SpinsterLibrarian.net |
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I'm a library science student who also runs a small library in a residence hall.
You can email me, or chat with me:
SpinsterLibrarian at Hotmail dot com
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Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Ask Yahoo's Top Ten Most Asked Questions of 2003Ask Yahoo has released its yearly top ten list. The number one most asked question was, "How many vacation days has George W. Bush taken to date as president?"The answer? "Add the time spent at or en route to the presidential retreat of Camp David and at the Bush family estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, and Bush has taken 250 days off as of August 2003. That's 27% of his presidency spent on vacation. (I)n barely three years in office, George W. Bush has already taken more vacation than Clinton did in seven years." Pizza delivery people say, Dean supporters are better tippersAmong political pizza findings, people with "Dean for President" bumper stickers on cars in their driveways tipped 22% higher than people with "Bush for President" bumper stickers.This is a hoot. I have witnessed this Democrat/Republican tipping phenomenon in my own family. Many of my relatives are conservatives, and I have often slipped extra money on the table as we have left restaurants because of the pathetically small tips they leave, often after being rather demanding customers. Sunday, December 21, 2003
All I want for Christmas...Last night, James and I went ahead and exchanged our Christmas gifts. I gave him a DVD, an out-of-print CD that he had been looking for and this t-shirt.He presented me with a little box, like you put jewelry in. Now, I am not really into jewelry, I occasionally buy it, but rarely wear it. Also, I think most jewelry is ridiculously priced, and a waste of money. So, I opened the box with a bit of trepidation, but instead of a piece of jewelry that I would never wear, I found a 128 MB USB Flash Memory Drive! Now that is a gift that this girl can appreciate! Here's a pic. Friday, December 19, 2003
Monday, December 15, 2003
Dear Valued Shopper,Hmmm. Yes, it has been some time since I shopped with them, in fact, it was over six months ago, when I ordered a set of speakers for my computer that have still not arrived! So, how can you get me back as a customer? Stop sending me ads in email, and send me my freakin' speakers already! Geez... Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Saturday, December 06, 2003
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar WildeI had a very strange experience this evening, but first let me give you a little backstory...At the little residence hall library that I'm running, we are still getting in the items that were ordered last year. Apparently, the students think that I'm buying these items, and they are not happy about it. A couple of them went to the community council and asked for money to buy some DVDs and CDs for the library. They mentioned in particular, wanting to get some art films. The money has been approved, and I'm looking forward to talking to the students, because I want to set them straight. So, this evening, I was in the library when someone called and asked if I was there. Sarah said yes, and the caller said that they would come up and see me. So a few minutes later, a couple of guys come in and start looking around. I was on the phone with James, and I hung up with him to talk to them, thinking that this must be the students. As I approached them at the magazine rack, one of them asked me, "Are these secondhand magazines?" I explained that they were new magazines that had been undeliverable, and were given to us for free. They then questioned me, in a very snide, adversarial way, about pretty much every aspect of the library, right down to complaining about the heat and asking me why I didn't do something about it. I tried to keep a good attitude and be courteous to them even though they were being quite rude to me. When the taller of the two asked me what I thought about the new videos that were on display, I answered honestly that they had been ordered by the previous supervisor, and that I wasn't happy with some of them, that I felt that they were not appropriate for our patrons. The tall one laughed at this, and the shorter