Saw this comic and it got me thinking about a discussion Tori and I once had, about experiences I'm pretty sure are common to all librarians. What inevitably happens is, we will be out among the shelves, away from our computer with the catalog on it, or even elsewhere in the building, and people will ask us "Do you have any books about (Catholicism, electricity, Europe)?" or "Where are the books about (drawing, dogs, cancer)?" Now granted, librarians should know their collection, but my collection is pushing 3,000 volumes (yeah, I know, it's a paltry number, but even that few are hard to keep up with). I can't remember every single title we own. This is why we invented cataloging. Unfortunately, when I'm, say, out in the main room of the library or even *gasp* outside of the library altogether, I don't have the catalog at my fingertips, and I have to say "Let me go look that up for you."
It's like they expect me to say, "Oh yes. One green book, call number 315.23 (randomly generated), located on the fourth bookcase to the right, second shelf down, first book on the shelf." Like I can turn on my LibrarianVision(tm) and see the book they're looking for glow, or wave at me, or do a little dance.
My librarian sense is tingling!
Friday, March 7, 2008
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