[Publib] Reference Questions

[Joanann]

I have so enjoyed this particular thread. I'm a fairly new librarian and
have been wondering when my first humorous reference question will come in
(I started in the back end of a corporate library and now work in a very
small, quiet community college library so honest-to-gosh reference questions
are rare).  But TWICE since this thread has started, otherwise bright,
industrious students have walked into the library--with at least six other
people present--scanned the room and then looked me in the eye to ask, "Is
the library open?"  I'm pretty new to this job but it just didn't seem in
good form to reply that we were really here just holding down the tables, so
I've smiled and said "yes".  Hope this was the correct response :-)
Jean



On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 2:56 PM, Lorie J. O'Donnell <lodonnell at midyork.org>wrote:

> It can be truly terrifying to think of some of the people home-schooling
> their children.  I had a mom in just yesterday looking for materials for her
> 4th grade home-schooled son.  She wanted DVDs that listed all the different
> kinds of bridges with brief descriptions, charts, etc.  I explained that we
> had all of that information in several books, that it was information more
> likely found in books.  She was quite adamant that her son not have to read
> to do his reports, he didn't have the time, and she wasn't going to make him
> read.  *sigh*
> It's not often I tell a patron a resounding *NO*, but I did in this case.
>  She was not happy. And this is the woman raising the future of the world (I
> know, that's dramatic, but t happens too often these days).
>
> Lorie
>
>
> On Dec 3, 2008, at 1:06 PM, DGunckel at ci.sierra-vista.az.us wrote:
>
> A parent homeschooling her 10 and 11 year old came into the library asking
>> for information about animals for her children's biology reports.  I took
>> her to a section of the reference collection and explained here are
>> resources discussing animals including mammals, insects, retiles, birds,
>> etc. and even one-celled animals. She exclaimed, "NO, I want just
>> information on animals. You know, rabbits, bears, squirrels and that kind
>> of thing."
>>
>> David Gunckel
>> Sierra Vista Public Library
>>
>>
>>
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> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
> Lorie J. O'Donnell, MLS
> Chief Librarian for Children's Services
>
> Jervis Public Library
> 613 N. Washington St.
> Rome, NY   13440
>
> 315-336-4570 ext. 226
>
>
>
>
>
>
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