Not Just for Students
By Maureen Delovio
Libraries are not just for homework or Runescape. Libraries are for every reason - for every need and every person. Libraries are not to be left behind with your text books once you have finished your formal education. Libraries are to be relied upon for the long haul. They are here for the duration.
We specialize in customer service. Our policy is not “what you see is what you get” rather it is “if you don’t see it let us help you find it.” On the second floor of the West Warwick Public Library at 1043 Main Street there hides information that you don’t even know you need yet. The library should be one of the first stops in your search for truth, justice and the American way or maybe just a search for someone’s address.
Here are some real life scenarios:
My 1998 Ford Ranger is making an awful front end noise. To help you pinpoint the source of that racket we have a whole line of Chilton’s Truck and Van Repair manuals that date back to 1900. Now that the engine is running in tiptop shape maybe you want to detail it using Auto Detailing: the Professional Way by James Joseph to find the best tried and true techniques. If you decide that the truck might be too old to fix you can find its trade-in value in the monthly publication, N.A.D.A. (National Automobile Dealers Association appraisal guide) or the on the Internet at www.nada.com or www.kbb.com.
Your sister from Idaho has decided to dig in to the family’s past and has enlisted your help. Your great-great grandmother on your father’s side lived in Rhode Island in the eighteen hundreds and she died in West Warwick. Of course you want to help but where to start? The West Warwick Public Library has the local paper The Kent County Daily Times (Pawtuxet Valley Daily Times) on microfilm back to 1892 with a name index that spans the first five years. There is also Polk’s City Directory: West Warwick and Coventry from 1915 to 2004 on the shelf. With the pre-twentieth century Rhode Island Cemeteries Database project 95% completed, it is possible to search the historical cemeteries of Rhode Island to find ancestors buried in the state. The Burials of the Potvin Funeral Home published by the American French Genealogical Society will further your research if any family member used this funeral home. James Arnold’s Vital Records of Rhode Island 1636-1850 will help if someone can be traced that far back.
Cleaning out my attic I found a cast-iron bank that must have belonged to my grandfather. I would like to find out how much it is worth before I decide to sell it. There are a plethora of books on antiques and collectibles. Miller’s Antiques Encyclopedia is a good place to start your search. It has in-depth item descriptions, collecting information and many color photos. Warman’s Antiques & Collectibles and Lyle’s Official Antiques Review are price guides that are published yearly and include items made between 1700 and the present. O’Brien’s Collecting Toys: Identification & Value Guide includes turn of the century mechanical banks, Pez dispensers, Yo-Yo’s and dollhouses just to name a few of the toys included in this guide.
I received a bonus from work that was unexpected. Now, I have to decide if I want to invest it or not. Should I invest it in the stock market? We have a number of books and publications that will aid you in making your decision. Weiss Ratings’ Guide to Common Stock, an independent ratings guide, analyses common stock on the NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ. Value Line Investment Survey: Ratings and Reports is a weekly publication that investigates industry trends, reports industry news, follows stock prices and ranks companies. Morning Star, published biweekly, comments on and evaluates 1600 mutual funds.
(These represent only a few of the questions that might be asked in a public library along with a few of the possible sources that help answer those queries.)
In a time when everyone out there is trying to sell you something, we have something free to offer. In an era when information is power we have information in abundance just for the asking. In a country where education is so highly valued we have knowledge for the taking. In a state that prides itself on its independence we have the tools to help you realize your independence. The Public Library meets your needs.