Several people in /clan tell me that it worked for them. I don't have any ideas. I use Firefox, but at this point browser compatibility seems unlikely.
As requested here are debuglogs of using I love me vol I in the CLI and browser. Only the latter works for unlocking Dr. Awkward.
I note that in the first case the book is not actually removed which it is in the second successful attempt.
place.php?whichplace=palindome&action=pal_mroffice
Inside the office, you see a guy in a lab coat standing at a sink, washing beakers. You step up behind the man and tap him on the shoulder.<p>"Oh, hello! Can I help you with something? I'm Mr. Alarm, Mr. Alan Alarm."<p>"Did you once work for Dr. Awkward?"<p>He flinches, and his eye starts to twitch. "How did you know that? Did he send you? I moved all the way to the other side of the building to get away from that jerk!"<p>"No no, I'm trying to find a way to penetrate his ineptitude field. He dropped a book when I tried to fight him before, and it mentioned you, so I thought you might be able to help me." You hand him the book, and he flips through it with interest.<p>"Aha! He's made notes of some of his formulas... All right. I'll tell you what -- I was about to go to lunch, but if you bring me some food, I'll work on a counter-charm. I'm in the mood for a bowl of wet stunt nut stew."<p>"...Wet stunt nut stew?"<p>"Yes, yes. Just like my grandmother used to make. She'd make a stock out of bird rib and lion oil, then stew in some stunt nuts. God, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! I'll get to work on the charm; I should be finished by the time you get back."<P>"Where can I find it?"<p>"Oh, well, I know those dreadful Nas'Kar people inside the dome sometimes use wet stunt nut stew as bait in their party boobytraps. If you can't figure out how to make the stew yourself, maybe you could find some there?"
He's hard at work on your counter-charm, and he's hungry -- you shouldn't go back in there until you've got his stew.<p>He suggested checking party boobytraps in the Palindome.
Also, is there any non-visit_url-way for ASH scripts to detect Dr. Awkward's office being open/available?