The vaccination mark on the arm of Achilles (Brad Pitt) in Troy. In The Godfather, the 50-star U.S. flag in a scene that takes place in 1947.
Google “movie anachronisms” and you’ll get thousands of purported examples like these of misguided historical representations. While the HSLS audience may be smaller than that of a Hollywood blockbuster, we know that it is far more discerning. That’s why we’ll soon be posting an updated version of the Falk Library online tour.
Originally produced in 2009, the tour was conceived in part as a way for HSLS liaison librarians to introduce each year’s crop of new students to the physical library and to HSLS services. But it’s a useful overview for anyone who needs an on-demand orientation. Of course, we also continue to offer our live one-hour Introduction to HSLS Resources and Services at Falk Library session as part of our regular class schedule.
In a recent review, we discovered that about half of the 80-some images used in the tour are out of date. What has changed in the last two years? Staff turnover has brought in new faces. The library’s entrance area has been remodeled. Information on our Web site has been updated, as has the hardware in our Computer and Media Center. The copy card dispenser has been removed as we updated to a system that will accept either cash or Panther funds for photocopying or printing in the library.
The most significant physical change? Perhaps the mass removal of shelving and one of two Reference Desks, all replaced by additional computers and seating in the Reference area. These changes reflect the ongoing move from a print to a digital environment and to a change in the way we serve our patrons. While there is always a reference librarian on duty during reference hours to provide impromptu assistance from the remaining Reference Desk, we now receive at least as many phone, email, and chat requests as face-to-face interactions.
~ Patricia Weiss