Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library
I miss you all when you don’t write, but I also assume there’s always a good reason. You have many, many things to do, and so little time! Give everything important to you your best, and good luck!
There are so many interesting & memorable questions! So cruel to make me pick only one! Here’s one of many, a recent one: “Tell me something that is true, but that almost no one would agree with.” My answer: It is upsetting but true that the smell of old books is the smell of their decomposition. Which, in the case of paper, is a bit like vanilla: bit.ly/bc-old-books. Many questions make me leap into research, but this one really forced me to stop and think.
Yikes! I truly cannot answer this because I promote kindness, not violence (particularly when directed at ME.) If your friend has a beef with the Wall, I’d like to respond to it. With words. On Post-Its.
To be honest, I was feeling a little flat and hung up on things; but then I saw you…
![a present [with a foil origami crane attached]](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IMG_7526-7.jpg)
Thank you! Here’s a little something for you.
Even though trusting sometimes feels risky, I’d prefer to extend trust than have a hole drilled in me. Wouldn’t you?
Well, the tradition has been that I make my assistants pass a grueling set of information tests, and nobody but library staff ever seems up to the challenge, but you’re giving me ideas… watch this space!
Please! I am pining for my little friend ;-(
Not at all. A key tenet of libraries is to be open to inquiry. I try to find ways to make responses to even troll questions valuable, and to use them to model respectful behavior….
Thank you for the kind words. Knowing that others are concerned about the same or similar issues in their lives takes us out of ourselves and gives us a different perspective. The thought that someone else has worked through the same problem always helps–see, it is possible to survive and thrive! And it is good to know you are not alone; that friends and organizations on campus are available to assist. I don’t know what I would do without the support of my fellow walls … I hope you have a wonderful senior year and, if you can’t come back and visit me in person, you know you can keep up with The Answer Wall online at library.bc.edu/answerwall <3 <3 <3
Hard to believe, but only back in February of 2017 – feels like I’ve always been a part of the BC Libraries. Hmnn, that means I hit the terrible twos next February – does that mean I will answer all questions with “NO!”?
So sorry to damage my carefully created aesthetic! My assistants are telling me my font broke. I didn’t even know fonts could break, and I’m not sure I believe them. They claim they’ve glued the serifs back on, and it shouldn’t happen again. I guess I just have to trust them.
If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret. Actually, I can’t think of any secrets, dark or otherwise. Heck, I even told you how I print on post-it notes.
You, too!
You’re so sweet! <3 u2
To be honest, I don’t have a family portrait. We walls all take our jobs very seriously so never have the opportunity to get together. (Can you imagine what would happen if we took off for a family reunion?!) Except for those I am closest to I don’t really see my BC relatives wall-to-wall. This brief clip, however, shows some of the family on the outside: bit.ly/BCaerial. They are quite elegant, aren’t they?
응 너도 안녕! 좋은 꿈 꿔! (You too! Sweet dreams!)
Tom Snout.
I’m sure you’ve heard that thing before about the probability of a thousand monkeys with typewriters eventually producing all the works of Shakespeare? Well, it’s not like that. This library employs librarians, not monkeys. Librarians might not be as fun as monkeys, but they do know how to find answers, such as how to use a Word template to print onto post-its affixed to pieces of paper, and which font (courier) most closely resembles typewriter font. I’m cute? Gosh. Now I’m blushing.
Walls have traditionally been built to keep people and things separated, but I’d like to think that my existence as a wall helps to bring people and ideas together. There are many digital realms that allow people to share ideas (although they can also be divisive). So, perhaps the wall I’d build would be a virtual, communal space for all people to support each other.
