Category Mistakes

"In philosophy, errors prompted by the multiple meanings of words are known as 'category mistakes,' the grouping of dissimilar concepts under a single shared label. Errors of this kind may not have profound consequences in the library world, but they do waste the time of users and staff alike. By asking additional clarifying questions the librarian can avoid such problems, focusing on the meaningful content of the user's request." (Cassell, K.A. Hiremath, U. 2009. Reference and information services in the 21st century. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers.)