I was in the children's room of the Oakland Public Library searching for a particular book, but I couldn't remember its title or the author's name. Naturally, I was reluctant to ask the librarian, but I was desperate for the book so I decided to make a fool of myself and ask anyhow. Despite my lack of information, she was willing to search for it; in fact, she had an eager gleam in her eye. "What time period?"
"It was probably written in the late fifties or early sixties."
"What subject matter?"
"I don't know, but she wrote another book that won an award. That one took place in Elizabethan England and was about fairies who live underground. Well, they're not fairies exactly..." She was already typing away on her computer as I spoke. "Elizabethan England? The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope won the Newberry Honor Award in 1976. Does that ring a bell?"
"That's it, but I thought it was written earlier."
"No, but she did write another book. Here it is: The Sherwood Ring, published in 1958. We have a copy, but it's at the Montclair Branch. Do you want us to put it on hold for you?"
"Yes, that's it. You're brilliant. How did you do that?"
She beamed, basking modestly in her glory. "Google helped."
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