Reminds me of microfiche, which was very popular in libraries in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. This lady was ahead of her time.
I never did any real research with microfiche, but I sure did love going through old newspapers. I especially loved all the old advertisements.
The void left behind by the decline of most small local newspapers has never been truly filled, IMHO.
Fresh roast beef, 39 cents per pound
There were also weird sizes and brands like Clan Kangaroo Scotch Whisky in the seven quart bottle, invariably sold at a drug store next to the Dutch Master cigars.
The book?
Weren’t these types of things already used for maps at this point?
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them displayed with early automobiles, people used them to navigate across the US before WWII.