LibraryVenture!

July 25, 2008 12:34 PM

Mazes and Monsters? Dungeons and Dragons? Faugh! When the Earth's very history is at stake, it's time for Tomes and Talismans! Learn the Dewey Decimal System and other library skills with Ms. Bookhart, a librarian cryogenically preserved from the 1980's and revived by The Users to save the books of Future Earth from technology-destroying race of alien beings, The Wipers. 260 of the geekiest minutes ever committed to video.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur (15 comments total)

Only 3 minutes in and already some stellar quotes:

"Put it on file and microfilm it, Dundee!"

and also,

"That's where they belong according to the Dewey Decimal system!"

It brings a tear (of joy) to my eye.
posted by ikahime at 12:44 PM on July 25, 2008

A few of us had that inflicted on us in school and would like to see it again. Too bad the AskMe question is closed now...can the youtube link be added by an admin?
posted by mbd1mbd1 at 12:53 PM on July 25, 2008

my favorite thing about the dewey decimal system is that it required so much awareness material to be published and promoted for so many decades and it's still not that commonly understood.
posted by shmegegge at 12:54 PM on July 25, 2008

The black guy couldn't do anything but repeat obvious information being displayed on the screen. That's not right.
posted by Justinian at 1:01 PM on July 25, 2008

But where's Dr. Who? He isn't in this?
posted by not_on_display at 1:15 PM on July 25, 2008

Do not be afraid. For I am the question mark that lives in your dreams.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:30 PM on July 25, 2008

I grew up in Biloxi, MS so I vividly remember the MS ETV stuff was a part of my childhood growing up in the 70's and 80's. The Clyde Frog Show was a favorite of mine and it still cracks me up that Carman on South Park has a frog doll named the same thing. Then there was The Write Channel with R.B. Bug and his famous ending sequence...well famous if you grew up in MS.
posted by GavinR at 1:42 PM on July 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

I remember seeing this at home, during a really bad thunderstorm. We didn't have cable yet, and the reception was really bad, but it was good enough to figure out what was going on. I'm afraid to watch it, because I don't think it will be kind to my nostalgia sense.
posted by JDHarper at 2:02 PM on July 25, 2008

What's this about The Wipers?
posted by anazgnos at 2:32 PM on July 25, 2008

The numbering of those clips is even more mind-bogging that the Dewey decimal
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:41 PM on July 25, 2008

I always preferred Library of Congress.
posted by Caduceus at 2:46 PM on July 25, 2008

I loved watching this in our libraries. I'm so glad you found it!
posted by klangklangston at 3:10 PM on July 25, 2008

Thanks! It's sort of neat to see how many things changed and how some parts of the library will be around forever.

It also reminds me how silly Dewey seems compared to Library of Congress.
posted by kendrak at 7:16 PM on July 25, 2008

There was also Read All about It!
posted by oonh at 7:21 PM on July 25, 2008

I'm so glad I came back to this post. Awesome just happened.
posted by P.o.B. at 11:46 AM on July 26, 2008