My favorite fact-checking fellow intern Thadeus was back today, hot on the pursuit of more information. After an hour and a half of attempting to hunt down the dates for a past exhibition, he finally decided to turn to me for help. He gave me the low-down of what he was looking for and where he had already looked. I told him that I would work on it. He said something along the lines of, "Thanks for the help, I doubt you'll find anything, though." Oh ye of little faith! Telling a librarian that he or she probably can't find some piece of information is like giving him or her a challenge that will not be refused. It only makes us more determined to located that bit of information. And locate it I did. It took about an hour, but I finally found it. So I pose the question again: when a user tells a librarian that he or she probably won't or can't find something, are they making a rookie mistake by doubting the librarian's mysteriously awe-worthy research skills or ingeniously inspiring an extra measure of investment on the part of the librarian to find the information and prove his or her skills? I think we all know which method Thadeus was aiming for....
Today's mileage: 2.33 mi.
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