re:SEARCH

  • The art of refrigerator magnets

    I love refrigerator magnets.  I’m not one to accumulate things, but I am fond of these humble collectibles.  These souvenirs are daily reminders of wonderful places I’ve been, take little space, and stay put where I place them!  They are also great for holding up notes and to-do lists.  Just because it is an inexpensive… Continue reading

  • July Question of the Month – an irregular series

    Thank you for enlisting the help of The Seattle Public Library to identifythe history and use of the “floating shift” typewriter key you saw for sale in the FriendShop at our Central library. I am a librarian in the Business, Science and Technology department and I am happy to provide a little background information on… Continue reading

  • February Question of the Month – an irregular series

    During the French Revolution of 1789-1799, a woman was executed. She was married to a member of the nobility. Her husband was a well known scientist (?), as was she. What was her name? Thank you for your question. The French husband and wife scientific team were Antoine and Marie Lavoisier. Lavoisier, a chemist and physicist, established… Continue reading

  • January Question of the Month – an irregular series

     I would like to know how long it would have taken to travel by train from Seattle to Boston in 1910. Thank you for your assistance. Thank you for using our Ask a Librarian service with an inquiry about the length of time it would take to travel by train from Seattle to Boston in… Continue reading

  • Tell them what you think!

    People so often disagree with what is going on with Congress, their state legislature, their city council and you have the option of voting them out of office…but how often do you actually tell them what you think? Well first, of course, you have to contact them…but how to find that information? How do I email… Continue reading

  • Science Insight – Science Databases

    Gale Science in Context (formerly The Science Resource Center) is a one-stop science database for all your science-related research needs. This in-depth, curriculum-oriented, resource focuses on key concepts taught in school classrooms, including… Biology Chemistry Earth and Environmental Science Health and Medicine Math and Technology Physics and Astronomy In addition to these six major subjects,… Continue reading

  • September Question of the Month: an irregular series

    The reference librarians at Seattle Public Library are pretty darn amazing. They don’t know everything, instead they know where to find everything. As part of an irregular series of posts we salute the talented and dedicated reference staff at your local library. Names and other identifying information have been removed from the questions we showcase.… Continue reading

  • Science Friction– Where science and words rub together

    This summer, our Summer Reading Program will take you where you have (most likely) never gone before.  In July and August, the Library and the Northwest Science Writers Association team up to present “Science Friction” – a duet on Pluto (what’s planetary about it?) and Pandora (what’s real about it?).  On July 18 (2-3 pm),… Continue reading

  • February Question of the Month: an irregular series

    The reference librarians at Seattle Public Library are pretty darn amazing.  They don’t know everything, instead they know where to findeverything.  As part of an irregular series of posts we salute the talented and dedicated reference staff at your local library. Names and other identifying information have been removed from the questions we showcase. Got a… Continue reading

  • Job Search Resources: Career Discovery

    Need work?  Need a career change?  Need help?  The Seattle Public Library has you covered.  We’ve an entire page on our website devoted to resources for job seekers.  And because some of them are a bit intimidating we’ve prepared a series of short videos to help you get the most out of these sites.  Let… Continue reading

  • October Question of the Month: An irregular series

    The reference librarians at Seattle Public Library are pretty darn amazing. They don’t know everything, instead they know where to find everything. As part of an irregular series of posts we salute the talented and dedicated reference staff at your local library. Names and other identifying information have been removed from the questions we showcase.… Continue reading

  • Bringing the Ghosts to Life – Doing House History Part 2

    Going back to the 1900 census to do similar searching, I learned that my house was not there at all, and so had apparently been built some time between 1900 and 1910. Useful information indeed! I focused now on the family I’d found, and now that I had a family name to go by, my search was… Continue reading

  • There are few limits to our determination…

    …to answer your questions.  Librarianship is a cooperative profession. If one of us can’t answer a reference question, we consult with our colleagues. But there are occasions when no one local can find the answer. Now, through the magic of the Internet, we can consult instantly with librarians across the country, or even on the… Continue reading

  • April Question of the Month: An irregular series

    The reference librarians at Seattle Public Library are pretty darn amazing.  They don’t know everything, instead they know where to find everything.   As part of an irregular series of posts we salute the talented and dedicated reference staff at your local library.   Names and other identifying information have been removed from the questions we showcase. … Continue reading