Welcome to the Home Page of

Jack Bales



 
I have been a reference librarian at the University of Mary Washington's Library since 1980.  Back in those early days, one of the principal duties of the reference librarian was to sit at the Information Desk and answer questions from persons who had trouble using the card catalog and paper periodical indexes. 

I still help people, but over the years my job has grown to encompass quite a few more tasks, especially now with the Library's computers and Web-based resources.  The ever-changing technology certainly keeps us busy. 

Of course, library staff members still use (and read!) books.  Custom-made bookcases line an entire wall of my townhouse, and the shelves include both fiction and nonfiction--with special emphasis on literature and history.  I also have many reference works, and there is a shelf or two devoted to bibliomania (that is, book collecting). 

For more information about my work and interests, click on any of the following links:


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