Libraries and humour?

Libraries and humour, Are they incompatible?

When I was doing my BA I had a discussion with some other library bods about libraries and humour. We came to the conclusion that we liked a laugh but didn't really laugh at library humour.

See IFLAnet: http://www.ifla.org/I/humour/humour.htm

As you can see, not very funny... or is it?

Or ... is this funny?

The discussion (all via email) went on to investigate whether humour and jokes could be used to get users interested in libraries and library services...

Unfortunately humour is a very personal thing. What I might find funny might shock and appal others.

For example, I find this (non library vid) funny...


... but you may not?

You may remember being sat down in Primary school and the librarian or teacher reading a funny story while you and your peers fell about the place. I'd reckon, (I don't have science to back this up), that it was these early experiences that engages children, making them interested in books and reading, not a quest for learning.

So then what happens?

The library becomes a serious place...
We have assignments and projects to complete, we are told to grow up...

As Frank posed the musical question,

"what happened to all the fun in the world?"

Cha, cha, cha, changes, turn and face the strain

Change is always happening. Change is normal. Change is what makes life interesting...

Often we don't accept change, we rebel... we say, "No! I won't accept it", but most of the time, in the end, we do!

Change takes many forms. One moment you are on terra firma, the next you are high in the air flying towards the clouds ... you are on a roller coaster ... you feel giddy, you're uncertain... this is the risk you were willingly to take when you bought your ticket.

Watch this video and keep your eye on the little boy...
Has he accepted the changes going on around him? Well may he say, "Janice make it stop, this hurts, this hurts"... Janice like you and I, is powerless to stop the change!

Janice is the hero here. She looked danger square in face and laughed and laughed..... :)

Macquarie University Library : automated Library System

Macquarie University Library is presently building a new library which has been forecast to be finished by 2010.

What makes this library different to other Australian libraires is it will incorporate an Automatic Library System. This enables the library to house it's present holdings in only one seventh of the space.


Here's a short video that demonstrates the system that will be implemented at Macquarie: