In the time before personal computers and before the internet, we turned to books for answers. Some questions were not readily available in books, so we turned to librarians, some of whom recorded the questions and answers on cards. So, index cards immortalized curious and thought-provoking questions, especially those not readily searchable in encyclopedias or books.

Remember when card catalogs listed books and required browsing the shelf to see if our choice was available to check out.

When researchers in the future examine our virtual archives, what will they find of interest?

Before Google came along to offer us confidential answers to our most embarrassing, random, and incriminating questions, librarians roamed the earth. They fielded anonymous queries by phone and in person; transcribed on index cards…

Read more at:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2014/12/24/nypl_interesting_reference_questions_a_window_into_what_puzzled_and_preoccupied.html