[PW] Difficult/Amusing/Memorable reference questions

[Burton, Donna]

Thomson Gale has an E-newsletter you can subscribe to called "Funny You
Should Ask..." and has exactly that type of thing. You can see all the
questions from their archives on this site:
http://www.gale.com/enewsletters/archive.htm
by going to that e-newsletter box and using the drop down menu for each
date. Laborious, a bit, but some are quite amusing. Can you see the
International Date Line as you fly over it? What is the number for
9-1-1? Where do you keep the books that aren't here? Why are the Kennedy
women so thin? What is the temperature on the shady side of the sun? Do
you have Emily's Writer's Handbook? (MLA's..)

Donna Burton
Schaffer Library, Union College
Schenectady, NY 12308
Email: burtond at union.edu
Phone: 518-388-6635

-----Original Message-----
From: project-wombat-open-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
[mailto:project-wombat-open-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On Behalf
Of Douglas Anderson
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 4:29 PM
To: Project Wombat
Subject: [PW] Difficult/Amusing/Memorable reference questions

(Please excuse any cross-posting)

Our local newspaper is interested in doing a feature about our
reference department and about reference work in general.

One of the things they are interested in covering is some difficult,
amusing, or otherwise memorable reference questions.  (You know, the
"How do you drive from Florida to Egypt?" kind.)

What have been your most memorable questions?  Wacky ones are welcome,
though they need not be especially wacky to qualify.

Anyone with specific anecdotes, please reply to me off-list.  Please
keep patron-identifiable information as vague as possible.

I can't offer any rewards except to point you to a copy of the article
online if and when the paper publishes it.  I'll do my best to make
sure that contributors are credited, if you make sure to include
contact info in your replies.

If there is demand, I'll be happy to post replies to the list.
Remember, these are for publication, so don't be shy.