Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-31
BUSY MEN MAKE use
OF CITY FREE | library
Information Desk is a Source Of
Practical Help as Well as
Interest.

Though the information desk at the
Free Library is a busy spot on winter
afternoons, when school work sends
scores of students there for help, the Ii.
brarian in charge finds her time wei
occupied in the summer months as well
for inquiries are by no means limited te
school debates and essays. Business mer
in every kind of industry and profession
come to the Free Library In search OF the
solution to some particularly knotty
problem. And solution is generally
found,-it may be in a manual or hand
book, a directory, report or government
document, recent pamphlet, or a news
paper or magazine article. Very few IN
quiries are not given the material to ans
wer their questions, or directed to the
source of such information IN cases where
the Library cannot furnish 1t.
Another group of people who rely on
the Library and appreciate its services to
them is the artists and illustrators. Some
times the reference assistants are asked
for n picture of a steam engine such as
was used in 1862 or the costume of a
Dutch governor in colonial times, some
times for the picture of horse trotting,
or view of a part of the deck of a torpedo
DESTROYER. Perhaps an author in search
of local color wants the vernacular name
for the official in Turkey who corresponds
TO the English Prime Minister, or a
Youthful poet wants q word to rhyme
with "adore."
Full of human interest are some Of the
requests A small boy dashes in with
the breathless request for book of names
that would be suitable for a newly arrived
baby sister, Again, man and his wife
come into find out all that is possible about
the geography, population and possible
social resources of Calgary in Canada
before accepting promising job that has
been offered there.
An energetic and foresighted housewife
sees n chance to turn her summer vaca-
tion TO account and inquiries about the
process or making bayberry candles,
which she can use as Christmas gifts. An
artistic girl is studying the process for
making batiks and comes 10 the lnforma-
tion desk for directions as the proper way
to mix and apply the dye.
One gets an idea of the variety of q,les-
tions from these actual examples at
rar dom from the reference librarians $
deSk-nad on which she records the recent
requests:
is there Cheyney Industrial School
rear Philadelphia
L. ). Engineers report on the Panama
Canal.
Location of the Brunswick Hotel in
Boston
How to construct a Telegraph.
Use of fuel oil for engines.
An article on the fixation of nitrogen.
Paper mill machinery.
Depth of water strata in New Jersey
nnd New York States.
Treatment of elm blight.
Names of Diocesan societies of the
Episcopal Church which are located on
Long Island.
Latest books on cost accounting.
Hardwood finishing.
Chemical properties of tobacco ash.
Detailed picture of square rigged ship
This list is sufficient to show the kind of
questions the reference librarian must be
prepared to answer. She is not omniscient
and could not, off-hand, answer a fraction
tho questions asked, but she is special
in using reference books and her long
.perience in finding Information is at the
disposal of anyone seeking information.
he has the entire resources of the library
draw upon. This means that the one
: drcd thousand odd volumes in the
j. aary are at the disposal of the person
, ho asks her question. She is trained
far the work, and she is eager TO be of
service, which may explain why il seldom
happens that problem is gwen her which
she cannot help to solve.