From the monthly archives: February 2007

Study rooms

By On February 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment · In 2007, Duke Libraries, Lobby Book, Study

Is this library going to build many more private study rooms? [3342C]

Yes, more group study rooms are in the plans for the renovations.  Over the next couple of years, unfortunately, until all the renovations are complete, there may be a loss of some group study rooms because some temporarily will be needed for offices [...]

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Caffeine

By On February 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment · In 2007, Food, Lobby Book, Medicine, Study

Is caffeine bad for you? Should I be drinking Dr. Pepper and Coke to stay awake? [3342B]

There seems to be agreement that in large quantities caffeine can be bad for you. How much is too much is debated. You can search the MedLine Plus website from the National Library of Medicine for links to [...]

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Chanticleers

By On February 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment · In 2007, Duke, Duke Libraries, Lobby Book

The Gothic reading room has old Chanticleers – are there copies of the more recent ones (past the 1960s) somewhere? [3342A]

You can request them at the main Perkins circulation desk.  You can also ask for them up in the University Archives on the third floor.

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Typo

By On February 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment · In 2007, Duke Libraries, Lobby Book

Not really a question, but FYI in the display outside the Gothic reading room Brodhead’s name is misspelled on the large banner… [3341C]

Yeah, this occurred in several places (captions, introductory statements, etc.), sometimes now identifiable by the crudely obvious corrections with a Marks-A-Lot. I think the poster or banner you mention has now been [...]

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Stapler issues

By On February 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment · In 2007, Duke Libraries, Lobby Book

Why are there always 4 or 5 staplers sitting out on the counter in Perkins, but only one ever has staples in it? [3341B]

If there are always going to be 3 or 4 without any staples, if we had only 3 staplers total then none of them would ever have staples would they?  Actually, [...]

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Politics of science

By On February 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment · In 2007, Lobby Book, Science

Is a progressive politcs of science possible? [3341A]

I suspect that it’s just as possible as a conservative or reactionary politics of science. Although some would say that everything involves politics, and AP won’t argue too much, I would hope that progressives would ostensibly try to keep politics out of science as much as possible [...]

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Armchair philosophy

By On February 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment · In 2007, Just silly, Lobby Book

When I do armchair philosophy, I like to refer to my partners in conversation by the Hispanicized versions of their first names (e.g. Kant – Manolo; Hegel – Jorge; Nietzche – Frederico; Wittgenstein – Rodrigo) but recently, I found a new conversant: SPINOZA.  What name do I give him? [3340C]

Very cute. I hope that [...]

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Can't find them

By On February 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment · In 2007, Life\'s mysteries, Lobby Book

Where have all the flowers gone? And the good times? [3340B]

Young girls have picked them, every one. Except for the ones over in the Duke Gardens. There are all sorts of good times, though, and although some people say they’ve gone or can’t be found, I believe you can still find them if you [...]

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Heffalumps

By On February 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment · In 2007, Just silly, Literature, Lobby Book

Can you please describe the feeding + mating patterns of a heffalump? [3340A]

Heffalumps exist in the world of Winnie the Pooh, so there simply isn’t any mating.  They seem to eat honey. Just an aside: in Paul Theroux’s book Riding the Iron Rooster, he refers to Mao’s final senile period as his heffalump phase, [...]

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