one kind of took over the cross-examination for a bit. It wasn't until he walked over to the bulletin board, pointed out Kyle, said that he knew him, and asked me if he was a good employee, that I knew who this was...the guy who was supervisor last year. The guy who ordered the stuff that I had just been criticizing. If he had been nice, I would have felt bad about it, but he wasn't, so I don't. I pointed out the 3-ring binder of printouts of items I have ordered, and they went over to look at it. I'm proud to say that they had nothing bad to say about anything in there. After they got done looking at it, they went over to the comfy chairs and started browsing the magazines on the table. Sarah told me that they hung out for ten more minutes after I left, and then left without a word. Does he (and his friend) have nothing better to do on a Saturday night? Sad. Out with the old, in with the new...After my last assignment is turned in on the 15th, I'm going to be sitting home with not much to do until early January. Since this page has looked basically the same since I created it about two years ago, I'm thinking that I'm going to redo it and try to put the new design up around New Year's. Any suggestions? Comments? Contributions? What do you like? What don't you like?Tuesday, December 02, 2003
An IM conversation...SpnstrLibrarian: http://home.pacbell.net/bettychu/2003allbreedbisris/BIS.htmlRhonda: k SpnstrLibrarian: It says that they are rabbits, but I have my doubts... Rhonda: Oh my land sakes! Rhonda: poor thing is blind Rhonda: OMG! Rhonda: hideous! SpnstrLibrarian: Genetic freaks! Rhonda: We did this to them! Rhonda: *Gasp* Rhonda: what did they cross these guys with Rhonda: sheep? SpnstrLibrarian: I guess! Rhonda: Wonder what their "information needs" are...How do I wipe my ass? SpnstrLibrarian: heehee Rhonda: Got ya! SpnstrLibrarian: How would you find out? A survey? A focus group? A one-on-one interview?* Rhonda: Which end would you talk to? SpnstrLibrarian: Good question! Rhonda: I got tears in my eyes! Rhonda: Thanks Kate I needed a laugh! SpnstrLibrarian: You're welcome! * In class, we are currently studying assessing user needs... Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Fun with the Church Sign Generator (I started to center this pic, but decided that I'd rather align left...)
I'm supporting Dean for president, and I hope you will too. I could never vote for Gephart, Lieberman, Kerry, or Edwards because they voted for the war and the Patriot Act. I don't like Wesley Clark -- though I must give him credit for hiring someone with a sense of humor! Kucinich...good guy...doesn't have a chance. I love Carol Mosley Braun, and hope that President Dean has a place for her in his administration. Al Sharpton...while Al has been entertaining at times in the debates, telling it like it is, he totally lost my respect when he accused Dean of being racist. Al, you know that's not true, and it's not very Christian of you to lie like that to get publicity. BTW, where's the Green Party this year? I'd have liked to see Nader in the debates. Lost in translationMarketing translation mistakes (The Locum one has to be the funniest ever...)Monday, November 17, 2003
These libraries know exactly what they are doing. They even have rooms full of computers, videos, DVDs and CDs now to lure young people through the door.(from LISnews) Saturday, November 15, 2003
(Look for me to revisit this issue in five years.) Wednesday, November 12, 2003
 Last night, Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City, spoke here at IU. She gave a wonderful talk to an auditorium packed with women. Afterwards, she signed autographs and posed for pictures with adoring fans. By the time I got to the table, she had been chatting, posing, and signing for nearly an hour, but she was still full of energy and looking fabulous. I was amazed how much she reminded me of Carrie on the show...that should be the other way 'round I guess... Anyway, Sarah Jessica Parker has her down pat, the way she rakes her hand through her hair, the way she talks, the body language...it's amazing. She is only 5'6", but her long thin arms and legs make her appear much taller. She wore a grey sweater, silver pants, and, of course, a fabulous pair of Manolo Blahnik heels. Monday, November 10, 2003
Yet another reason I love my church...
