Wednesday, November 14, 2007

We don't have the classics anymore

I just got a phone call transfered from the circulation department. On the phone was someone who wanted me to place an interlibrary loan on a book that we don't have. In fact he was mortified to his soul that we didn't have this book. He said not having this book was like not having Moby Dick or The Grapes of Wrath. I ask him the title of the book, expecting him to ask for an play written in Ancient Greek or the letters of some Roman senator or maybe the circulation person that looked for the book for him in the catalog just didn't do a proper search. So, I am prepared to be shocked (not really) when I hear of the classic book we don't have. The book is.............................................a Photoshop tutorial by Scott Kelby. Not only that, he lives in Utah, owns the book (it's too heavy to carry on an airplane) and wants us to place an interlibrary loan so it will be here waiting for him on Monday, November 19th. Those of you not in the library field may not know that interlibrary loans take a week to three weeks to show up. Sometimes it's really hard not to laugh on the telephone at this job.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's the librarians who suffer the most when cousins marry.

Anonymous said...

I forgot what I was going to say. I think Kevin said it for me -- only infinitely better than I could have.
That's truly a story for the ages, Ed.