The "Cabinet of Mysteries" in my earlier PESO was indeed a library
card catalog cabinet, as Paul and others noted.  It was were all
research was done, back before library books became computerized.  The
one in my PESO is a relic, saved and now used to catalog the back
issues of The Daily Dartmouth, the student newspaper of my alma mater,
which is America's oldest college newspaper,  published continuously
since August 27, 1799.

In my day, the main hall of Baker Library at Dartmouth was crammed
with hundreds of these cabinets, all overflowing with index cards
containing information on the more than 1,000,000 volumes kept in the
stacks and special collections.  I spent many hours searching through
the cards, especially when working on my thesis.

This is what that main hall looks like today:
http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18151516

To me, it appears almost vacant, compared to the days when one could
hardly move between the catalog card cabinets.

Most young people today would have no idea how to use a library card catalog.

Dan Matyola
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola

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