Who did I meet at church service on Sunday afternoon? Bestselling author James Alexander Thom. Now, this was just too exciting. I have recommended his books to people many times in the past, both while working in an independent bookstore, and in libraries. After the service, I worked up my nerve, introduced myself as a fan and a librarian, and asked if I could take his picture. He was very nice about it, and even a touch bashful... This caused me to reflect on earlier famous author encounters... Walter Dean Myers: I met him at ALA 2000 in Chicago. He was very nice and autographed the audiobook of his latest novel for me. I read lots of his books when I was a kid. (Once I find an author that I like, I tend to read everything that they have written.) Richard Preston: I went to a talk he gave at the local university in the mid-90s. His book, The Hot Zone had just come out in paperback, and I had really been selling the heck out of them at the bookstore, and recommending it to everyone I knew. He gave a great talk, funny, engaging, etc. and at the end announced that he had paperback copies of the book to give away, and that he would autograph them for us. My cousin and his friend had also come to the presentation, and we chatted while we stood in the long line. My cousin needed to drive his friend home to a town in Southern Illinois -- about an hour's drive -- so they had to give up waiting and leave. I offered to get their books signed for them, and continued waiting with now three books. When I got up to the table, I was about to start gushing about how much I loved the book, and how I had sold so many at the bookstore, etc. but when Mr. Preston saw that I had three books, he made a snide comment about it. (I don't remember the exact words, but the gist of it was that I was being greedy, having taken three books instead of one.) I wanted to explain, but I was mortified and speechless...I just stood there biting my bottom lip and fighting back tears, until he handed me back the books and I rushed out, embarassed beyond belief. While the actual author encounter was disappointing, I still love that book, and would recommend him as a speaker. Thomas Rockwell: My mom took me to a booktalk by him in circa 1981. I loved his book, How to Eat Fried Worms, and I remember that that was the first time that I had encountered an "epilogue" in a book. (I had a heck of a time trying to sound that one out!) Many, many years later, when my friend Jackie's kids showed no interest whatsoever in reading, I read them the first chapter of, and then gave them How to Eat Fried Worms. The episodic nature of it hooked them, and they finished the book -- even fighting over it at times. I gave them Bunnicula and it's sequels next, and then turned them on to Harry Potter, of which they are still fans. Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Rockin' the VoteYesterday, I got up at 4:30 (okay, maybe I hit the snooze button a couple of times) to go work at the polls for the local Democrats. My shift was 6am to 10am, then they asked me to work on the phone bank, so I did that for three hours, calling people in two precincts. One of the names on my list was "Bill Hayden", now there's a Bill Hayden running for city council, but it could be another Bill Hayden right? It's not an uncommon name... So I called him up and did my little shpiel -- a slight variation on the script that they had given me -- he chuckled and told me that he had already voted, and that BTW, he was running for city council. We had a good laugh.Last night, I kept tabs on both the elections here, and the races back home. Here in Bloomington, Mark Kruzan, the Democratic candidate, won by about 3000 votes. Back home in Evansville, Democrat Jonathan Weinzapfel defeated incumbent mayor Russell Lloyd, Jr. by a 2 to 1 margin, thus proving what I've been saying for four years, "You may get elected on your daddy's name (Russell Lloyd Sr.) and reputation, but you can't get re-elected on it." Rockin' the Vote Pt. 2
L to R: Charlie, Bill, Bob, Betty, and Elizabeth All the people that I worked with at the polls yesterday were in their 60s and 70s. This is pretty typical. I would really like to see some younger people working the polls. We have primaries coming up in May, and since it will be a presidential election year, it should be more exciting than usual -- please consider working at the polls next year. Monday, November 03, 2003
I was told that the reason that there are so many students in the library school right now is that many people went straight from undergrad to grad school -- sounds like it was a good idea. Thursday, October 30, 2003
