Librarians: The Google Before Google

An anonymous reader writes NPR has an article about the questions people ask librarians. Before the internet, the librarian was your best bet for a quick answer to anything on your mind. "We were Google before Google existed," NYPL spokesperson Angela Montefinise explains. "If you wanted to know if a poisonous snake dies if it bites itself, you'd call or visit us." The New York Public Library in Manhattan recently discovered a box of old reference questions asked by patrons and plans to release some in its Instagram account. Here are a few of the best:

• I just saw a mouse in the kitchen. Is DDT OK to use? (1946)
• What does it mean when you dream of being chased by an elephant? (1947)
• Can you tell me the thickness of a U.S. Postage stamp with the glue on it? Answer: We couldn't tell you that answer quickly. Why don't you try the Post Office? Response: This is the Post Office. (1963)
• Where can I rent a beagle for hunting? (1963)

Comments

Re:Duh.

[gigaherz]

It doesn't need to be. It's still a history lesson. Not many young people would know that in the past you'd actually call a library to ask them questions. Heck, I'm 30 and I would have never considered calling them!

Re:With due respect to librarians of days of yore

[N1AK]

To be fair, you could also say that it's an insult to Librarians to claim Google is equivalent. I don't call doctor's the "The webmd before webmd" after all because there can be additional value in receiving an answer from someone knowledgeable over receiving data.

Re:limited resource

[Anonymous Coward]

public libraries (and the real books they contain) are still awesome, and very much under appreciated by most of the government entities that fund them. visit your library, get a library card, and use it. libraries are the cornerstone of many neighborhoods and smaller communities around the country, and the world, and they still serve a valuable and irreplaceable purpose.

Re:Library Science was and is a true profession

[drinkypoo]

So is Hotel Management, now sometimes known as Hospitality and Hotel Management.

Hotels are older than schools. Maybe the hoteliers should teach the schools a thing or two, such as how to run within budget. Hint: reduce administrative staff, everyone needs to do actual work