Tune up your engines

By Travis Brink , Information Resources Librarian

Lately I’ve been thinking about dual meanings for the word “manual”. Its origins are derived from “manus”, the Latin word for hand. Besides being an adjective that describes working with one’s hands, it also refers to a book of instructions, often used to aid in repairs.

I think it’s true that you can tell a lot about a person by their hands. Coming from a blue collar and ranching background, the hands I respect most tend to be calloused, covered with an assortment of minor cuts and scrapes or black under the fingernails. Hands like that tell you instantly that the person they belong to is ... well, handy.

I’m a librarian. While technically I’m doing manual labor by typing on a keyboard and clicking on a mouse, it just isn’t the same as reaching into the innards of an engine. Other than scars I received as a teenager while working in construction, the most action my hands might see now might be a paper cut, hangnail or Nintendo thumb from playing video games at home. Because of this, I occasionally get an urge to have a tangible sense of accomplishment.

In other words, I need to get my hands dirty.

As the weather gets warmer, I get a gleam in my eye when I hold my socket wrench. OK, I’ll admit it’s mostly from the sun glinting off the chrome. But when I regain my vision, I start looking for things to fix that I’ve been too lazy to address by blaming the cold weather. My eyes fall upon my lawnmower, covered in cobwebs and dust, sitting in my shed since last August. It’s a prime candidate for some basic maintenance, but like I said, I’m a librarian. What do I know about small engine repair?

Maybe not much, but I know how to find out. Now I could go to the library and check out a manual on lawnmower maintenance, but I just want to dig in and get the job done. Besides, I may want to work on the mower at midnight when the library is closed, and be ready to mow early the next morning (unlikely, but possible).

Fortunately for me, the library has a huge amount of useful information accessible online at any time at www.rapidcitylibrary.org. I take my laptop out to the garage, and once I’m on the library’s website I select the “resources” link. There’s a feature on that page which you can use to have a real-time chat with a librarian in case you’re lost, but I find what I’m looking for—the EBSCO small engine repair database.

You know how someone might go to a hardware store for a couple of tools and wind up wandering the aisles for another hour just to see what else is there? I know I’m not the only one. I wound up doing exactly that with this database because it has so many things that fall into the realm of “small engines”. It contains thousands of concise, step-by-step maintenance and repair instructions for hundreds of small engine machines and their supporting components. Routine maintenance, such as tune-ups and brake service, as well as more extensive repairs involving engine transmission disassembly are covered. It’s divided into eight main engine categories—ATVs, generators, marine/boats, motorcycles, outdoor power equipment, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, and tractors. It’s a weekend mechanic’s 24 hour one-stop resource.

When I found myself reading a wiring diagram of a Harley-Davidson XL Sportster, I knew I had to stop because I don’t even own a motorcycle. Resisting the urge to browse through the manual for a John Deere tractor (another thing I don’t own), I quickly find the section for my lawnmower’s engine. By then the motivation I had for repair was fading with the daylight and my laptop’s battery charge. I didn’t want to lose the information I found, so rather than retrace my search I simply added my findings to a personal folder that I’m able to instantly reference the next time I open up the database.

Right next to the folder option is another option for e-mail. I cannot stress enough how great that particular feature is. After I e-mailed the manual to myself, I was able to open it up on a computer connected to a printer and print it out. I reviewed the manual that night, and when Sunday morning came, I was prepared.

So I got my hands dirty, and loved every minute of it. I had grease and grime under my nails and skinned a knuckle, but I got that lawnmower running smooth thanks to a little online research and my library card.

My pride dissolved when I realized I still had more manual labor … mowing the lawn.