COUNTRY LIBRARY SERVICE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29234, 18 June 1960, Page 2

COUNTRY LIBRARY SERVICE

Strange Requests Often Received

Reauests to the Country Library Service for books often have only the vaguest resemblance to correct titles and librarians sometimes spend hours trying to find the right volume. "Some time ago we had a request for a book ‘Stay Me With Flagons’.” said Miss J. Wright, chief librarian of the service, in a talk to the North Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Women Teachers’ Association last evening.

“There was such a book with that title—it was about beer. We sent it away and back came a letter saying that this was not the right book. The one wanted was a modern American novel. Someone on the staff suddenly remembered the quotation ‘Comfort me with apples and stay me with flagons.' “We sent the aoplicant ‘Comfort Me With Apples’ by Peter de Vries, and sure enough, that was the book required,” she said. Requests also arrived at the library service for most unusual information. which sometimes took many hours to find. Recent requests had been for information about the daily water consumption of domestic animals, crafts and hobbies for a blind oerson. the growing of silver birch from seed, how to throw a boomerang and an urgent request for information about famous b°nk robberies, Miss Wright said.