Showerthought: physical stacks vs digital databases for finding local history

I used to dig through the actual local history shelves at my library, like 3 floors of dusty old clippings and county records. Now I just type into the library's digital archive and get everything in 2 minutes. But I swear I found stuff before that I'd never think to search for, like that 1927 fire report buried in a random folder. Is the serendipity of browsing worth the time, or am I just romanticizing the old way? What do you all do for local history research?

2 comments

2 Comments

mia_anderson14h ago

Maybe it's just me but this happens with music playlists vs radio too.

the_jake5h ago

I actually see it a bit differently. Radio forces you to sit through songs you might not pick yourself, which can be annoying but also introduces you to stuff you'd never find on your own. Playlists just reinforce what you already like, so they can kind of trap you in a bubble over time.