Took me 3 library trips to realize I was searching wrong

I kept going to the library for books on homesteading and coming home with nothing useful. After the third trip a librarian named Diane asked what keywords I was using. She showed me the subject heading search instead of just typing in random words. Now I find exactly what I need in like 10 minutes. Has anyone else had a librarian save them hours of frustration?

2 comments

2 Comments

robinwalker5d ago

Man, @foster.dylan hit the nail on the head! That reference desk tip is gold. I swear, those librarians are like search wizards. They know all the weird tricks the catalog hides. I remember one time I was hunting for old local maps and the librarian just pulled up a whole database I had no idea existed. It saved me from digging through like fifty wrong shelves. The trick is they understand how the system is built behind the scenes, not just what you type in. So yeah, always ask before you wander aimlessly, cause they can cut your search time down to nothing.

foster.dylan5d ago

Jump right into asking the reference desk before you even start. Those librarians have seen it all and know the catalog inside out. In my experience, they're usually happy to help once they see you're putting in effort too.