Today, when everyone turns to search engines like Google for any information, it is difficult to imagine how people found the information they needed before the Internet. In the 1950s and 1960s, many libraries created special departments where librarians answered readers' inquiries. In 1968, the New York Public Library organized a similar service with one employee. Soon, 10 employees answered phone inquiries from morning until late at night. They had 1,800 reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, guidebooks, etc.) at their disposal, but many questions could not be answered immediately and required additional research.

The National Library of Armenia (then the Al. Myasnikyan State Republican Library) also created a reference department. The staff sent printed materials to readers by mail on research topics agreed upon in advance with their library cards.

Today, our readers can visit the library website and get the necessary information. Questions can be asked through the “Ask the Librarian” window on the nla.am website. The National Library’s trilingual website contains a variety of content. Which section of the library website do you view most often? What would you like to know about?.