This one works very well when the library isn’t crowded. Find someone who is intently reading a book or studying and sit down right beside them and make as much noise as possible.
- Eat your lunch rather loudly. Extra points if it is a smelly lunch.
- Look over someone’s shoulder and ask them questions about the book.
- Find someone intently looking for books. Go to the opposite side of the bookshelf. Remove the books so you can surprise them.
- Find someone looking for books and from the opposite side hand them books to read.
- Make a fort of books on your table and proceed to shoot paper wads at the other patrons.
- Talk loudly to the characters in the book you are reading.
- Handout random reading materials to other patrons.
- Find someone who has gotten up from their table but it is still using it. Relocate the materials to a nearby table.
- Find someone reading a book and tell them the movie is much better than the books. This especially good if it is a self-help, how to or technical book.
Bonus: How to the Annoy Library Staff
- Instead of putting books on reserve for your classes have your graduate assistant hide the books throughout the library. Be sure to give your students a scavenger hunt list in order to find the books. I actually had a professor do this one.
- Randomly select a large amount of books and leave them on the tables and shelves for the staff to deal with.
- Ask the librarian about random obscure or made up books.
