Blog Posts by Subject: Reference

Growing up, I used to hear the phrase "what do you want, egg in your beer?" all the time. Although I have many occasions in which I'd like to use it, I never have because I know it would only garner perplexing looks. I looked into it recently and it's from WWII and it seems to be somewhat self-explanatory as egg in beer is not very appealing, as opposed to, say, an

This post will decipher the Library's record of the NYT and demonstrate how to use the NYT to conduct other newspaper research.

Most New Yorkers do not aim to simply survive, but to thrive. But let’s face it, we’ve all taken it on the chin of late. People from all over, not just New Yorkers, often feel their stress-levels rising. Whether you're trying to survive workplace stress, natural disasters, or physical violence, mental toughness, physical fitness, active participation in your community 

There is a myth that persists in the field of genealogy, or more accurately, in family lore, that family names were changed at Ellis Island. They were not.

There is a good chance that you are starting your summer off in a new home. May, which has been referred to as National Moving Month, kicked off the relocation season. Anyone who has ever moved knows that it is a very involved process. It is so involved, that at times (perhaps while figuring out pet transportation or carrying boxes full of books), you might want to rethink the whole thing. Flooded basement filled with zombies? A wacky obstacle you might rather live with instead of 

Art can be found in many places: on the walls at home, in museums and galleries. We walk through New York City and cities around the world looking at buildings, parks and street life, rarely looking down. But there is also art underfoot! Take a look at manhole covers. Manhole covers have intricate designs and other uses. Manhole covers may be a lost forgotten art.

Manhole covers protect people from falling down below, but manholes serve as a vital passageway to subterranean conduits for water pipes, telephone communications, electrical power and other 

photo via flickr by tuppusWe here at AskNYPL get regular requests for digital images on different topics and we're always happy to share the New York Public Library's very own Digital Gallery. While the NYPL Digital Gallery does a wonderful job with its collection, making things easy to find and accessible, we don't always have the content folks are 

The phrase "I'd rather be reading the phonebook" as a (mildly) preferable alternative to boring tasks has given telephone directories a bad reputation. One that I admit I never thought to put to question before. Recently, however, when Special Formats Processing began working on a large collection of telephone directories from the United States and numerous countries around the world, I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the directories turned out to be. Of course, there isn't time to actually read any phonebook cover to cover (although the covers themselves can be very 

Every day brings us all a little closer, but to what? The books, magazines, movies and television of the day often depict two worlds, two evolving futures.

New Yorkers experienced two major life events in the past few weeks: a superstorm and a hotly contested presidential election. Those two events have more in common than you might think. They both stressed us out. They both left us blurry with some of the details... what happened and what didn't, what was said and what was only hearsay. What was underreported and what was blown way out of proportion.

With social media 

One can scarcely think of any park in NYC — or any city, really — without envisioning the ubiquitous pigeon there as well.

via flickr, macz_outCycling is not only great for your health; it’s better for the environment and less expensive than other forms of travel. Currently the city is working toward making NYC more friendly to cyclists and as a library we're trying to make information regarding cycling a little easier to find.

So, here are some helpful resources regarding cycling programs, biking clubs, books, blogs, and other practical guides. At the end of this post you’ll also find a list of library locations equipped with bike racks!

The

I don't have a very good memory of the fiction books I read and enjoyed as a child. What I do remember is an obsession with encyclopedias, almanacs, atlases, the

My hope is that this blog will serve as a useful starting point for anyone seeking or researching the origin of words and/or phrases, also called etymology. Both print-based and web-based sources are included.

Here are some web resources on word and phrase origins and a few print resources.

Oxford English Dictionary (OED) The online edition of the 20-volume dictionary, access with your library 

You may not be aware, in this age of social media and auto-generated recommendations, but librarians are usually pretty good at suggesting books that match your reading tastes and habits. The technical term for this is "Reader's Advisory," and we try to spend time getting to know a wide variety of authors and genres of writing so that we are always ready to give you a tip when you ask for one.

Librarians are not 

Fictional works are usually cataloged by author and title, not by subject or plot line, which makes identifying books by their plot or story line difficult.

Before you start your search it would help if you can identify everything you remember about the book, plot, character names, time period in which the book may have been published, genre, etc. All these can help in identifying the title and author of the book.

There are some resources online that can help with a search for a fictional work if all you have is a plot line. Also sometimes the best way to 

This image is great because you will realize that photo manipulation came long before Photoshop. This policeman is altered artistically. Also, you can spot the Berlitz school of languages, a company that is still making language learning materials today.

There are so many lovely things to see in this collection. Check out the Flatiron Building,

Drama, comedy, dance, music and romance! I found them all on 42nd Street and you can too!

If you love Broadway musicals old and new, along with drama, romance and some comedic repertoire, then the Great White Way is where you know you can enjoy a day or night out in New York City. It may become an adventure navigating and obtaining those coveted Broadway tickets. There are many websites that offer discount codes, but there are other ways to see a show at a reasonable price.

Broadway has implemented what is called Rush (General or Student), Lottery and 

http://www.healthinaging.org/resources/resource:home-safety-tips-for-older-adults/

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative disease. Actually it can be viewed as a group of disorders that results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior and affects approximately 4 million Americans and as many as 15 million through out the world. Medical care, education and a support strategy can make the difference and help family and loved ones cope.

Alzheimer's Disease.