One more April Fool’s Day shenanigan, this one from Mudd Library at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin: http://blogs.lawrence.edu/library/2010/04/music_librarian_cloned.html. Thanks, Marianne Aldrich!
Second April Fool’s Day library shenanigan of 2010 (that I know of). This appeared on the Colorado library listserv. Thanks, Lisa Lister!
For Immediate Release, April 1, 2010
“AskColorado Branching Out, to Offer ‘Dewey Dating Service'”
In an effort to create additional revenue streams for the organization, AskColorado is pleased to announce the opening of a new fee-based service for Colorado library patrons, the ‘Dewey Dating Service.’ “Our AskColorado clientele have been demanding this of us for years,” said Kris Johnson, AskColorado Coordinator. “We felt the market climate was finally right to expand into this potentially lucrative arena.”
Starting April 1, 2010, AskColorado (www.askcolorado.org), Colorado’s popular state-wide virtual reference service, will expand its K12 and General queues to include an additional queue and new website: www.deweydating.com. The Dewey Dating Service will utilize a sophisticated routing software to match patrons 18 years of age and over to their ideal librarian based on personal profiles. Similar to online dating services such as Match.com and DateAnEngineer.net, personal profiles will include age, height, political and religious preferences, and the usual likes and dislikes related to popular entertainment, reading preferences, etc. “This isn’t your typical dating service, however” added Johnson. “Our profile matches will be based on sound principles of library science, utilizing a sophisticated algorithm programmed on the Dewey Decimal System to accurately match patrons with librarians to within a 100th of a decimal.”
Once matched, patrons and librarians will meet for a casual, yet safe, text chat in a private chat room. AskColorado is partnering with OpenTable.com and Google Maps to electronically facilitate the transition of successful chats for premium service customers into in-person meet-ups at restaurants, coffeehouses, and wine bars by triangulating an ideal location then securing a confirmed reservation online.
Johnson remarked that she first became aware of the vast market for such a dating service back in the 1990’s while visiting with Fort Collins based punk rock band ALL in their tour bus. “Out of the blue, the bassist (your typical multi-tattooed, sweaty musician type) blurted out, “I’ve always wanted to marry a librarian!”” “Although the timing was not right at that particular juncture, recent economic events, coupled with the image of librarians peaking at an all-time high in public perception polls, convinced the organization that this service was long overdue,” summarized Johnson, “No pun intended.”
First April Fool’s Day library shenanigan of 2010, that I know of: Elsevier Launches “Big Deal” Bake Sale Service, Other Commercial Publishers Scramble, from The Scholarly Kitchen. Thanks, Lisa Lister and Marianne Aldrich!
Paradoxymoron is a 1996 painting (with a surprise) by Patrick Hughes currently hanging in the basement of the British Library in London. Here’s a video that shows it off nicely. Thanks, Steve Lawson!
Crescat Graffiti, Vita Excolaturdocuments graffiti in the Regenstein Library at the University of Chicago. Quinn Dombrowski began the project in 2007. It’s now a blog, a book, and a massive collection of photographs. Thanks, Steve Lawson!
Wouldn’t it be great if we got to perform a big long song and dance routine whenever patrons entered the library? Well, I think it would be. Originally aired 1983. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU–IvskmWA&NR=1 Thanks, Diane Westerfield!
Library staff perform the chicken dance with book trucks at the Hartzler Library at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisburg, Virginia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whoL0m15rE4. Thanks, Anna Creech!
The Hackney Bunch, Hackney Library, Barton College, Wilson, North Carolina, February 2010. Video introducing the library staff at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeMUOQR8kac. Thanks, Anna Creech!
Silent dance party at Gould Library at Carleton College (and elsewhere on campus too), December 2009. Playlist decided in advance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKhDmAAiE0E and more at Carleton’s own site, here: http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/activities/silent_dance_party/. (Thanks, Steve Lawson!)
The folks at Sublime Stitching have a “Sexy Librarians” set of embroidery patterns here. Thanks, BoingBoing!