NYC's 'Human Google' Offers Help In An AI World

NEW YORK CITY — In an era dominated by chatbots and instant answers, New York City’s librarians are fielding a different kind of request: New Yorkers looking for answers with a real human on the other end of the line.

The city’s public library systems all have a program, sometimes nicknamed 'human Google,' where New Yorkers can call, text or chat with a librarian to ask all kinds of questions — from researching a niche topic to settling a bar bet.

But library staff say one of the first questions they often get isn’t about books or research — it’s about who, or what, they are.

"We get that question a lot from patrons, 'Are you a bot?'" Tracey Wehking, the director of patron services at the New York Public Library, told Patch. "We are all actual librarians and information assistants who are answering the questions."

The NYPL's ASK-NYPL hotline has been operational Monday through Saturday since 1968.

"I think that people, a lot of people, when they call us, they were like, 'Oh my goodness, thank God, I actually got a person to speak to,'" Ryhaan Shakoor, a librarian at the Queens Public Library, said.

Jess Harwick, a librarian at the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, said the Brooklyn Public Library's 'Book a Librarian' service takes it a step further by pointing patrons in the right research direction and then offering a 30-minute follow-up session with a librarian to receive additional research support.

"It is incredibly hands-on," Harwick said. "We are using the skills that we've built up over careers, and really trying to give a personalized service. No two 'Book A Librarian' answers are ever going to look the same."

Over the years, the librarians have received some memorable requests, they told Patch.

"One time, someone messaged us and said, 'Hello, there's a bear in my backyard,' and I responded, 'Why are you texting? Call 911,'" Shakoor said.

Ask-NYPL's most unique exchanges were immortalized in a book called "Peculiar Questions and Practical Answers: A Little Book of Whimsy and Wisdom from the Files of the New York Public Library," which was published in 2019.

Included in the book's list of pre-Internet oddball inquiries are "What kind of apple did Eve eat?" and "Is it possible to keep an octopus in a private home?"

Recently, a caller asked the hotline for information on a set of dishware she spotted in an episode of Mad Men.

"I ended up finding an article from 1976 about the dishes in our New York Times archive database," Wehking said.

Wehking said she's also fielded questions about how many lion depictions there are in the main branch of the library, and how many entries there are in the Manhattan phone book.

Wehking said she's had some well-known A-listers submit inquiries as well, typically for research on their latest projects.

"We can't name names, but we have had some very recognizable people ask questions," Wehking said.

At the Brooklyn Public Library, once an inquiry comes through, it is assigned to the librarian with the most experience in the area of inquiry. For some inquiries, the answers are instant, but it depends on the question.

"Our goal here is to get back to people within a week," Harwick said. "It would depend on the intensity of the request for how long they'd actually spend doing research."

At the Brooklyn Public Library, the staff also has a "bookmatch" program, where they can give you personalized recommendations based on what you've liked so far.

Sometimes, people who call in just need someone to talk to, Shakoor said of the Queens program.

"Sometimes, people are lonely, and they just want to chat," Shakoor said, noting that this was especially apparent during the pandemic lockdown in 2020. "If we're not too busy, we'll indulge them."

As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in daily life, the human element remains essential, Emily Anderson, who made a video about Ask-NYPL on Instagram earlier this year, told Patch.

“Even as AI becomes more common, that human resource is never going to be obsolete — people need people,” Anderson, a social studies teacher-turned-content-creator, said. "Librarians don’t just give answers — they teach you how to use resources and how to evaluate what you’re seeing."

And despite the rise of faster, automated tools, many New Yorkers are still choosing the slower, more personal route.

"People don't necessarily want to go to AI or just run quick Google searches," Harwick said. "They have an investment in doing real research."

To submit a question to Ask-NYPL, go here. To create a 'Book A Librarian' request at the Brooklyn Public Library, go here. To ASK-A-LIBRARIAN at the Queens Public Library, go here.

Want Patch to feature a newsworthy New Yorker? Email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.