From the pages of the February 2007 issue of Down East magazine, an article about Bangor librarians and the reference request they have fielded. The article reports that in 1994, the Bangor Public Library had 29,111 reference requests in 1994, anything from "the population of Chad to the Latin Name for a little-known plant." In 2005, the number had risen to 30,800. One of the reference librarians, Susan Wennrich, offers, "the biggest difference is the way we receive them." While many still come in by phone, nearly 3,000 request arrive via email, where none were received in 1994.
The Bangor Library answers many questions that are not easily answered by search engines. The resolve a lot of questions on Maine history, much of which is not available online. And, Wennrich surprisingly states, "many people still don't have computers and Internet access, although those are becoming fewer and fewer."
While the librarians themselves are known to use Google and the net to answer questions, they are careful to avoid the pitfall, "It must be true, I read it on the Internet." They are careful to avoid Wikipedia, a wise move for many.
So, Archivalist, can you tell me all about the annual regatta that floats down the Kennebec each year?
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