Salem Press

It is always terrific to discover things that are simultaneously inexplicable and undeniable. Even better when they make you smile. The following are, in different ways, undeniably cool.

OUR FRIENDS TO THE SOUTH
In the past few weeks a flurry of submissions have arrived from North Carolina. They bear a striking similarily, in a playful sort of way. See for yourself:

The young woman surfing on the cart above identifies herself as Kelly Czarnecki, Teen Librarian, The Public Library of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County.

FELLOW NORTH CARONLINIAN
The image below was sent to us by Matt Roach of Steele Creek Branch Library in Charlotte, NC. His caption for it reads, "If reference wasn't so cool, would I be able to do this? I wouldn't, would I?" No, Matt, you wouldn't.

Is there significance to the upside down book?

RECENT STRANGENESS #3
At first, the image below struck us as peculiar, but baffling. What's with the pencil through the beard?)

But some close scrutiny unraveled the inner meaning of the photo. A bit of additional Photoshop tinkering - Jesse seems to have been too subtle in his photo retouching - "enhanced" his meaning. Squint below:

Thanks to Jesse Vieau, The Public Library of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, NC.

A COW IN REFERENCE
One can only wonder what query this bovine patron came to pose. But the unperturbed reference librarian seems determined to answer it.

Thanks to Mary Lee Smith, Reference Services Coordinator, Farmington Public Library, Farmington, MA. (Is that you, Mary Lee?)

THE AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE
This entry might properly belong in the "art" area. Except it is as much about John Hodgman as it is about his reference parody The Areas of My Expertise (Dutton 2005).
Great lists of names and other useless information, such as, "Short Words for Use on Submarines to Preserve Oxygen."

JOHN HODGMAN

UNCAGED LIBRARIAN
Shirley (Shirl) Kennedy lives in St. Petersburg, FL and is the base librarian at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. She is the author of The Savvy Guide to Motorcycles. She writes the blog www.UncagedLibrarian.com. She also writes about technology and the Internet, and is deputy editor of two information industry weblogs, ResourceShelf.com and DocuTicker.com. A former newspaper reporter, she has a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of South Florida. She has two amazing sons and a 2005 Yamaha V-Star 1100 Midnight Custom motorcycle.

SHIRL KENNEDY

LILY KUMPE
Lily Kumpe sent us the following cryptic note: "I am a reference librarian. And I skateboard." And a link to a website (www.GravityBoard.com) where photos of her surfing and skateboarding appear. This young lady is cool.

LILY KUMPE

ILLUSTRATION
Logo design is cool.

Thanks to Tom Weisrock of Saddleback College.