Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Case Study No. 0487: Unnamed Female Librarian (National Library Week)

National Library Week: Reference Desk
1:56
"How do you undo nerve gas?" "How do you make rope out of human hair?" "Would you mind checking out this rash?" These and other burning reference questions are answered in this National Library Week (April 13-19) homage to the 7.2 million questions answered weekly by the nation's public and academic librarians. Starring Shad Kunkle and shot at lovely Morton College Library in Cicero, Illinois. See more at alfocus.ala.org.

We've moved! /user/AmLibraryAssociation is our new location on YouTube.
Tags: ALA National Library Week
Added: 4 years ago
From: AmericanLibraryAssoc
Views: 15,533

National Library Week
April 13 - 19, 2008

[scene opens with Shad walking up to the unseen female reference librarian at Morton College Library in Cicero, Illinois]
SHAD: Hi, do you have an autobiography on me?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: If I were to buy a ring for the Statue of Liberty, what size would I need?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: How do you spell "one?" How do you spell "two?" How do you spell "three?"
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: Where's the bathroom?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk, as he pulls down the collar on his "Future Shirt" t-shirt]
SHAD: Do you mind checking out this rash, and telling me what that's about?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: How would you spell "four?"
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: What's the best way to brush a monkey's teeth?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: Why are some people hairier than other people? Know what I'm sayin'?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: How would you spell "One hundred and thirty nine?"
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: How do you make rope outta human hair?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: If a Kodiak bear were to fight a gorilla, who would win? But, the Kodiak bear has the bubonic plague, and the gorilla has a flamethrower ...
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: Where can I get information on insect dating habits?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk, as he holds up a tape dispenser]
SHAD: I'll give you two dollars for this ... Three fifty.
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: Aren't you supposed to be old and crotchety, instead of young and nasty?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: If time travel really does exist, and I travelled back in time and visited myself, would two of us exist or would one of us explode?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: How do you undo nerve gas?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: Have you seen an old pair of socks lying around?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk, as he's holding a clipboard]
SHAD: I have a series of questions on this topic ... If you have two gallons of holy water, will that work best against zombies or vampires?
[quick cut to another shot of Shad at the reference desk]
SHAD: How would you spell "one thousand eight hundred and seventeen?"

Reference librarians in the nation's public and academic libraries answer more than 7.2 million questions weekly.

National Library Week
April 13 - 19, 2008

director/editor - Daniel Kraus
actor - Shad Kunkle

Sources: ALA Office for Research & Statistics; ALA Public Information Office. All facts compiled in 2006.

alfocus.ala.org
www.ala.org

---

From chicagoist.com:

It's no secret that, here at Chicagoist, we love libraries. And why not? All those books, magazines, newspapers, and, most importantly, microfiche! Yes, we're huge nerds. But the library contains a wealth of knowledge. Maybe it's the vast number of books, the sheer volume of literature. Maybe it's the quiet atmosphere, the hush that implies a sense of sanctuary, a place to give reverence to the great literary works of our time. Whatever the reason, we can't get enough of our local branch. And according to the American Library Association (ALA), the nation's libraries are still going strong:

"In case you're wondering how today's library is faring, know that library use is up nationwide among all types of library users, and the library remains the number one point of internet access for those without access at home, school or work."

So we're with the 132 years young (and Chicago-based) ALA in celebrating the upcoming National Library Week, "a national initiative to promote the contribution libraries, and the library profession make to their communities everyday," taking place April 13th through the 19th. To help promote the event, local filmmaker Daniel Kraus has made several entertaining clips featuring local improv comic Shad Kunkle. The first video has just gone live and the rest will be posted every other business day between now and April 14th at American Libraries Focus, the companion video website to the official ALA magazine, American Libraries. If interested in a direct link to the National Library Week videos, you can find them here:

http://alfocus.ala.org/ categories/ national-library-week

No comments:

Post a Comment