Teter Quad...wasn't that where they shot the porno?A freshman in Teter Quad was busted twice last week for drugs -- the second time was when he came to the police station with three hits of Ecstacy in his pocket! The story really must be read to be believed...Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Coffman's Dream Realized?This is very interesting: Google searches of OCLC recordsCould Steve Coffman's Earth's Largest Library be becoming a reality? Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Now with stereo sound!I just installed a sound card in my computer (a Dell PowerEdge 600SC server). My dad is a computer guy, and he usually takes care of hardware stuff for me, so this was the first time I actually got in there and did something myself. It works and everything! Yay me!Monday, October 27, 2003
Cool Tee'sThese are also cool tee-shirts. My friend Mitch says, "They have something to offend everyone!"Librarian Tee'sThese are going on my Christmas listThursday, October 23, 2003
Ooops!This is an honest-to-God email that I just got from my friend:To: SpinsterLibrarianHis zip code is 47714. Update: Matt tells me that the situation is all straightened out, so I guess he's not going to have to change his identity and move to South America after all... Monday, October 20, 2003
Too sexy?A few weeks ago, I linked this story about a Harvard librarian who says that her boss told her that she was too sexy and had a bad reputation, and that was why she was losing out on jobs to lesser qualified staff. (She is of course suing for discrimination.) Finally! A picture of the woman! How do you write a story in which a person’s appearance is very important, and then not include a picture?! It took the New York Post to get it right...go figure.Sunday, October 19, 2003
Midnight madnessPart of the reason that I was so tired yesterday is that we went to Midnight Madness Friday night. It was fun, and now we're talking about going to an actual game some time.Here's a little sample Saturday, October 18, 2003
Future java junkie?I found myself getting sleepy today while working on my midterms, so I got out the single serve coffee bags that I keep for company, and made myself a cup. (As a rule, I'm not a coffee drinker, iced tea is my drink of choice.) With a packet and a half of Splenda, and a liberal dose of half-and-half, this stuff is almost tasty...and I feel a little perkier now. Back to the books!Thursday, October 16, 2003
MidtermsI have two take-home midterm exams, one due tomorrow, and one due next Thursday, so don't expect much blogging until the end of next week. Back to the books!Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Takin' it off for a good cause...Sure, there have been lots of these "get (almost) naked to raise money" calendars now, but this one is for a very good cause -- to help a school system hit hard by budget shortfalls."You are OK."On AllLookSame.com, you can test your skill at distinguishing between different Asian nationalities. The average score is seven correct out of 18. I got nine right, so my result was, "Normal" with the comment, "You are OK." Glad to hear it.Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Never fear...I can't believe that I have gone this long without posting about Angle Grinder Man. Now, where I'm from, they occasionally put "The Boot" on a person's car, but you don't feel sorry for them, because you have to have lots of unpaid parking tickets before that happens. (And the fact that it's usually being put on a Lexus SUV or similar doesn't hurt either...) Reading this NYT article* about it, it sounds like they clamp you on the very first offense, and it costs $150 to get it off!? And it is private companies that you call and then pay to take it off? This is a nice little moneymaking scheme that the businessmen and the politicians have cooked up... (links from David)* login with: coporatemedia stillsucks Monday, October 06, 2003
And she calls herself a liberal...A friend of mine started chatting with this girl after seeing her online personal ad. She is 19, from the Chicago suburbs, and identified herself as a liberal:Her: if black people can spell their own names they get admitted to college Saturday, October 04, 2003
LinksI was trying out a new (new to me anyway) kind of Google search where you can see who links to a website. Most of the results were ones that I knew about, but a big surprise was a link on a page made by a professor at the University of Iceland. Maybe that explains the occasionalWednesday, October 01, 2003
From Jessicat:Former Attorney General Ed Meese was on the Today Show this week to discuss the Patriot Act. When Katie Couric asked him about the ALA's position in the debate, his response was,"We all know that librarians are more interested in making pornography available to children than they are to stopping terrorists." Tell Ed what you think about this statement at edwin.meese@heritage.org. Better yet, send him a Librarian Action Figure! His mailing address is: The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Ave NE Washington DC 20002-4999 ph 202.546.4400 | fax 202.546.8328 With shushing action!The librarian action figure is now available for purchase...Monday, September 29, 2003
"Beware of Chance Aquaintances" (Click on the picture to see a larger version, and read the text.)
