So, another reference call was transferred to me from downstairs this evening. Upon hearing the patron's question on the other end, I once again realized that you really never know what people are going to ask you. It also reminded me what it is that I like about being a librarian.
In any case, the gentleman asked me to provide him with the real birth names of both the famous actor, Kirk Douglas and the well-known political leader and writer, Leon Trotsky. Like many, I had previously assumed in error that these were their actual given names. But evidently no...
To answer the question, I resisted that amateurish, reflexive temptation to just access Wikipedia and instead, decided to look in one of the library's many online databases, Biographic Resource Center. Within only a few quick clicks and keystrokes, it was revealed to me from a reliable and authoritative source, a fact I also mentioned to the caller, that our familiar Mr. Kirk Douglas is otherwise known as "Issur Danielovitch", "Isadore Demsky", and "Issur Danielovitch Demsky". Trotsky's birth name provided yet another mouthful, being otherwise known as "Lev Davidovich Bronstein" and "Lev Davidovitch Bronstein".
The lesson learned: as a librarian, you don't exactly have to know everything, though you should possess sufficient knowledge and expertise to be able to find the answer to most questions.
