HUMOR: WEIRD REFERENCE QUESTIONS

[Alice Yucht <AliceInfo@AOL.COM>]

Forwarded from another library source.
Obviously, it's not just the KIDS who ask strange questions. . .
Enjoy!
Alice H. Yucht, Heritage School Library
Livingston, NJ


>>WEIRD LIBRARY REFERENCE QUESTIONS
>>
>>All of these situations are real and some of them were mighty embarrassing.
>>Enjoy!
>>
>>Part 1: Actual reference queries reported by American and Canadian library
>>reference desk workers of various levels.
>>
>>"Do you have books here?"
>>
>>"Do you have a list of all the books written in the English language?"
>>
>>"Do you have a list of all the books I've ever read?"
>>
>>"I'm looking for Robert James Waller's book, 'Waltzing through Grand
>>Rapids'." (Actual title wanted: "Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend.")
>>
>>"Do you have that book by Rushdie: 'Satanic Nurses'?" (Actual title:
>>"Satanic Verses")
>>
>>"Where is the reference desk?" This was asked of a person sitting at a
>>desk who had, hanging above her head, a sign saying "REFERENCE DESK"!
>>
>>"I was here about three weeks ago looking at a cookbook that cost $39.95.
>>Do you know which one it is?"
>>
>>"Which outlets in the library are appropriate for my hairdryer?"
>>
>>"Can you tell me why so many famous Civil War battles were fought on
>>National Park sites?"
>>
>>"Do you have any books with photographs of dinosaurs?"
>>
>>"I need a color photograph of George Washington [Christopher Columbus,
>>King Arthur, Moses, Socrates, etc.]"
>>
>>"I need a photocopy of Booker T. Washington's birth certificate."
>>
>>"I need to find out Ibid's first name for my bibliography."
>>
>>"Why don't you have any books by Ibid? He's written a lot of important
>stuff."
>>
>>"I'm looking for information on carpal tunnel syndrome. I think I'm having
>>trouble with it in my neck."
>>
>>"Is the basement upstairs?" (Asked at First Floor Reference Desk)
>>
>>"I am looking for a list of laws that I can break that would send me back
>>to jail for a couple of months."

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