By Jo Ella Straley

One thing I enjoy about this job is all the stuff I find while not actually finding what I set out to get. Ok, so maybe that's a little frustrating, but it makes one a better trivia player. For instance, I won't complain if I'm looking for tape related to the Rockefeller Foundation's agricultural assistance programs and instead find myself viewing the fine film "Unhooking the Hookworm" (not for the squeamish). Wow, who knew that hookworm was making little Jeffy tired? I always thought he was just lazy.

Continue reading "The Thrill of the Goose Chase" >

By Dorothy Hickson

I am not a librarian. I correct the spelling on the radio, which may help to explain my fondness for the surreal. Being a non-librarian, I will confess that I often use Wikipedia. It should not be relied upon for facts, but it can serve as a quick route for finding original source material, verifying proper names, and deciphering arcane terms.

This brings me to today's link: the Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year. I am filled with delight. "The Theory of Lengthwise Rolling." "Versailles: The View From Sweden." In 2008, they re-recognized the 1996 winner, "Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers." I eagerly await next year's announcement.

Continue reading "How to Avoid Huge Ships" >

by Maureen Clements

Censorship and Wikipedia are two subjects near and dear to my librarian heart, which is why my curiosity was piqued after reading about the latest Wikipedia censorship dilemma.

According to the BBC, the British watchdog group "Internet Watch Foundation" recently moved to block access to a Wikipedia entry about the Scorpions' 1976 album Virgin Killer. The album cover depicts a young naked girl in a provocative pose. Even though the album is 30 years old, the cover still courts controversy, but what about the music? Thanks to the power of YouTube, you can judge for yourself. Here's a link to the tune "Backstage Queen" from Virgin Killer. Has the IWF considered censoring the music as well? I kid! The song's actually not too bad.

This may be a silly observation but I seem to recall several controversial semi-nude album covers that emerged from the '60s and '70s, including Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy and Blind Faith's Blind Faith. If you're interested...here's a list of other controversial album covers.