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OCTOBER 1, 2008

Finding a Bridge

One of the things that is kind of neat about working in a library is you never know what information you might stumble upon, why or when. Today I learned two interested and generally unrelated facts: Today in 1908 Henry Ford put the first “Model T” on the market for US$825 and in 1931 the George Washington Bridge linking New Jersey and New York opened.

These are not greatly important facts, but I found them interesting. Likewise, as most trivial things do, they sponsored a train of thought. My first car was a Ford (not a Model T). $825.00 today is not even one months rent on many apartments, let alone a whole car. How times change things. I’ve traveled the GW Bridge more times than I can count. I prefer the top level, to the claustrophobic tunnel below.

One neat thing about being a Librarian is that as others ask questions of you and your mind roams, you have the training to quickly seek out more information. Thinking about the GW’s crowded tunnel got me wondering. Was that also created in 1931?

So I went to investigate. Upon investigation I learned several more interesting facts:

The GW is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. It took 4 years to build. It stands 250 feet above the Hudson River and… it was NOT opened on this day in history.

I decided to write about this here, not because I believed anyone was that interested in the GW, but that it illustrated a point near and dear to Librarian hearts: Fact checking.

My initial source that suggested the GW was opened today in history was a generic, all encompassing web site. However, when I went to look for more information, several sources contradicted this. Who do I believe?

I look for reliability. If a noted encyclopedia, who names their author tells me something, I trust this more than a website who’s author is unknown. If multiple sources that seem trustworthy agree with each other, I trust it more than the lone site that does not document where the information was from.

Research can be a chore, but it also can be a challenge or a trail of discovery for skeptics. And was the lower level built in 1931? Well… I think you need to look that up!

Click on the cover to see if these books are available at Saxton B.

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posted by Su

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Comments

ckubala said, on Oct. 1 at 4:48PM
When I was young bridges scared me. I would dream that I would come to a long, long, bridge and not be able to cross it. Psychologists could have a field day with that one. I had a complete change of heart as an adult. Now bridges fascinate me. I love the construction and beauty of many I have seen. The Golden Gate is one of the first that comes to mind. The Coronado Bridge in San Diego affords a beautiful view of the bay. And do a google serach for "upside down bridge" and you'll come across a site for the original Now that you got me started on this bridge theme let me mention just one more. The Brooklyn Bridge is stunning and if you've never walked across it, give it a try. It is particularly beautiful in the evening. Saxton B. is host to a stunning collection of art prints called Picturing America. It's a collection of some of the most significant images of our country. You'll be seeing these, a few at a time, in various places in the library over the next year and a half. Next June, look for Joseph Stella's Brooklyn Bridge, 1919-1920. It's a bit different than my perception of it, but a beautiful art work. Two other books in our collection that might be worth a look... The reference guide to famous engineering landmarks of the world : bridges, tunnels, dams, roads, and other structures / by Lawrence H. Berlow, REF 620.009 BERLOW and in the children's non-fiction section, The Brooklyn Bridge : a wonders of the world book / by Elizabeth Mann ; J 624.5097471 MANN