bring these
delightful questions to the library and then use this virtual water cooler
to share these moments with their peers.  My favorite story is the
impatient, somewhat haughty teen who wanted a book on "cemetary rocks."  I
repeated the question back to her--"cemetary rocks?"  "Oh, you know," she
said, "it's one of the major rock types--igneous, metamorphic, and
cemetary!"  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from
laughing...

Keep in mind that some of us who are a little more technologically savvy
enjoy a private moment among ourselves to share our tales on this front,
too.  There was the time I walked past an office with a screwdriver in my
hand (I think I had been installing a network card) and the muckety-muck in
the office asked me, "are you here to install the software?"

------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen G. Schneider * kgs@bluehighways.com * schneider.karen@epamail.epa.gov
Author, The Internet Access Cookbook (e-mail Neal-Schuman@icm.com)
Director, US EPA Region 2 Library * Cybrarian * Columnist, American Libraries
Visit our library at our new URL: http://www.epa.gov/Region2/library/
These opinions strictly mine!