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The Answer Line

Our Service


The Answer Line is the King County Library System's quick telephone reference service. The Answer Line specializes in quick reference, with staff finding information for you on any topic in fewer than five minutes. The Answer Line is open seven days a week and handles about 10,000 calls per month.

Questions answered at The Answer Line cover a wide variety of topics, including hard-to-find homework questions, trivia, quotes, poetry, word and phrase origins, sports statistics, telephone and address information for businesses, schools, publishers, associations, government leaders and much more. For examples of questions the Answer Line can answer, click here.

Questions that require more research or go beyond the scope of the Answer Line's resources will be referred to a library or another agency that is able to offer assistance.

 

The Answer Line staff also may renew and reserve library materials for patrons.

 

How to Contact Us


Phone: 425-462-9600
Toll Free in Western Washington: 1-800-462-9600
Email a reference question

 

Hours

Monday-Thursday 9 am to 9 pm
Friday 9 am to 5 pm
Saturday 9 am to 5 pm
Sunday Noon to 5 pm

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Types of Questions received at The Answer Line

 

ARTS and SPORTS

  • Who wrote the song "Begin the Beguine"?
  • What movie starred Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler?
  • I need the words and music to the song "Up on the Roof"
  • Can you tell me how to make papier mache?
  • What were the names of the four women on "Golden Girls" and how long did the series run?
  • What are the dimensions of a basketball court?
  • Who won the 1997 World Cup?
  • Where will the Winter Olympics be held in 2002?

 

SCIENCE, MATH and MEDICINE

  • When is the next full moon?
  • What is the average temperature and rainfall in Honolulu during December?
  • How do you convert degrees Fahrenheit to Celsius?
  • What is a prime number?
  • Why is the sky blue?
  • What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?
  • What are some common side effects of taking Percocet?
  • How do I find the area of a circle?




GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY and CURRENT EVENTS

  • What's the elevation of Issaquah?
  • What important events took place in the U.S. during 1967?
  • What time is it in Tokyo?
  • Which U.S. Presidents died in office?
  • How far is it from Seattle to Moscow?
  • Who is the Prime Minister of Canada?
  • What is Al Gore's address?
  • Who is running in the upcoming election for the Second District House seat?

 

BUSINESS and INVESTMENTS

  • What was the closing price for Boeing stock on June 3, 1994?
  • What was the change in the Consumer Price Index for the Seattle area for 1997?
  • What is the minimum wage in Washington State?
  • What is the most current gross national product for Canada?
  • Who is the CEO of General Motors and how much is their annual revenue?
  • What is the average salary for a pharmacist in King County?
  • What is the personal per capita income in King County?
  • What is the name of the Hong Kong stock market?

LIBRARY RESOURCES

  • May I access the Library Catalog from home, using my computer?
  • I'm looking for an article that was in Sunset Magazine about lighthouses in the Bay Area of California. 
  • Do any of the libraries have slide projectors to loan?
  • Do you have any books in the library system about "Feng Shui"?
  • Does the library have any videos featuring Aretha Franklin?
  • When does the Woodinville Library have Story Times for preschoolers?
  • What are the hours of the Bellevue Regional Library?
  • I'm looking for a book that the library system doesn't have. Can you get it for me?

LITERATURE and LANGUAGE

  • Who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1995?
  • Who said: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"?
  • What's the origin of the phrase "the whole nine yards".
  • What is a palindrome?
  • How do you spell the possessive form of the word "teachers"?
  • When was the play, "The Heiress", first produced on Broadway and who starred in it?
  • I've just finished reading "Until Proven Guilty" by J.A. Jance. What's the next book in the series?
  • What does "vox populi" mean?

LOCAL INFORMATION

  • Where is Jimi Hendrix buried?
  • What are the lyrics to the Washington State song, "Washington, My Home"?
  • What is the tallest building in Seattle?
  • Is there a food bank in Federal Way?
  • Who are the two senators from Washington and what are their mailing addresses and e-mail addresses?
  • Where can I apply for a passport in Bellevue?
  • When will Seafair be this year?
  • How do I legally change my name in King County?

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

  • What can I do to stop receiving junk mail?
  • How many grams of fat and calories are in a glass of milk?
  • How do I address a letter to a Supreme Court Justice?
  • Where can I get a copy of my birth certificate?
  • What is the Blue Book value of my car?
  • What is the current exchange rate for U.S. dollars and Mexican Pesos?
  • Can you find a recipe for Beef Stroganoff?
  • When will Easter Sunday be in 2002?

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