Welcome to College. Please Stand By.

Yesterday was the first day of classes and in addition to answering the usual “Where is is my classroom?” and “Do you have my textbook?” questions we played Help Desk for the College’s new registration/records software.
This was the screen that a lot of students saw when they tried to register for classes, check their schedules [...]

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Let Me Google That for You

You better believe I’m using this at the reference desk.
(via Very Short List)

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Chat Reference Question of the Day

i am doing an essay on tandoori chicken
That’s it.  Nothing else.
Oh the incomplete thoughts of instant messaging.  I’m sure I’ll get a torrent of new information as soon as the YouTube video she’s watching finishes up.

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Incoherent Thought Friday: Serving up Books and Readers Advisory for the Menu

My husband and I went out for a great dinner a week ago and as I was writing up my Yelp review, I was thinking about how the service we got at the restaurant was as big a part of the experience as the actual meal.  This, of course, is no big revelation–we’ve all had [...]

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Chat Reference Question of the Day

three test tubes contain white crystalline organic solids. a b and c each of which melts at 149-150 degree C. a 50-50 mixture of A and B melts at 130-139 degree C. a 50-50 mixture of A and C melts at 149-150 degree C. in what range would a 50-50 mixture of B and C [...]

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Winning Chat Reference Question of the Day

how long is the bookthing that we can give book back?
Excellent question.

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I’m supposed to touch my elbow to my nose, or I’ll totally fail

I never know who to blame when a student comes to the reference desk with a question like this… He needs to find information on various psychological concepts, mostly about visual perception. He can’t, however, use any books or encyclopedias or, it seems, any reputable source whatsoever. Essentially, then, the assignment seems [...]

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I can’t read my blog if you so-called patrons won’t leave me alone

As I’ve been on about for awhile now, I’ve been teaching these workshops on social software lately and introducing faculty and administrators the wonderful world of wikis, blogs, RSS feeds and the like. As part of the fun festival of instruction, I give the folks in my workshops a glimpse at my Google Reader [...]

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question, reference, confusing, “kids these days”

Have you noticed that students ask reference questions in keywords? I’d say 90% of the most frustrating reference interviews I have are the result of the student trying to piece together a question using words they kinda sorta remember hearing their instructors mention.
“Can you help me find abstract, article, periodical, peer and information?”
Huh?
“Um, I [...]

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this so-called “book” of which you speak intrigues me…

“We need to get a book of Time [magazine] from like before.”  This request was accompanied by the miming of turning pages.  Is it the future already?  Did I miss the day where turning pages was something old-timey like dialing a phone?
And what does that mean?  A book of Time from like before?  Jesus.

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