[Web4lib] Paperless society

[Robert Sullivan]

> > Having used the phone book twice in the last 20 minutes to answer
> > reference
> > questions I found it quite humorous.

> Telephone books are *much* more scarce than they used to be.  That you
> continue to use the most inefficient available container for this sort of
> information doesn't make the assertion silly or wrong.

I'm sure Jocelyn is well aware of the value of online directory tools,
either free or commercial services such as ReferenceUSA, which we use.

One can appreciate them while realizing that at a busy urban reference
desk there are times when a phone book is more appropriate - either
it's quicker for a local number, or more accurate (RefUSA may not
notice you've moved for a couple of years), or you want the yellow
page ads.  Then there are the patrons who want to look up their own
number and don't want to say they can't use a computer...

Mr. Kahle's organization performs a valuable public service, but he
doesn't work in our environment.

-- 
Bob Sullivan
Schenectady Digital History Archive
<http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/>
Schenectady County (NY) Public Library