Full Moon

Column Editor’s Note: Thank you very much to the many hundreds of Library Connect readers who have taken the trouble to write in concerning Full Moon. As you will see, because it’s back, it has sadly not been possible (or in many cases legal) for me to take all your advice, so freely offered and so forcefully expressed.

Reference Madness

The Full Moon editorial team is not easily surprised when faced with evidence that mankind’s main purpose on earth is to manifest surreal degrees of psychological and social disconnect at library inquiry desks. Between us we have 30 years’ experience of library work — and some of this was on inquiry duty before our supervisors worked out that our interpersonal and investigative skills made us ideally suited to the role of night custodian in the offsite storage facility.

After years of dealing much of the time with medical undergraduates we are not easily shocked but the responses to our “They Asked for What?” funniest and most unusual reference inquiries feature in the last issue left us limp with wonder. For a second, the cynic in us wondered whether the prospect of a gift card had moved our professional colleagues to unusual heights of creativity and a frantic economy with the literal truth. But on consideration there is a horrible plausibility to each of the following stories which make the gift each contributor will receive seem scant recompense.

First off the mark to exorcise her demons was Fiona McLean who reports that when working for an asthma suffers’ information service she was asked why the inquirer’s inhaler wasn’t having any effect “even though I’m spraying it all over my chest.” Not long after that she also had to field the question “My child is allergic to our cat. I was thinking of shaving the cat, will that help?” The correct answer is of course “No” but the more interesting answer is “How?”

Donald Keast, an Australian medical librarian reports that during his career he has been asked seven times to produce information on the medical aspects of crucifixion (a bit worrying that he’s keeping count, but let’s move on). Mike Harris of Tasmania reports having to deal with this especially specific and challenging query: “I am a Sundance leader and need to build a ceremonial arbour where the sun rises in the doorway on July 18, 2005.” For sheer oddness the following story from a dental library might just do it (and there must be something in the water because this too, is Australian). Larnich Harije reports a young woman coming in and asking where the Elvis books were. To her eternal credit Larnich came back instantly, apologizing that Elvis had left the building.

And sometimes what you get asked has little clear linkage to library life at all. While on duty at a hospital library in Australia (again) Lothar Retzlaff was asked by a patron if he could have a bucket of water. And in the UK Patricia Rey reports being approached by a reader who asked if she knew where his trousers were. Fortunately for Patricia, his loss must have occurred earlier, as he was fully clothed at the time.

Anyway, due to space constraints this time round, some other reference queries we want to share with you are being held over until the next issue. So, if you have any that you think can top these please send them to us at full.moon@elsevier.com and you too may receive a gift.