I went to the library this evening to look up two Journal Star newspaper articles — one from 2005 and one from 2006. Just to prove I’m not a Luddite, I decided to try one of the library’s computer stations and utilize their free NewsBank service to just e-mail the articles I wanted from the library’s computer to my personal e-mail address. I’ve actually done it before and it was pretty slick.

But obviously, it had been more than a month since I used their computers, because the first question I got was, “Have you gotten on a computer since we put in our new system?”

“Um, I dunno. How new is your ‘system’?”

“About a month.”

“Then, no, I guess not.”

To make a long story short, the “old system” was to have a live library staff person wait on you and assign you to a computer workstation. The “new system” is to train you, the library patron, to do the job the live library staff person used to do for you. There’s one other “new” thing. Instead of a manual reservation, the new system is computerized. So it’s not as easy as just writing your name on a clipboard.

After being duly trained on this library administration software, I was informed that workstation 21 would be available for my use at 7:00. I looked at the clock on the wall, and it was 6:25. I asked to cancel my computer reservation.

Instead, I went over to the microfilm machines where nary a soul was around, pulled out the two microfilm reels I needed, loaded them each, found the articles I wanted, and printed off a copy, all within about five minutes. I was home by 6:40.

Score one for the old-fashioned way.