This article forms part of a larger study on translators’ work practices and working environments in the late 19th century Finland. The focus here is on translators’ information searches. Translators have always needed to find out about things: whether they translate fiction or non-fiction, agricultural manuals or novels, they need to look for information and explanations. The article draws on prefaces, footnotes, correspondence and translation reviews to analyse translators’ methods of searching information and to assess their impact on popular education.