Mental Floss provides “9 Very Specific Rules From Real Libraries.” Thanks, Steven Kotok!

In February of 2013, Barbara Morrow and David Kurland were married in the Northwest History Room at the Everett Public Library in Washington State. A librarian performed the ceremony. Best quote from the Paris Review article: “Following cake with the staff, the bride renewed her library card.”

I’m surprised there aren’t more weddings in libraries, when I think about it.

Thanks, Dina Wood!

An unknown library created this display to help those patrons who can only remember the color of the cover of the book they wanted. Thanks, Lynne Thomas! Lots more funny library stuff at The Library News on Facebook. One commenter draws our attention to a related video, “The Confusing Library” by The Two Ronnies.

Apparently, this ad aired during the Superbowl yesterday. I missed it, but several people let me know about it. I only wish people really did whisper whenever they were in the library. I confess I have shushed, and been shushed, both. Thanks, everybody!

The Macaulay Library of the Ornithology Lab at Cornell University has digitized over 7000 hours of wildlife sounds, including the clarinet-like call of the indri lemur, which they describe as “the best candidate to appear on a John Coltrane record.” You can hear that sound and more in the NPR story, here. (You don’t have to listen to the whole story — the website has pulled out a few animal sounds for easy clicking.)

Speaking of unusual library collections, the Basalt Regional Library District in Colorado is lending seed packets. Patrons grow fruits and vegetables from the seeds they check out, and then harvest seeds from them and return those to the library.

Thanks, Rebecca Laroche!

Many libraries have perpetrated this shenanigan, including the Lawrence Public Library in Kansas, the Maplewood Memorial Library and the Hillsdale Public Library in New Jersey, the Rockville Centre Public Library in New York, the Jasper Public Library in Indiana, the Amarillo Public Library in Texas, and many, many more. Thanks, Sundress Publications, for drawing my attention to this!

It seems no one is taking responsibility for this excellent shenanigan. I got it from Marianne Aldrich, who got it from someone else on Facebook, who got it from someone else on Facebook. A little detective work suggests the location may be the Arnold Bernhard Library at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. Thanks, Marianne!

At Portland State University in 1988, at least one student attempted to climb the library building as part of the Outdoor Program’s “Halloween Climb.”

Here at Colorado College, students have attempted to climb various campus buildings over the years, but not, as far as we know, the library.

Thanks, Joan Petit!

The Manly Library in Australia put up this sign recently, saying they shall be reclassifying Lance Armstrong’s books as fiction. Thanks, Tom Lovell!

UPDATE JANUARY 21, 2013: it appears this shenanigan was a prank (is that redundant?). The library does not actually plan to reclassify the books. Here’s an article explaining what happened. Thanks, Brian Springett!

In the June/July issue of The Believer, Sarah Vowell gave some excellent advice to a person with a crush on a librarian. Thanks, David Weinstock!