Science & Library & Humor

Create Your Own Unsafe Material Data Sheet – a spoof on Material Safety Data Sheets – insert your own words and create your own humorous UMDS.

First Aid for Libraries

Holiday Science Links and also Halloween Science Links – 2007 (from the National Science Foundation)

IFLAnet Library Humour

Information Scientists Prove that Searching the Net is Impossible – from the Summer 2001 issue of the Journal of Irresponsible Librarianship

Journal of Irreproducible Results – science humor

Journal of Irresponsible Librarianship

Libraries Can Be Funny Places! – Collection of weird reference questions

Library Cartoons: An Annotated Bibliography

Library Humor – from Jennifer Friedman

Lighter Side of Librarianship, The – from Binghamton University Libraries

Lipstick Librarian, The

Onion, The - funny commentary on world events, human behavior, and journalistic convention.

Overdue Media (cute library cartoons)

Science Cartoons Plus: S. Harris Cartoon Gallery

Science Fun – these links go specifically to science puzzles and quizzes within the larger sites

o FunTrivia.com

o Gullibility Test: Science & Nature – from the Museum of Hoaxes

o PuzzleZone – from Science News for Kids

o Quia Directory of Free Quizzes

Stop Falling Productions (library-related clothing)

Warrior Librarian Weekly – for librarians that refuse to be classified

Also quite humorous, but not available on the Internet: (a.k.a. go look for these in your nearest library)

“Are You a Sensuous Librarian or an Over-philed Bibliophile?” – this is a very humorous 20 question quiz for librarians. Published in Wilson Library Bulletin, April 1973, pp. 674-675. Examples of questions include: Do you get tingly smelling new books? Do you ever try to get your tongue through the hole in a catalog card?

“Asian Zodiac for Librarians” – is exactly what it sounds like – it tells you how to find your “sign” based on your birth year, then proceeds to list the personality traits of librarians born in each of the Chinese years. For example, Year of the Monkey - ...”Surprisingly inventive and original, they always manage to justify overdue interlibrary loans to the complete satisfaction of the lending library. They meet even the most staggering situations, such as marijuana in the music room, with diplomacy.” Published in American Libraries, March 1977, p. 166.

“A Cataloging Aptitude Test: or, Do You Really Know the Difference Between and Entry and an Imprint?” By Lenore S. Gribbin, Library Resources & Technical Services, vol. 8, pp. 151-2. Written for those who have taken a beginning cataloging course and may be trying to decide whether or not they wish to become a professional cataloger.

The U*N*A*B*A*S*H*E*D Librarian – this is a quarterly publication devoted to all manner of library humor.

Also, check out books published by Norman D. Stevens (Director of the Molesworth Institute).

Links last checked: June 17, 2007

Text last updated: March 28, 2008