Books on fruit?

Jenny (wife) is now in the grad school program here for Info & Library Science. One of her classes, Reference, is sort of a “ways that patrons screw up asking for information from the library, and how you can prevent it.” It includes lots of funny stories, including this:One of them is this:
In the movie “Party Girl” (which I’ve never seen), there’s a scene, based on a real event, notorious among librarians:
“The young undergraduate was standing in line at the Graduate Collections desk. When he reached the desk everyone within earshot found out why. “I just can’t find this book,” he blurted out. “I have to read it by . I tried to find it on my own, and I can’t!!!! Those idiots over at the undergraduate desk were no help. Can you help me?”

The librarian replied in a soothing voice, “Sure! Can you give me a title?”

“It’s called Oranges and Peaches!” the student replied. “I’m at my wits’ end!” The librarian calmly typed “Oranges and Peaches” into the computer catalog, then frowned. The library had no book with that title. The librarian asked gently, “Do you have an author for me?”

The question seemed to trigger more anxiety and frustration in the student. “Can’t you find it? How could you not have this book?” he asked, his voice rising. “ T.A. and the professor said you’d have hundreds of copies of this book!!!!”

The reference librarian persisted. “Perhaps you could tell me the author?” The young man dived into his backpack, searching through papers for a seemingly interminable time, to the growing annoyance of people waiting behind him. Finally, he found a scrap of paper. “Charles somebody,” he said triumphantly.

The young man’s face fell as the librarian explained apologetically that he couldn’t look up the book under a first name. The librarian added, “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to go back to your instructor and get a last name.”

The student’s despair turned to rage. “I cannot believe this,” he exploded. “What kind of library is this? T.A. swore you’d have hundreds of copies. This book is supposed to be legendary! Professor said it’s the `Bible of evolution’!””

Yeah, baby, “Oranges and Peaches”.

More fun stories to come.

2 Responses to “Books on fruit?”

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I . . . I’m so scared and happy. I’m not sure that I’ll be able to call it “On the Origin of Species” any longer. 🙂 I can’t wait for more crazy stories!

ShortSpeedFreak - September 17th, 2005 at 5:48 am

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I have nothing to add about the story, save that it’s funny enough I’ve repeated it to several people. 🙂

Congrats on joining the lumbering legions of the Undead, err graduate studies, Jenny!

Paradoxdruid - September 21st, 2005 at 9:55 am

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