A country newspaper printed the following announcement: “The Public Library will close for two weeks, beginning August 3, for the annual cleaning and vacation of the librarians.”

The modern librarian is a genius. All the proof needed is the statement that the requests for books with queer titles are filled with ones really wanted. The following are instances:

AS ASKED FOR                             CORRECT TITLE

Indecent Orders                               In Deacon’s Orders

She Combeth Not Her Head              She Cometh Not, She Said

Trial of a Servant                             Trail of the Serpent

Essays of a Liar                               Essays of Elia

Soap and Tables                              Жsop’s Fables

Pocketbook’s Hill                             Puck of Pook’s Hill

Dentist’s Infirmary                           Dante’s Inferno

Holy Smoke                                     Divine Fire

One librarian has the following entries in a card catalog: Lead Poisoning Do, Kindly Light.

A distinguished librarian is a good follower of Chesterton. He says: “To my way of thinking, a great librarian must have a clear head, a strong hand and, above all, a great heart. Such shall be greatest among librarians; and when I look into the future, I am inclined to think that most of the men who will achieve this greatness will be women.”

Many catalogers append notes to the main entries of their catalogs. Here are two:

An Ideal Husband:

Essentially a work of fiction, and presumably written by a woman (unmarried). Aspects of Home Rule: Political, not domestic.

In a branch library a reader asked for The Girl He Married (by James Grant.) This happened to be out, and the assistant was requested to select a similar book. Presumably he was a benedict, for he returned triumphantly with His Better Half (by George Griffith).

“Have you A Joy Forever?” inquired a lady borrower.

“No,” replied the assistant librarian after referring to the stock. “Dear me, how tiresome,” said the lady; “have you Praed?” “Yes, madam, but it isn’t any good,” was the prompt reply.