While I make a point of never bouncing a patron back to reference (I walk
there with them to clarify the situation), I have my story of a
patron....for weeks, she asked me questions and then asked the same
questions all over again a day or so later.  I began to get frustrated
that she couldn't remember anything I helped her with.  Finally, I saw her
in a restaurant with her identical twin!  Wow.

-----Original Message-----
From: Max Shenk [mailto:MShenk@MC3.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 2:17 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] Time to lighten up!

O.K., serialisters... I had something happen today which I wanted to
share, and I thought it'd be a good chance for everyone to lighten up
and post their Amazing But True Patron stories.

Mine is:

I work at a community college library periodicals desk. This morning, a
student came to the desk and asked if she could see "The Harvard
Journal."

"We don't have a title called The Harvard Journal," I said. "Do you
need the Harvard Business Review? Harvard Educational Review? Harvard
Health Letter?" I sent her back over to the reference desk to get more
information, assuming that she'd come back with a citation from the
indices.

Five minutes later she comes back again: "I need Current
Controversies."

"We don't have anything called Current Controversies... there's a title
called Issues And Controversies, but it's shelved in the reference
section."

She goes back to the reference desk...

Five minutes later, she comes back a third time...

"I need Harvard Education Review."

"What issue?"

"Uhhh... fall... 2000-something."

She went over to the reference desk a FOURTH time and this time didn't
return. I assume she found what she was looking for online.

Will she be able to grasp the concept of "Do you want fries with that?"
is my question.

Your turn.

Max Shenk
Periodicals Assistant
Brendlinger Library
Montgomery County Community College
Blue Bell, PA  19422