From: "John M. Vogel" <jvogel@crl.com>
Newsgroups: alt.humor.best-of-usenet
Subject: [sci.med.nursing] "Weird Reference Questions"
Date: 7 Oct 1997 15:27:54 +0200

Subject: "Weird Reference Questions" 
From: ilena@san.rr.com
Newsgroups: sci.med.nursing

Thought you'd enjoy some of these ~ certainly Rushdie's!

Ilena Rose

>This collection was selected from the "Weird Reference Questions"
>thread that ran on LIBSUP-L, the Library Paraprofessionals Listserv in
>July 1997.  Names and locations have been deleted partly because it was
>a lot easier to do it that way and partly to protect the reputations of
>all concerned. All of these situations are real and some of them were
>mighty embarrassing.  Enjoy!

Actual reference queries reported by American and Canadian
library reference desk workers of various levels.

>"Do you have books here?"

>"Do you have that book by Rushdie: 'Satanic Nurses'?"  (Actual title:
>"Satanic Verses")

>"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.")

>"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."