I thought I spotted something interesting this afternoon and soon learned that it certainly was a unique book. As I was re-shelving, I turned around and sighted a small book with a marbled cover. When I pulled it from the shelf, I saw the title, The Old Librarian's Almanack 1774. I brought it back to my office to examine and was impressed by the title page stating that this was a reprint of "a very rare pamphlet." Now I was curious and thinking in terms of money (was this worth a lot of money?), I searched for it in WorldCat. I was slightly disappointed that there were over 200 copies available in libraries but thought there could be some value in selling our copy. I then check the web site of a used book dealer and the first title that came up was The History of a Hoax, Edmond Lester Pearson, John Cotton Dana, and the Old Librarian's Almanack. Our little find was a hoax, a literary hoax, created by librarians. See further information on Hugo Cunningham's quotations site. Reading this book makes me laugh and I've enjoyed sharing such advice as, "Let no Politician be in your Library, nor no man who Talks overmuch," with other staff members. This book has added humor to our day. (FYI: copies sell in the range of $20-$40.)