Oh, if only I had seen this public service announcement before I met James at Rocky Horror Picture Show that night! I never would have ridden in his car, let him take me out to dinner and a movie, and even *gasp* gone dancing with him! James has a moustache too! They don't specifically say to avoid men with moustaches, but I'm sure that it's no accident that the cad in the picture has one! If only I had seen that PSA, and followed it's sage advice, I wouldn't be engaged to be married now... ;) link from Jonathan Friday, September 26, 2003
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Why was I recommended this?So...if I like David Sedaris, I must be gay and therefore need mass quantities of condoms? Is that the message here? Friday, September 19, 2003
I realized today that I need jeans -- especially since my favorite pair was ruined last weekend -- so I went to the mall. I hit Lane Bryant, and, waddya know, it's Real Woman Dollars time! For those of you not in the know, Real Woman Dollars are coupons that basically let you buy stuff for 50% off a few weeks later. My technique is to buy items that are on clearance or on sale, get RWDs, and come back and get the brand new hot styles for half-price! So I bought three pair of jeans, three skirts, and two bras for $200, and got $100 in RWDs which means I can go back and get $200 worth of clothes for $100. Cha-ching! This is right after my purchase of a t-shirt, pair of shorts, skirt, and pair of shoes for $12 back home last week. She does interlibrary loan like I used to do, back in the bad old days... Thursday, September 18, 2003
Dershowitz's book, The Best Defense is one of my all-time favorites. I reread it every few years. I baked brownies last night, thinking that I would share them with my friends and employees, but now I'm worried about making them sick, so I guess I'll freeze them instead! Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Monday, September 15, 2003
Friday, September 12, 2003
James and I were talking to his friend Ray, who works in a local factory making refrigerators. He said that they churn out two million fridges a year, under 148 brand names, and ship them all over the world. Sometimes, this leads to problems... For example, fridges sent to Korea have to have everything translated into Korean. Recently, they had a recall of fridges going to Korea because the warning on the plastic bags had been mistranslated as, "Place bag over child's head to provide suffocation." Ooops! The mistake was discovered four months into the production run when the first batch of fridges reached Korean customs officers. Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
Saturday, September 06, 2003
Friday, September 05, 2003
Tonight, I had a training session with the five students that I hired to work in my library: Charles, Stephanie, Kyle, Kristel, and Sarah. I was a nervous wreck. I totally hate speaking in front of people and being the focus of attention. I spent all afternoon going over everything trying to prepare, but as always, it all went out the window when I actually had to do it. I just hope that they don't think that they have a moron for a boss. Gaahh! I'm feeling very Bridget Jones right now. Thank god I had the foresight to buy ice cream and cookie dough on my last trip to the grocery store. Monday, September 01, 2003
Saturday, August 30, 2003
Thursday, August 28, 2003
You belong in The Man Who Sold The Moon. You are a dreamer. People don't understand your calling, and often get in your way. Frontiers call to you, and you will breathe your last breath as you gaze back from a distant horizon. Which Heinlein Book Should You Have Been A Character In? brought to you by Quizilla Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Sunday: Hometown - My dad comes over with a U-Haul truck to move my stuff to Bloomington. Just as we are nearly finished loading said truck, U-Haul calls and says that they gave him the wrong one, and could he please bring it back to trade. The contents of truck are quickly unloaded onto the driveway and he rushes off to make the swap. When he comes back, the truck is quickly reloaded and we are on our way. James and I go in my car, followed by Rhonda in hers. My sister and her boyfriend rode in the truck with my dad. The trip is pretty uneventful, until my dad takes the wrong exit at Bloomington and has a hissy fit...I'm glad I wasn't in the truck with him! Bloomington - We unload the truck as quickly at we can, because if Dad can get the truck back by 5, he will save some money. My apartment is on the fourth floor, and there is no elevator, but thanks to an ingenious design -- built into the side of a hill -- we can back the truck up to a door that comes in between the third and fourth floors, meaning we only have to go up half a dozen steps. As soon as everything has been unloaded, my dad tells my sister and her boyfriend to get in the truck, and he takes off, trying to beat the clock. James, Rhonda and I decided to go buy me some fans, because it was incredibly hot, but bought an air conditioner instead. Now, I had thought about buying an air conditioner, but decided that I would just have to do without...that was before I arrived in Bloomington and discovered that it is just as humid here as it is back home -- ugh! Later that evening, James installed my air conditioner. not having any tools or anything, he had to improvise. I won't go into detail, except to say that , yes, duct tape was involved. (Have you ever tried to sleep on a twin bed with another adult? I don't recommend it.) Monday: After getting the apartment somewhat in order, we set off for home, because I had a doctor appointment that afternoon. After my appointment, we picked up my prescriptions, and then met Todd for dinner at Los Bravos. Tuesday: After James went to work, I stopped by our main library branch to say goodbye to some people, stopped at a friend's house to return a video that I had borrowed, and then drove back to Bloomington. (to be continued) Tuesday, August 19, 2003
