In the weeks before I left my job, my duties away from the reference desk began to dwindle, and I started really focusing my attention on answering questions. There were several days in September and early October where I was on the desk more often than I was not, and on those days, I took notes, keeping track of every question I was asked, and by whom. Today's post focuses on the questions I handled on the afternoon of Thursday, September 26. I mostly let the questions speak for themselves because they're more interesting - and funnier - that way, but I have included some notes in brackets where necessary.
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Parent: Do you have any books on changing leaves?
- Adult: Where is the October 2003 story time schedule? [I think she meant to say 2013.]
- Adult: I heard you guys cancelled story time? [We had not.]
- Parent: Do you have to register for any of these story times?
- Adult: What is the library near 20th street where the story time is in the morning and the lady is good? What is the librarian's name? Is she almost white with braids? Could you write that down for me? What bus could take me to that library? I can borrow your pen, right? Actually, better make it a pencil. Do you collect pencils? Are the hours on the door your new hours? Are these the new hours here?
- Adult: How does it work with reciprocity with [neighboring library system]? What do I need to get a card?
- Child: Can I call my mom?
- Middle schooler: Can I borrow headphones? [Comes back moments later with two open Oreo packages.] I found these on the floor- where do I put them?
- Adult: What are these? [They were suggested reading lists by grade level.] Who puts them together?
- Middler schooler: Is it appropriate for [girl's name] to watch a cat giving birth?
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Child: Where is Super Chicken Nugget Boy? What about Captain Underpants?
- Child: Where are the Alvin Ho books?
- Parent: Uh... Mysteries of Droon? Or something?
- Parent: Do you have any Ninjago books?
- Child: Yesterday, I put a hold on The Encyclopedia of Me. Where is it?
- Child (roughly 10 years old): Do you have any songs for a two or one year old?
- Child: Printing is free?!
- Parent: Can I put a hold on a book that's not here? Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane? Do I still have a Cornelia Funke book checked out?
5:30 p.m. - LIBRARY CLOSES
For more questions from the children's desk, check out A Day of Questions Volume I and A Day of Questions Volume II.
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