Elusive Answer

I started week 4 still chasing the elusive answer to a reference question I was sent last week. The question, when did the Comparative Literature Program become the Comparative Literature Department, seemed easy enough, but I was wrong. Dina helped me recall about 8 boxes from the ALF in the quest for the answer. She also introduced me to the Board of Trustees Minutes card catalog.

It is increasingly rare these days to run into an actually card catalog. I admit that I haven't used one since I was probably in middle school. Using the card catalog gave me a new appreciation for the process of creating a card catalog. Talk about an exercise in precision and patience bordering on the edge of madness.

Sadly, after all the searching through the boxes and the card catalog, I could not find a definitive answer to the question posed. I really enjoy the process the answering a reference question and find it frustrating when I cannot deliver. Hopefully, I will have better luck with the next question!