Happy on the Shelf

      3 Comments on Happy on the Shelf

None of the QKs are currently checked out.

The library that employs me, being an academic library (and not being a specialty library) uses the Library of Congress classification system. Y’all are familiar with it? The call “number” is alphanumeric, beginning with a letter for a general subject and often another letter for the sub-subject and sometimes (but not often) a third letter for sub-sub-sub-ject. Anyway, Q is science, and QK is botany. And none of our botany books are out. Not one of them. Zilch.

Not that we have a lot of botany books. Five hundred-odd. We don’t have a big botany program, and the sciences are more journal oriented now anyway, I’m told. Still: no botany books currently checked out. Or missing, for that matter. They are all there, just sitting on the shelves. In fact, the last time someone took out a botany book was in November. It came back, on time, not renewed, in December. 72 days and counting.

Of the thousand or so books in QL—zoology—two are currently checked out. One of those is checked out to the head of public services here; I’m figuring that since it’s an 1833 publication, it’s checked out to him for some sort of display or demonstration purpose. Or, I suppose, just because it’s cool, which would totally count. The other is Aristotle on the movement of animals. That’s checked out by an actual instructor. In the philosophy department. So that’s all right.

Tolerabimus quod tolerare debemus,
-Vardibidian.

3 thoughts on “Happy on the Shelf

  1. Dan P

    I am contractually obligated to my (let’s say)-18-year-old self to ask you to check in on the HQs, while you’re at it.

    Reply
  2. Catherine

    Now I want to go pester our head of circulation to find out which LC classifications in MY library don’t have any books checked out. I’d wager it’s more classifications than yours. 😛

    Reply
  3. Vardibidian

    I took yesterday off and don’t have easy access to the numbers, but our HQ books circulate a lot. Both actual check-outs and just finding them around the library for some reason.

    I just happened to be working in the Qs, and this info kinda shouted out at me. I’d have to write up a query to find out all the classifications… I might just do that next week, if I don’t get busy with more important work.

    Thanks,
    -V.

    Reply

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