Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Sentences That Only Make Sense in Context

Some sentences only make sense in context, such as the following one. My husband is a squirrel.

In fact, my husband is a library squirrel. Yes, shocking news, my husband works for the same organization as I do. And yes, still more shocking, we met on the reference desk. Library squirrels immediately recognize each other. I think I've mentioned that library squirrels are very curious creatures. The other side of that truth is that they are also very fond of telling stories. This is how I knew J was a squirrel.

I don't know if a lot of libraries are like this, but there are at least four couples where both partners work in my library system. What is that about? It is obvious to me that fabulous chicks work in libraries, but don't we fabulous chicks get out enough into the world to meet our fellers in places other than the library? Or are we happiest among like-minded intelligentsia?

Actually, I first assumed that J was a gay library squirrel. A lot of male library squirrels are gay - clever, interesting, attractive, and good storytellers. What attracts the gay squirrel to librarianship? I await a comment on this topic.

As a side topic, how's that for a classification sub-set, 'gay library squirrel'. (I'd love to see what subject headings LC would make out of that concept).

Library squirrels. (assume female? does LC ever assume female?)
Library squirrels, male.
Library squirrels, gay.
Library squirrels - Effect of working together on.
Library squirrels - Personal narratives.

Chip chip chrrrrrrr.

1 Comments:

Blogger Rhonda said...

Gwen--my husband is a librarian too. We met in our MLS program. We don't work in the same place and I like being able to swap perspectives--mine academic, his public. But it is great to be in the same profession. Makes for more satisfying how-was-your-day coversations; we get what's going on. Plus, don't you think the profession attracts eclectic souls? We're about equally that.

8:46 am  

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