December 2010
“Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no...”
– Oscar Wilde
Patron: The name of the album is "Five". But written like the letter "V", so like the Greek numeral for five.
Me: Roman numeral.
Patron: What?
Me: Never mind.
A library patron just asked us for help, saying he was a “like a caveman on the computer”. I thought he was exaggerating, until I learned he was trying to access his email account by typing his AOL email address in the URL bar.
Patron: A book I have on reserve was due back yesterday.
Me: OK...I'm sure the person will return it any day now.
Patron: So you don't do anything to speed them up if it's late?
Me: Well, we send them email reminders.
Patron: E-mails? That's it?
Me: We don't really have the budget to send a SWAT team in to retrieve overdue items. Unfortunately.
Patron: A book I have on reserve was due back yesterday.
Me: OK...I'm sure the person will return it any day now.
Patron: So you don't do anything to speed them up if it's late?
Me: Well, we send them email reminders.
Patron: E-mails? That's it?
Me: We don't really have the budget to send a SWAT team in to retrieve overdue items. Unfortunately.
I took some shit from a relative on Christmas for only having read one Jane Austen novel. (Pride and Prejudice). It was implied that this makes me a bad librarian on some level. Is this true? If so, which one should I read next?
“It is not only species of animal that die out, but whole species of feeling. And...”
– John Fowles, The Magus
petitchou answered your question:I have a ton of Amazon gift card $$ to burn…
The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia
One of my all-time favorite books. I think my recommending it to library patrons accounts for most of the times our copy has circulated.
petitchou answered your question:I have a ton of Amazon gift card $$ to burn…
The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia
One of my all-time favorite books. I think my recommending it to library patrons accounts for most of the times our copy has circulated.
1 tag
I have a ton of Amazon gift card $$ to burn through. What books should I buy?
Fountains of Wayne ~ Valley Winter Song
Snowy day...
Fountains of Wayne ~ Valley Winter Song
Snowy day...
All the fire alarms went off in my building this morning, which meant I had to keep a straight face while standing outside in the cold talking to my neighbor, a retired police officer, who was wearing “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” pajamas. Now I’m at my parents house, seeing how many cookies I can eat before going into a sugar coma. Merry Christmas everyone!
1 tag
Pilate ~ Fairytale of New York (Pogues cover)
Not...
1 tag
Pilate ~ Fairytale of New York (Pogues cover)
Not...
“When we climbed the slopes of the cutting
We were eye-level with the white cups...”
– Seamus Heaney, The Railway Children
Santa's Privacy Policy →
From McSweeney’s:
What Do We Do With the Information We Collect? Sharing is one of the joys of Christmas. For this reason, we share your personal information with our affiliates, non-affiliated third parties, and anyone else who has a legitimate financial stake in a successful holiday season. Mrs. Claus also likes to have a look-see. Our affiliates include partners of Santa’s...
Santa's Privacy Policy →
From McSweeney’s:
What Do We Do With the Information We Collect? Sharing is one of the joys of Christmas. For this reason, we share your personal information with our affiliates, non-affiliated third parties, and anyone else who has a legitimate financial stake in a successful holiday season. Mrs. Claus also likes to have a look-see. Our affiliates include partners of Santa’s...
half-pint asked: Favorite read of 2010?
jasonwdean asked: Just wanted to tell you that yours is one of the best tumblr's I have stumbled on - nice work! I love how librarian-esque it is. Good luck on the reference desk tonight... I feel your pain! What are you reading over the holiday season?
territaylor asked: I'm looking for a great gift for my capstone thesis paper mentor. Can you tell me where you obtained the mug you featured earlier in your blog? I don't want to copy your great one, but I would like to customize my own series of awesome.
territaylor asked: I'm looking for a great gift for my capstone thesis paper mentor. Can you tell me where you obtained the mug you featured earlier in your blog? I don't want to copy your great one, but I would like to customize my own series of awesome.
jasonwdean asked: Just wanted to tell you that yours is one of the best tumblr's I have stumbled on - nice work! I love how librarian-esque it is. Good luck on the reference desk tonight... I feel your pain! What are you reading over the holiday season?
half-pint asked: Favorite read of 2010?
1 tag
Patron: I'm looking for a book called Dante's Inferno. I'm not sure who the author is though.
Me: ......
Patron: It's supposed to be a true story about what Hell is like.
1 tag
Patron: I'm looking for a book called Dante's Inferno. I'm not sure who the author is though.
Me: ......
Patron: It's supposed to be a true story about what Hell is like.
My coworker emailed a response to this to the New Yorker, and Joyce Carol Oates emailed her back. She just showed me the email. Joyce Carol Oates. Amazing.
Tim Wu gives some advice to teachers at the Paris Review blog:
A quiet kid in my introductory English class approached me the other day with a batch of his poetry. He wants to be a writer and asked for “an honest appraisal” of his work and chances. Of course, the poems are awful, but I would hate to discourage him. How should I handle this? Easy question. You cannot lose. Tell him, honestly,...
