The Virtual Gets Real

摘要

It's 5 a.m. on a Monday in northeastern Ohio. The morning commute has yet to start, but the library is already humming with activity. Scores of patrons come and go, with most of the activity book-related. In the next hour there are nearly 50 searches in the catalog, with an equal number of items renewed. A few dozen requests are placed for circulating items. The databases don't get much use, probably because it's June and few schools are in session. "Do you know of any web sites that will tell me what I need to eat, and what exercises I should do to lose weight?" a patron asks a reference librarian.