This article and this article explain better what the librarians were really upset about. The administration did not take action to protect the librarians from the behavior of patrons who came to the library to view porn. Forced to endure these patrons masterbating, verbally abusing them, assaulting them, and a rapist even stalking one librarian! Getting little to no support or protection from the administration, they were forced to go to court, and now patron access -- what the administrators were originally trying to protect -- is the victim. Friday, August 15, 2003
I worked from 8:30 to 2 yesterday, training my replacement (Rhonda), packing up my belongings, and wrapping up loose ends. When I got home, I laid on the bed and cried for a bit. This is just so scary, giving up the job I wanted and finally got, at a branch where there were no (well, okay, only one) nutty people making my life miserable, leaving my friends and family, and the great guy that I finally found... I know that going away to finish my degree is the right thing to do, but that doesn't make it much easier. One of my coworkers commented with a trace of bitterness in her voice that when I finish and come back, I will be making twice as much -- a bit of an exaggeration. I'm not sure if the bitterness comes from her being jealous, or being regretful that she never did this (she's in her 40s now), or maybe both. James and I watched several episodes of Red Dwarf together, which helped to lighten my mood, and then I went to the dinner with my coworkers, while he went to his friend's house. Dinner was great. (For some reason, I didn't take any pictures, but another person did, and said that she would send them to me.) Rhonda sat at one end of the table, and I was at the other, with everyone else between us -- it just seemed right. I'm going, she's coming, the passing of the torch and all that. Periodically, we kept catching each other's eye and smiling at each other...so unlike the first dinner I attended with this group, when I was the new person, and my predecessor was leaving... I'm really glad that I'm leaving my position in what I feel are capable hands -- it sets my mind at ease that I'm not inconveniencing everyone with my departure. When I left my last position for this job, I knew that it was going to hurt that department, and it has, but I had to do what was right for me for a change, I had paid enough dues. After dinner, Rhonda was going to drive me home, but we decided to go see Le Divorce first. It hadn't opened yet, so we saw American Wedding instead. We laughed our asses off. When she took me home, we sat in the car and talked until midnight, mostly about work and going back to school. Wednesday, August 13, 2003
There is a sign-up sheet in the staff room for a dinner Thursday night as a kind of combination going away/welcome party for me and Rhonda, who is replacing me. This is very thoughtful, except for the fact that the person organizing it didn't bother to check with Rhonda or I if we could even attend! If I hadn't noticed the sign-up sheet, I wouldn't have known about it. Since they didn't mention it to me, I thought that I'd better check with Rhonda...sure enough, no one had told her about it either. That would have been interesting, neither of the guests of honor showing up for their own party, because the organizer forgot to invite them! Thursday, August 07, 2003
Someone has reserved the appropriate URL for them, in case it doesn't work out. Monday, August 04, 2003
Me: Hello. (looking at her expectantly, not sure if she has a question) Now, I'm a bit annoyed at this point. She came in knowing exactly what she wanted, but acted all passive-agressive and has wasted both our time... Me: Oh. We have two of his books at another branch, I could have them sent over her for you.This actually happens pretty often, though usually with children who don't yet know that their mommy has saddled them with a "creative" and "unique" spelling of a common name, i.e. Brandyn, Jessika, Morgyn, McKinzee, Micheal, etc. This woman is old enough to know better... Me: Your books will be here tomorrow after four o'clock, and you can pick them up at the checkout desk. (pasted on smile) Sunday, August 03, 2003
The reference desk here is about 30 ft. from the front doors, which is fine, but one set is equipped with an automatic door opener. (It sounds just like the ones at the grocery store that I go to.) It is intended for use by persons in wheelchairs etc. but apparently most males on this campus are unable to open doors themselves, so I hear the noise of the door opener nearly every time one or more male students enters the library. Some of these guys are on the basketball team, but they can't open a door. I'm tempted to go over and switch the thing off...I wonder what would happen? When the next guy tries to enter through the automatic doors, will he be trapped outside, or will he *gasp* actually open the doors himself?! I'm dying to know, and I do have 25 minutes left to go...hmmm. Wednesday, July 30, 2003
