Question

correct any errors in capitalization or punctuation. your answer should be a single sentence.
the librarian suddenly looked up from his desk and inquired, \how long have you been standing there?\
the librarian suddenly looked up from his desk and inquired, \how long have you been standing there?\

Explanation:

The word "how" at the start of the direct quotation should be capitalized as it begins a sentence within the quotation. Also, the closing punctuation for the quotation should be a single question mark inside the quotation marks, not a question mark followed by a quotation mark. So we correct the capitalization of "how" and adjust the punctuation.

Answer:

The librarian suddenly looked up from his desk and inquired, "How long have you been standing there?"