ACQNET: Most bizarre package

Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 11:03:21 -0400
From: Carole R. Bell (Temple Univ.) <crbell_at_temple.edu>
Subject: ACQNET: Most bizarre package

[Editor's Note: Carole has a photo. She might share it, if asked.]

I have to share with my Acqnet colleagues the following.   As an
acquisitions librarian for over 20 years, I have received many
packages but none as bizarre as the one we received a few weeks ago.

 It came in a regular brown envelope with our correct address on it
and was postmarked from the Bank of Mauritius. We receive annual
reports from all over the world, so this was not unusual in any way.
Inside was the expected annual report.

The additional contents really stumped us, however.  In addition to
the report was:

1. A printed pamphlet from a Greek Christian organization in Greek.
2. A handwritten letter in Arabic.
3. A customs slip with the following information: From someone in
    Azerbaijan to someone in Cheney, WA for a jacket worth $150.
4. And last but not leasta little box addressed to someone in
    Princeton, NJ from someone in England that held a PIECE OF
    WEDDING CAKE!

What do these things have in common?  We have been having a great
time with this.  I searched the Internet and found a telephone number
for the guy in Princeton and told him about the cake.  He said that
he did indeed know the people whose name was on the cake box, but
knew nothing about the rest of the items.  (I sent him the cake :-)

I plan to get someone to translate the letter to see if it is at all
related to anything else in the package.  My conclusion is that
someone opened the package in a customs office and just shoved
anything on the table into the package and sent it on it's way.

Carole R. Bell
Head, Acquisitions Dept.
Palely Library 017-00
1210 W. Berks Street
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA 19122

voice:  215-204-3275
fax:    215-204-8550
email: crbell_at_temple.edu




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