In a newspaper article about one of our branches the other day, a patron complained that she wished that we had a separate mystery collection, instead of mixing them in with the other fiction. The branch head said that they keep them all together, so that all of an author's books are together, even if they write in more than one genre. While this is a perfectly reasonable and valid explaination, I don't think that it is the real reason. I believe that the real reason is that no one writes mysteries any more. Now, of course, this is an exaggeration, new mysteries come out every day, but the fact is that fewer and fewer call themselves mysteries. Nowadays, they say things like, "An FBI thriller," "A Novel of Suspense," "crime story" or "A Stephanie Plum novel." A rare few boldly proclaim themselves to be mysteries: "A Thomas Black Mystery," "A Needlecraft Mystery," "A Kensington Mystery," A Lupe Solano Mystery," "Being a Jane Austen Mystery," etc. Some of the "thrillers" and "novels" even say things like, "Edgar Award winning author..." Um, how do you win a award from the Mystery Writers of America if the books that you write aren't mysteries? The impression that I get is that to some authors the "mystery" label is an epithet. Saturday, July 26, 2003
buildings at Collins Edmondson Hall (the library is in a sort of penthouse at the very top) the entrance to Edmundson Hall one of the Collins dorms one of the entrances to Collins flowers in the garden at Collins James at Collins the entrance to the library (You walk up a long turning staircase to get there, almost like you are ascending a tower.) there is a fireplace (all the furniture is disarray because they had just cleaned the carpets) windows on three sides a reading area with cushy chairs a great magazine selection next to the circ desk a nice selection of videos owls Thursday, July 24, 2003
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
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Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
I've been hired to be the graduate assistant in charge of the Collins LLC Library at Indiana University. Collins sounds like a pretty cool place. My friend Angela lived there and worked in the library when she went to IU: Collins is the coolest! I loved working there! The vibe there is so cool and alternative. All the freaky hippy, punk, goth kids lived there (probably not too different now.) Also, all the very OUT gay kids lived there. So, it is a fun library to work in because the people there like reading and different kinds of stuff. They are not in the library just to check out videos and read Cosmo. They like Jim Jarmusch movies and foreign flicks. The CD's are more ecclectic than the other libraries. More Ani DiFranco than Mariah Carey. We also did a lot of special displays for political type holidays. Coming Out Day, AID's awareness, Human Rights Day, that kind of thing. The kids are political there. Also, that means the sky is the limit on what you can do. No one will be offended, they will probably cheer. Collins is the only place to escape the frat boy types that are there on a Budweiser scholarship and the sorority chicks who are there for their MRS. and find time to read Danielle Steel when they are supposed to be an English major.At first, I thought that it was just a coincidence that I was assigned to Collins, but thinking back on my interview and resume I realized that they had pegged me as the "pinko commie"* and assigned me appropriately. I'm not complaining, far from it, Collins sounds like heaven to me. * a Rush Limbaugh fan once called me that for listening to NPR Friday, July 11, 2003
Librarian action figure (link from Jonny) When you push a button on her back, her arm raises to make a shushing motion. The part that disturbs me most is that a librarian participated in the creation of this thing... Monday, July 07, 2003
My results: 1. Kucinich, Cong. Dennis, OH - Democrat (95%) 2. Kerry, Senator John, MA - Democrat (85%) 3. Gephardt, Cong. Dick, MO - Democrat (80%) 4. Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - Democrat (77%) 5. Edwards, Senator John, NC - Democrat (77%) 6. Lieberman Senator Joe CT - Democrat (75%) Wednesday, July 02, 2003
 
Movie tickets: $6.50 each Large Diet Coke to share: $3.75 Taking goofy pics in front of the Hulk display: Priceless Memorial Day We were supposed to go to my sister's house for a cookout, but before we left, James wanted to take a look at the fridge to see if he could figure out why it wasn't cooling properly. He took the cover off the back, and started poking around back there. When he reached in to move some wires aside, he inadvertently touched a fan blade that was hidden behind them. Ouch! It was bleeding pretty bad, so I had to drive him to the hospital for eight stitches. (He was really bummed about having bled all over one of his favorite t-shirts, but I was able to get the stains out with Oxy Clean -- that stuff rocks!) Anyway, apparently a blood sacrifice was exactly what the fridge needed, because over the next couple of days, the temperature dropped back down to where it should be, and it has worked just fine ever since. Saturday, June 28, 2003
 (For those of you new to this blog, one of the very first things that I blogged about was Fake British Guy. Fake British Guy, or FBG as we like to call him, is a college student from a small town about 25 miles away who inexplicably speaks with a fake British accent. He has been doing this for nearly two years now. FBG is tall and slim, my friend Todd describes his look as "Eurotrash", and he has this blond hairdo that is that has that artfully messy "I fell out of bed looking this good" that probably takes a half an hour and three or more styling products to achieve.)
