was the managing editor of The Collation from 2015-2023. As a reference librarian and archivist, she spends a lot of her time assisting others with their research. When she has a few moments for her own, she can be found exploring book history, theatre history, the history of science, and the interesting ways those crash together sometimes. — View all posts by Abbie Weinberg
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Nadia Seiler would have loved this article! In fact, we discussed the value of card catalogs back when she was first getting into libraries as a summer job at Harvard’s Widener library…Thank you, Abbie for this vigorous defense of the wayward thinking induced by the old, tangible system!
Without the card catalog, our participants in the recent Cervantes seminar wouldn’t have been able to make nearly as many amazing discoveries in the Folger collection:
Such a useful post–and reminder–Abbie! Thank you for this. I guess I’m as old-school as they come about the importance of open-stack libraries, hands-on non-virtual perception of the way and authors are organized in a catalogue, and even (for this old dog) of taking notes in the reading room by hand in a notebook before transcribing them to a computer.
So true! I was happy to read this article giving credit to the card catalogue. Fifteen or so years ago there was a fascinating article in The New Yorker on what was being lost when the card catalogues were being phased out. I have recognized their importance ever since.
Thank you for sharing, the Galileo tidbit was dope!
There is definitely a nature of serendipity when physically looking for books.
I once was searching for another book written by an author I was really enjoying, on the shelves of an SF public library, the book ended up not being there…But! I found this book right next to it by an author I had never heard of, while searching the area for an accidental misplace, who had written a dark comedy. I had never read that style of book before and I caught myself laughing out loud whilst reading the book many times.
A truly pleasant experience that I otherwise would not have had as the book was in no way related to the one I was originally searching for.
Texas (Library Science student) — October 25, 2024
Comments
Nadia Seiler would have loved this article! In fact, we discussed the value of card catalogs back when she was first getting into libraries as a summer job at Harvard’s Widener library…Thank you, Abbie for this vigorous defense of the wayward thinking induced by the old, tangible system!
Anne Seiler — April 19, 2016
Without the card catalog, our participants in the recent Cervantes seminar wouldn’t have been able to make nearly as many amazing discoveries in the Folger collection:
http://folgerpedia.folger.edu/Bibliography_of_Cervantes_titles_and_materials_at_the_Folger
If an entry on that list isn’t linked, it isn’t in Hamnet yet, and scholars need to use the card catalog to find it!
Owen Williams — April 19, 2016
Such a useful post–and reminder–Abbie! Thank you for this. I guess I’m as old-school as they come about the importance of open-stack libraries, hands-on non-virtual perception of the way and authors are organized in a catalogue, and even (for this old dog) of taking notes in the reading room by hand in a notebook before transcribing them to a computer.
Gail McMurray Gibson — April 20, 2016
So true! I was happy to read this article giving credit to the card catalogue. Fifteen or so years ago there was a fascinating article in The New Yorker on what was being lost when the card catalogues were being phased out. I have recognized their importance ever since.
Carol Martin — May 3, 2016
Thank you for sharing, the Galileo tidbit was dope!
There is definitely a nature of serendipity when physically looking for books.
I once was searching for another book written by an author I was really enjoying, on the shelves of an SF public library, the book ended up not being there…But! I found this book right next to it by an author I had never heard of, while searching the area for an accidental misplace, who had written a dark comedy. I had never read that style of book before and I caught myself laughing out loud whilst reading the book many times.
A truly pleasant experience that I otherwise would not have had as the book was in no way related to the one I was originally searching for.
Texas (Library Science student) — October 25, 2024