I went to this symposium a few weeks ago (Nathan quote: “I LOVE symposia!”) and learned all about turning a public library into the place patrons really want it to be. Namely, a cool bookstore, with more options. Anyhoo, to that end, I’ve been working on “marketing” in our library. I’ve spent a fair bit of time turning the chunk of our reference stacks that face into the public area into a lovely display of our gardening books. (I was really happy that the powers that be let me run with this idea, I mean, I’m a new person with new-fangled ideas, and I got an enthusiastic thumbs up on this. Pretty cool.)
I’m looking at my display now. It’s so pretty. I digress.
Yesterday, I was standing up on a chair, applying the final touch to the display–die cut letters in bright colors that say “See what’s BLOOMING at the library.” And instead of the letter “O” I’ve used flowers with their centers cut out. Really, it’s quite charming.
So I’m up on a chair, and the librarian in charge of our history room wanders by. This is not the first time he’s reminded me of dad, but this was to be the most telling. He’s a nice guy, knows more than is probably healthy about the history of Los Gatos, and tends to bring in home grown oranges by the laundry basket full. “See what’s blooming at the library,” he read. “You know, you could have said ‘Everything’s coming up roses at the library.’” I agreed, that would have been a good one. He went down the hall to his office. Then I heard him laugh out loud. From down the hall. He was back. “What about ‘Can you DIG it?’” Yes, yes, I said, that was a funny one. I said he had a real flair for this sort of work.
Several hours later, I was passing through his office to get to the staff room, and the microwave. Sure, he had a patron in there working, but he dropped what he was doing to say, “How about ‘Come to a HOE-down at the library?’” I said, “Have you been thinking about this all day?” His reply….wait for it….
“What? Is that a little….SEEDY?”
ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH. 
Are all dad’s this into puns? My father-in-law is quite fond of them as is my own pa (albeit in Korean. and sorry, it just doesn’t translate). And wouldncha know it, as if in preparation for his own future fatherhood, Michael Kenny could give you a run for your money in the puns department. Somehow, it’s terribly charming when other men (particularly those of a certain age) pun it up than when mine does.
jean said this on March 16th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Now, if you just mixed some Tolkien in with the flowers, you could have said “Watch Orland Bloom in our Library”….
Goodyear said this on March 19th, 2007 at 9:30 am