Apparently, I have neglected my motherly duties. I must have never brought my children into the 21st century when it comes to using libraries.
My middle son, the one who is almost 26 years old went to the library this morning and wanted the book "Catcher in the Rye"....(his friend told him he should read it ) but he couldn't find the card catalog.
This is a child of mine, (he is no longer really a child, but a young man), who grew up in the technological age. He had a computer in the house, he has/had/has a cell phone with e-mail and Internet capabilities, there are camera phones, iPods, blue-tooth, etc etc etc.
He once cheated on a game of Scrabble with us. We thought he was texting (as if that wasn't rude enough while we were playing a game ) and he was actually looking up what words he could make with the letters he had...scrabble.com.
My point is.... when he called me and said he hated the library, I was in shock. WHAT?
(his mother/me, has worked in public and school libraries his whole life. And now sits on the board of our local public library)
What are you talking about? I asked him.
I like the old card catalogs, he answered.
didn't you see the computer there, where you could look up books? I asked.
Yep, he said, but I wanted a card catalog.
Well, I said, it's fiction. J.D. Salinger, so it's easy to find anyway, you don't need a call number. And.... I have a copy upstairs in the bookshelf in my bedroom.
That's what I figured, he said, the library, your books shelves, same thing.
I'm not quite sure what that meant.... I have too many books? He knows I am an accomplished (LOL) reader and I have most of the modern American classics at my fingertips ? He thinks I am a book pack-rat?
What?
But I have a confession to make...when I'm in a library, I, too, miss the old card catalogs.
Do you?
Craig Johnson at The Poisoned Pen
9 hours ago
6 comments:
I'm surprised your son even knows what a card catalog is. My son's never used one - all he's ever known is a computerized version.
I miss the old card catalogs too....that used to be the best fun when I was younger.
No, I was always intimidated by the card catalog. I'm glad it's computerized now.
But, maybe I'm the only one who feels that way?
I totally miss the card catalogue! Some of my happiest childhood memories were spent thumbing through all those choices!
In the map department where I work, my job it to take all the information from the old card catalogue and make new records in our computer system. I have to say some of those old cards are not very accurate so no I don't miss the old system. The computer is much quicker and more efficient. Especially at my school where we have 12 million libraries and several of them have copies of the same book. There are just certain things you can't know from the old card system.
When you come visit us at yale this summer though in the library where I work they still have their old catalogue stuff set up. It's more of a display than anything since nobody uses them, but we could go look at them with the babies if you want. :~) It'll be a field trip. Since I expect Phil and Lil to love libraries and books.
I can't wait to go to the Yale Library with Lil and Phil. It will be a fun outing with my grandbabies! LOL
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