How To Make a Secret Hollow Book

(via MetaFilter)

One other library/book/publishing anecdote for the day...

I was working on our patron requests this afternoon and someone had requested a book with a French title and which Bowker Global Books in Print showed as being only available in French.  But everything else I saw about the book indicated that it was in English even if I couldn't find 100% confirmation. 

Finally I said "I know who'll know for sure" and called the publisher in Toronto.  I told them I was a librarian in Saskatchewan and what my question was. 

There was the briefest of pauses and then "Fucking Bowker!  They never get anything right."  (Man, sometimes I miss working with publishers.  What other world would gain you a response like this over the phone? Hilarious.)