The Crowell Public Library has unveiled a new online catalog.
The updated system provides services library users are accustomed to. It allows community members to browse collections, place holds and manage accounts and also enables sending and receiving text messages about accounts.
Library card catalogs trace back to the 1791 French Revolutionary Government. Playing cards that were sturdy, uniform in size and blank on one side were used to catalog confiscated aristocrats’ private libraries, according to the Community Services Department. Within three years, over 1 million cards overwhelmed offices in Paris.
The Crowell Public Library is open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday during the summer.
First published in the June 20 issue of the San Marino Tribune
