Obsolescence

I was searching online for books at the library the other day, and it struck me that kids these days have no idea what a card catalogue is.  Do you remember going to the library when you were a kid, probably do do a research project on Bigfoot, and having to go through the catalogue to find the books you needed?

I remember how awesome it was to learn that such a categorized fount of knowledge worked.  I also remember how it smelled - dusty paper mixed with wood finish.  Delightful.  But nowadays, you just find it all on the computer - infinitely more efficient, but lacking in that certain cachet that the old paper cards held.

Librarians must love it - no more sitting down at a typewriter (another obsolescence) to type out the various cards.  Also - remember those strange white-out strips for typewriters where you could erase what was typed?  Also, remember White Out, Liquid Paper and its more-funny counterpart, Liquid ape?

Somehow, the scene in Ghostbusters when they're in the library wouldn't be as good without the cards flying all over the place (I'm sure that scared librarians more than the ghost!).  Flickering computer screens just don't hold a candle to that.

But what else is this generation missing out on?  Videocassettes.

Actually, I don't miss them all that much (truth be told, we still have TWO working VCRs in our house).  But remember when you rented a video from the video store (hi, there's another thing that's on its way out) and someone wasn't kind before you and didn't rewind?  Do you remember being charged a fine if you weren't kind?  Did your family own a tape rewinder?

Speaking of tapes - remember when you were about to play the latest mix tape that someone gave you, and you had to look at the tape and flip a switch on the boom box (gone as well) if the tape was "metal" or "normal"?

I even have a faint memory of having to fill out this giant booklet of questions for homework - things like who was the first Lieutenant Governor of Alberta - and there was a special number you could call and some mysterious lady (probably a librarian on leave from card-catalogue typing) would look things up and answer some of them.  Or, you would have to look in the Encyclopedia your family devoted a whole shelf to (if you were rich) - or three volumes to if your sister won them on Hi-Q.

Anyway, I had fun thinking about these old technological relics.  I think I'll go Google some more obsolete technologies (and try not to ponder the oxymoronic nature of my search).