Every now and then a library user will approach a Reference Librarian and ask "How can I find out who has been calling me -- I have the number, but I don't know who it is." More often a person wants to get in touch with a friend with whom contact has been lost. Well, thanks to the World Wide Web both of these tasks can be accomplished with relative ease.

Several years ago CD-ROMs were the hottest information mechanism in the world. In 1984 when Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA was the first music CD released in America, it certainly was a breakthrough in technology, storage, and sound quality. Soon after, information began being marketed on compact disc also -- we still use them at the library (see page one). In fact, one product called "PhoneDisc" took the country by storm by scanning telephone books and writing the information on CDs. "Reverse PhoneDisc" did the same job, only this time you were looking for a name to match a phone number. "SelectPhone" is an online database program which essentially accomplishes the same things.

All three are costly and, although the price of these products has been coming down, the World Wide Web has again stepped in with a "free" solution for computer users. Librarians at the Burritt Library have identified at least two World Wide Web directories that can help you find an old friend, your missing uncle, or the person who keeps dialing your number by accident!

WHOWHERE helps you find private numbers, toll-free numbers, company numbers, and email addresses. Try it!