Phone books are bulky pains-in-the-ass. Inefficient and clumsy, they sprawl out when opened to take up much more room than necessary, knocking my drink and scooting my pencil across the table.
But they are easy to scan for information. When someone calls for a number, I look in the database. But when I don't find it because of a misspelling, I go to the phone book. I check the phone book so often sometimes that I decide to bypass the database completely.
Flip. Scan. For a Reference Librarian it’s so much easier.
When I’m in the database, I click the tab and enter names in fields, click and wait.
Click. Wait. Scan. Back. Enter alternate spelling. There really aren’t any shortcuts especially when right-clicking is disabled.
So I use the books.
These are the old ways.
When I finish my desk time and see two big phone books splayed out sloppily like drunks, I know I’ve had a productive shift.
