Library Phone Answerers Survive the Internet

One of the responsibilities of the Brookfield Zoo Library is to answer calls from the public. Calls are answered by two very resourceful docents on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The docents field phone calls, emails, and letters with inquiries ranging from general animal information to how-to-handle wounded or abandoned animals to historical infomation about Brookfield Zoo. To leave a message on our docent hotline, please call: 708.485.0263, x. 580. We receive hundreds of inquires a year!

A recent New York Times article ("Library Phone Answerers Survive the Internet") highlights a similar service performed by New York Public Library staff. Anyone, of any age, from anywhere can telephone (212) 340-0849 and ask New York Public Library researchers almost any question.

This service, provided by Brookfield Zoo, New York Public and many other libraries, is a testament to the fact that we need such resourceful detectives to suss out the good information when Google just won't do. A BIG THANK YOU to our docent detectives!