Forget Rapunzel spinning straw into gold and Cinderella's fairy godmother devising a coach from a pumpkin.   This project demanded creativity.  Michelle, our library director, requested that fellow reference librarian Chris and I design a giveaway flyer for the library's booth at the June 8 Mini Maker Faire.  ...

Boinnngggg. You could practically hear last week's topic hitting a nerve, one in-house English major at a time.  After I inquired which staffers claimed English as an academic concentration, "No" replies landed in my inbox; "Yes" folks responded in person.   They needed to vent.  En route to other ...

Not everyone who works in the library is a librarian (technically, that's only the folks with MLS or MLIS degrees).  And among the librarians, library assistants, and library associates in the building, a smaller percentage than you might think were English majors. Fortunately.  Every day, questions prove our wide-ranging ...

Quick: name the greatest country song of all time. According to a Country Music Magazine poll, honors go to "He Stopped Loving Her Today" written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putnam and memorably performed by George Jones.  Listen, and you'll understand its enduring popularity. Country Music Hall of Famer and Kennedy Center ...

"You know who June Cleaver is, right?" the library customer inquired, "You remind me of her, sort of put-together and calm." So, June--AKA Barbara Billingsley in vintage TV's Leave it to Beaver--and I can both act.  At the reference desk, anyone may inquire about potentially any topic, while printers, ...

This week, I found myself tracking former residences the way some people Google their old flames. Leave 'em and love 'em: that's my motto.  Of a dozen former homes, we've owned two.  We were fond of them then, but they've acquired nostalgia value over time.  The soft focus of receding memory masks recollections ...

Though not yet filed, my tax documents are on track to easily fulfill the deadline.   Otherwise, there'd be reason for soul-clouding dread each time I visit irs.gov to help customers track down forms or tax tables. No, happiness is the order of the day.  The four colorfully-clad individuals headlining Internal ...

Sam Bass is still causing trouble: the third request from out-of-towners for "the shootout map" (starring Mr. Bass in his final appearance) this week triggered my realization that March is done and I missed Texas Independence Day. Visitors, bless ‘em, have shown more regard for Texas history than I have lately. Perhaps if I were a ...

Like all parents, I ponder the Generational Divide some days more than others.  And this week?  Well, it occurred to me that J.K. Rowling's great gift to humankind--the Sorting Hat--might represent the issue nicely.  If the hat assigned generational membership, it might still consider age, but it would also pose a ...

The customer isn't always right.  On those rare occasions, it's fortunate if someone else has already said so.  That's what happened with the recent job hunter who slid his resume across the reference desk, sighed, and related his situation.  After applying three times to an area employer with zero response, he was ...