Herewith this week's offering to start the weekend on a bright note! Only one contribution from me (and it's more of a question than a funny) and the rest are from you.
***********************************************************************
The first library I ever worked in was the University of London Library at the Senate House, just behind the British Museum. I was there as a "Sconul Trainee" - presumably what Americans would call an "intern" - between finishing my first degree in 1974 and going to library school the following year. The library had many interesting features, such as a department called the General Open Access Library which was run by the "GOALkeeper" (!), and a great bunch of people to work with - one of them was Bernard Naylor, who has just finished as last-ever President of the Library Association.
However, the most remarkable part of the library, for me, was the Harry Price Library. This was situated in a part of the building to which the public only had access by special permission, and on windy days the pipes that ran across the ceiling used to howl like a pack of coyotes. The library started as the private collection of one Harry Price, a famous (or notorious) ghost-hunter who made his name in the 1920s and 30s. His most famous exploit was the investigation of Borley Rectory in Suffolk, which was reputed to be "the most haunted house in England". On Price's death, the books were bequeathed to London University on condition that they were kept as a discrete collection.
The result is an extraordinary collection of books and artefacts relating to many aspects of the "other side", including the occult, hauntings, witchcraft, magic, conjuring, and more. It attracted some pretty odd specimens of visitor, as I recall, including one who virtually moved in permanently. When eventually "rumbled" we found that she'd manged to smuggle in her own bookcase, plus an electric kettle, a toaster and several blankets!
My thought process now runs as follows. Given that JK Rowling is extremely well-informed about all the magic and witchcraft that she inserts in the Harry Potter books, and given that the Harry Price Library is one of the best sources for such material in the country, does she make use of the library? And, if so, is this why Harry Potter is called Harry? JKR's choice of names for her characters is not accidental - every name derives from something in either her private life or the world of magic or ancient folklore. We know that she knew a family of Potters in her younger days, but I've never seen an explanation of why she chose the name Harry. Could the ghost of Harry Price be hard at work here?
*******************************************************************
... Reminds me of when I worked in a bookstore and this woman insisted she
wanted to buy 'the blue book that was on that counter last month' She didn't
know title, author, or even subject - just that it looked 'interesting'. ...
***********************************************************************
(I made a comment a few days ago about the naming of a library after John McEnroe. This produced several responses, including the following. Perhaps this could lead to a new strand of Library Funnies - "the oddest name of a library known to me"!)
John McEnroe did give a multi-year grant to the school some years ago for
the library. There's a brass plaque outside the door making the naming
official. McEnroe went through a phase of being interested in art and even
opened his own gallery.
This happened before my time and I actually abhor the practice of naming
things for donors. I think the Deborah, Jonathan F.P., Samuel Priest & Adam
Raphael Rose Main Reading Room at New York Public Library is the prime
example of this practice getting quite out of hand.
*************************************************************************
This might only be understood by Americans.
In honor of our tax season which ends (supposedly) today....
Back in the early 90s I worked in a library on a military base. We used to
routinely get calls from people the day before taxes are due, looking for
both federal and state forms. We usually had the federal forms, and the
state forms for Connecticut (the state we were in). We did not, nor do most
public libraries, carry out-of-state state forms, and so every year there
was at least one "What do you mean, you don't have forms for Guam (or other
far-away jurisdiction)?" However one year I had a young woman come in
looking for a form to do her taxes. Some gentle queries determined that all
she needed was a 1040 EZ for her federal taxes. Then I asked her what state
she was a resident of so I could help her obtain the correct forms for that.
She looked at me, rather like the proverbial deer in the headlights, and
asked "You mean they don't all use the same forms?" I was very proud of
myself that my only reaction to that was a slight eye bulge before I
explained the facts of tax life to her. After she left I went into the back
room and whimpered loudly for a while. What do parents and schools teach
these poor kids about american civic life?
*****************************************************************
From my days running the Department for Education's public enquiry service
(which was in the library)...
External telephone caller (American): "Where can I get hold of a copy of
the UK's National Curriculum?"
Me (pre-Internet days this!): "You can get it through most bookshops - its
published by HMSO"
Caller: "Oh right. Thanks." (pause) "How do you spell HMSO?"
As they say - there is no answer to that!
*********************************************************************
My friend's son received a new book for Christmas, the first in a series. He
devoured it in two days, which was very unusual for this boy. He was so
excited when he finished, yet disappointed he didn't have more to read. He
asked his mother how he could find out how many other books there were in
the series. She told him to look on the verso, as often the author's other
titles would be there. Shortly thereafter the mother heard a huge groan and
of course asked her son what was wrong. With frustration he said to his
mother that he would never be able to read all the books in the series as
there was 8000 in print. He mistook the number of copies printed for the
actual number of the original stories written by the author.
Oh well I thought it was funny.
******************************************************************************
Working in the Palm Beach Public Library I was asked by a student for
Saucer's Chanterbury Tails" (actual spelling) after we stopped laughing we
showed him the book, which he walked away with and two minutes later came
back and said "Nope, this the wrong book." I often wonder where that child
wound up. Probably working at Enron.
****************************************************************************
A teenager came in and asked for "The turning of the shrew" or maybe, he
thought, it was "Turning of the screw". Did not know the author but it was
one of those famous ones. And the story was about a woman who did
something, or something happened to her. "Taming of the Shrew " first came
to mind, as well as, Henry James, "Turn of the Screw". Saying it was for
"English Lit" was not helpful because in US high schools that does not
meaning British Literature. He did come back the next day and confirmed it
was that "Henry fellow."
**************************************************************************
Many years ago I was working at a small public library when an elderly woman
came to the desk, slammed down a book she had checked out and began a tirade
something on the order of "this is the worst book I ever read, it has too
much sex in it, it shouldn't be in the library because it's too sleazy!!"
Then before I could comment, she continued "I'd like to renew it." It was
all I could do to keep a straight face!!
***************************************************************************
At another point in my life I was filling in at the circulation desk of an
academic library. Students and faculty were required to show their ID or
some other form of picture ID. A blind visiting faculty member was escorted
to the desk by a companion to check out some books. I routinely asked for
his ID, he said I don't have one, I brilliantly responded with "Well then I
need to see your driver's license". His response was "They won't let me
have one, they prefer I don't drive." I was mortified!!
**********************************************************************************
A couple of not very funny funnies but they might raise a small smile.
The item (below) in your last posting reminded me that someone in the
distant past had a good sense of humour: one volume in the old BMPC
(Brit. Museum Cat of Printed Books) was " ... to Silk Stockings"
(Some years ago I remember a radio comedy show in which there was a gag
about the man who went to the library to find a book to help him to conquer
his shyness with women. The title "HOW to HUG" sounded just right until
he opened it and found that it was Volume 6 of the Encyclopedia
Britannica.)
There was also the time when, just back from a holiday in Scotland in
the early 70s, I thought I was being asked for Gaelic Literature and proceded to ask
whether he wanted it in the original or in translation - the poor man
was puzzled as it turned out he wanted Gay literature.
*********************************************
... Just as an aside, I had to sign a loyalty oath to the US to work for the Atlanta
city public library. Georgia was the first state to secede in the Civil War and
the last let back in. Talk about holding on to the past.
*************************************************************************