I remember calling the local library dozens of times for school reports. The local library wasn't where my grandmother's friend worked, so I wasn't getting any preferential treatment. To them I was just another random eight-year-old ringing them up to ask questions.
They were always delightfully eager to help with obscure questions about geology and history and science, running off to grab books while I waited, slowly reading me facts and passages while I took notes. They'd set aside books for me to check out later in the week, with bookmarks already placed in the sections where they thought I'd be most interested.
As much as I love the instant access to information we have nowadays, I feel a sense of loss over kids missing out on that shared human sense of enthusiasm and encouragement from working with a person who enjoys feeding childrens' curiosity.