From Smithsonian magazine: “Vintage Supplies that Kept Libraries Running.” I still see a couple of charging cases in my university library’s reference room. I think they hold scratch paper now. And I still see older books with the holes left by perforating stamps. They track the school’s changing names, from “normal school” to college to university.
One bit of more recent library technology I wish I had asked about as a kid: a machine in my branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. A book to be checked out was opened flat under a hood of sorts. A light flashed above, accompanied by a strangely satisfying thunk. At least I think that’s what happened. This machine must have been making photostats for circulation records. I remember that with several books, the librarian would nest them before checking them out.
(Is anyone familiar with what I’m trying to describe?)
Thanks to Gunther at Lexikaliker for passing on the link.
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May 2: I found two photographs of the charging machine I tried to describe.
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May 6: More discoveries in the post with the photos.
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Friday, April 30, 2021
Vintage library supplies
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comments: 10
I'm happy to hear that you like it!
Regarding the machine: I can remember this machine very well, as well as the punch cards that were inserted before the copying process. I also have fond memories of the punch cards – they had a row of holes along one edge, and some holes were open towards the edge. These open and closed holes represented a binary coding and allowed sorting with a knitting needle.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwioi7zsnqbwAhXISDABHVwiCBEQFjABegQIAhAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ideals.illinois.edu%2Fbitstream%2Fhandle%2F2142%2F5693%2Flibrarytrendsv5i2h_opt.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1&usg=AOvVaw1GUwljfraokLZLsrdxxUrU
rand photo charge machine
from an anonymous librarian :)
Gunther, my wife has been using one of those cards since 2015 as an “official” bookmark for our two-person reading club.
And now I know the name of the machine. Thank you, Anonymous Librarian!
I remember those machines! And the sound they made when taking the photo too back at the Francis Martin Library in the Bronx. Being a good little doobie, I always opened all my books to the inside part with the card pocket, nested them together in a neat pile from smallest to largest, with my library card on top all ready to go.
Joe, that begins to ring a bell. Did I do that too?
I’ve been trying to find a photo of one of these machines. No luck yet.
And I think it was activated via a foot pedal. There would be a light for a few seconds, a kind of hum, then onto the next book. There's gotta be some archival footage somewhere or an educational film of a 1970s trip to the library.
I found this, which leads to lots of interesting library links: http://libraryhistorybuff.blogspot.com/2009/07/gaylords-charging-machine.html
Joe, you were a really sharp observer and deducer. I think you’re right — it was no-hands charging.
Thanks, Stephen, for that find. Elaine and I have been looking everywhere for evidence of the photo charge machine. There appear to be display ads in library publications, but they’re lost to Snippet View. But I’m going to keep looking.
Woohoo! What a treat seeing it again. Thanks, junior detective squad!
At your service! But I think Stephen deserves a promotion.
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