Change

The year was 1985. The city was Youngstown, Ohio. The college was Youngstown State University. On my very first day attending college I strolled into the library. Alongside the familiar card catalog were rows of white plastic monitors, their shiny faces green and glowing
with marvelous wonder. I approached them with a mixture of adoring reverence and giddy excitement. Sitting down I absorbed the flouresent display before me. My fingers reached out and touched the keyboard and typed letters and magically I was off into the library catalog.

Now the year is 2008. Admittedly I never loved the card catalog. When a card would send me
from my cozy spot where I was, to a drawer far, far away - just to find one book - it made me mad.
In the words of Bruce Banner, "You don't want to see me when I'm mad."

The online catalog is a thing of beauty - a joy to experience. Even when they are imperfect and
don't quite work like they should, I remember the card catalog. It's bulky and cumbersome monolithic presence lurking in my desk drawer. Opening up my drawer I see rows of old catalog cards and take a few out. I jot a reminder to myself on the back of one. Change is awsome.