Work today started out feeling like a final exam. I walked in and ALL the computers were down (Internet, Catalog, Circ, you name it) Now I know I'm spoiled and that I rely on computers a bit too much, but doing reference without the catalog is a challenge for me because a) I wasn't a librarian in the days before computerized catalogs so I haven't practiced all that much using the off-line tools and b) because I jump around between 4 libraries, I don't know where everything is by sight like I would be able to if it was my regular job (and this library is the one I work at the least of all of them) But, given that, I felt I managed remarkably well. Luckily I was on the J side for the first two hours, and by the time I had to go work on the A desk, at least the Internet catalog was up so we could use that interface (even if we couldn't use the more useful staff-pac.) The other saving grace was that the library pretty much cleared out when the patrons realized that they couldn't get online (or check out more than a maximum of 5 books each because the circ system was also down) so there weren't that many questions to field.
First, here's some of the sources that turn out to be very useful to have on hand when the systems all go down:
Abridged Subject Catalog
- this is a handy print-out of a ton of different subjects and the corresponding dewey numbers. Of course most of the things I was looking for weren't in it, but it got me close in most cases
Children's Catalog
18th Edition
Edited by Anne Price and Juliette Yaakov
(It was from 2001 -- so it doesn't have the latest books and series)
Best Books for Children
by John Gillespie
7th edition, 2001
This turned out to be the best resource of the bunch, and helped me out in a number of cases.
I like how it divides the materials into categories: P (primary): pre-3; PI (primary/intermediate) 2-4; I (intermediate) 4-6; IJ (intermediate-jr. high): 5-8+; and ALL (all readers): pre-8+.
Its not terribly helpful for biographies though, because it puts them all in 921 and we have them pulled out in a separate section but with the subject number
A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books
Middle & Junior High School Library Catalog
Some of today's questions/books::
pirate mysteries
pencil
chipmunks
XP Printing problems (the patron came in with a transciption of the errors she was getting but I don't think I was able to be much help)
dog sledding (sled dogs, 798.8 in Best Books for Children)
Harriet the Spy
3rd/4th grade girl books
tape
Scooby Doo series (this one stumped me but the in-charge Librarian knew I should look in the G paperbacks, and there were a ton under Gelsey)
worms and composting
auto repair
Colorado
Madeline L'Engle
Lois Sachar
comic books
Artemis Fowl
books by local school kids on display
crayons
"Saga of the Seven Suns" series
Fahrenheit 451
Rebecca
The Thorn Birds
hours
Value Line
Alameda County Fair horse racing schedule
Stalin biography
Tales of the South Pacific
Empire Falls
Where is Orchard Hall?
Fairy tales
Native American folktale illustrations
fur elise and Sonata Pathetique by Beethoven on CD
Don Quiote
dropping off books to donate to friends' sale (x2)