Fun Question

A question came in the mail today here at AskNYPL asking about a fable. Yes, we still have postal reference!

I thought the fable was interesting:

The Ass Dressed in the Lion's Skin

Clad in a lion's shaggy hide,

An ass spread terror far and wide,

And, though himself a coward brute,

Put all the world to scampering rout:

But, by a piece of evil luck,

A portion of an ear outstuck,

Which soon revealed the error

Of all the panic-terror.

Old Martin did his office quick.

Surprised were all who did not know the trick,

To see that Martin, at his will,

Was driving lions to the mill!

In France, the men are not a few

Of whom this fable proves too true;

Whose valour chiefly does reside

In coat they wear and horse they ride.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 5, Fable 21

Librarian Fail

So... I've learned yet another tid bit of vast amount of information one should know being a librarian. The Collyer brothers original hoarders.

Such an intersting article!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers

Fun Information to Find:

"i need information on gladiators"

I love Working the Ref. Desk

Sitting here at the Douglass Library helping with reference questions. A lot of help with subject searching and asking what resources people can try.

Nothing makes my day more than someone you helped two hours ago (and quite honestly didn't know if you helped at all) come back and thank you. She then showed me the stack of papers she printed out, explained why they were most relevant, and told me how she has lots more on her flash drive to weed through and how she would have been lost without me.

She's going to e-mail me and let me know how her paper goes.
Love the ambition, love the appreciation.

Thanks Rutgers students.

The Neatest of Patrons

Story Time-

I’m working the Reference Desk at Douglass today and a guy comes in asking where he can find the books. He means the stacks (they are one floor down). I ask if there’s a particular book he needs and he pulls a small slip from his pocket with the author, title, and ‘Doug’ (I assume for ‘Douglass Library’; Rutgers has many). I look up the title, write down the call number for him and ask if he’s been to the library before. He said “no” and I offer to tag along and show him. He agrees to this and down the stairs we go.

I ask about the assignment to see if I can offer any research suggestions or help finding further information. Sounds like he has the research thing down as we track down his book (it was in the shelving stacks, glad I went with him). 

Once the book is located and we head back up to the main floor he asks me about working in the library, then he asks, “What’s your favorite book?”

I ask, “fiction? Like a novel?”

“Yeah” he replies.

I tell him it’s The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, give him a synopsis and warn him about its large number of pages, then in turn, ask him his favorite book. He responds with Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. He in turn gives me a run down and tells me it’s not a large (or long) book and I should check it out.

I thank him for the recommendation and we part ways, him to Circulation and I head back to Reference. A minute later he comes back to Reference, book in hand and hands me his paperback copy of Ender's Game and asks me to read it. Dumbfounded I stumble over a few words, thank him, but go to try and give it back (I don’t want to just take the kid’s book). He refuses, tells me again to read it, and runs out the door!

How sweet of him. Now I have a book to read, just need to find the time!

Going to start this blogging thing

I'm very much excited to share my world as a Library Student with everyone. Today's the first day.

We have a meet and greet type thing tonight and reference class tomorrow. Too exciting!
I also have training for the Douglas Reference Desk and an interview for the New York Public Library in the Ask department.

It's going to be a busy day!