Friday was my day off and I stopped by our central branch to have a plastic cover put on my British children's edition of the new Harry Potter book, when I crossed paths with FBG. I had just gotten in my car to leave, when I saw him getting out of his car to go in. Now, I see him all the time, but it is usually when I'm working, so I don't have access to a camera, and it is usually indoors, so flashless shots come out fuzzy. But here he was walking down the street in broad daylight! So I whipped out the camera and got a fleeting shot of him as I drove away... Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Monday, June 16, 2003
Saturday, June 14, 2003
Friday, June 13, 2003
Anyway, Drew asked me to post this: I have a pair of leather pants that are size 32 waist. The legs have not been cut or hemmed, so there is PLENTY of inseam to work with (maybe all the way up to a 36 or 38 inseam!) What I would like to do is, if there is anyone out there reading this, or knows of someone who has a pair, I would like to trade them for a pair of 34 waist 32 inseam pair of black leather pants. Do me a favor and ask around to see if anyone you may know would be willing to make the trade. Wednesday, June 11, 2003
I hurried back over to the librarian. "I need to find a twelve-year-old article from the New Jersey Journal," I said.Even the non-library folks will probably be able to spot the problem with that passage. What surprises me more than the error itself is the fact that no one caught it and corrected it before the paperback edition was published. Sunday, June 08, 2003
brought to you by Quizilla  "You are an enigma wrapped in a mystery, you blog for yourself. You have your own reasons for doing what you do." Thursday, June 05, 2003
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
From Mitch: Last Saturday, I went out with some friends, we went to Leroy's for karaoke... But the funniest thing was that FBG came with us. He was with some of my friend Matt's friends! Not only that his AUNT was at Leroy's and she was very..."White-trash" looking? And she was with a man who resembled a cross between an emaciated Lurch and Jethro Clampett, with a pinch of Burt Reynolds. Not only that, but they couldn't keep their hands off each other and it was one long PDA. FBG tried to ignore it, but she dedicated a song to him (something country), hugged him, and introduced herself to all of us. Just thought you'd like to know! Later on IM: Kate: Great story about FBG! Sunday, June 01, 2003
The first experience with a computer that I can remember was on a SouthWest Technologies computer in my dad's shop in my grandparent's basement. Dad was letting me play a rudimentary game on it where the playing field was defined with asterisks (the large, old skool ascii ones) and you were represented, I think, by an X, and you were trying to keep away from one or more zeros. To move, you would type in the coordinates of the adjacent space that you wanted to move to. I would point to where I wanted to go, and Dad would type in the coordinates, and the computer would regenerate the playing field reflecting my move, and it's countermove. I must have been about 3 or 4, so this would have been in '76 or '77. I also remember being frequently spanked during this period for playing with computer parts that I took from Dad's workbench in our dining room. When one of Dad's computers was available for use, I frequently played Adventure on it: ADVENT /ad'vent/ /n./ The first computer we kids had that was our very own to I was aware of the Internet because my dad talked about it, but when I first saw people writing email in '95 I was puzzled -- that was something that only computer people like my dad did, not your average Joe... That fall, various friends of mine who lived out-of-town started using email, and encouraged me to try it. I got an account through the university, and later my first Hotmail account. (When Todd first told me that about his Hotmail account, I thought that he said, "HotMale"...) Thursday, May 29, 2003
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
I got: 35.30572% - Major Geek Thursday, May 22, 2003
I will miss James, but it will be interesting to see how we handle 3 1/2 days apart, now that we are going to be apart for long stretches this next school year... Monday, May 19, 2003
Saturday, May 17, 2003
 "All your patty are belong to us!"
We had our staff in-service day Thursday, and at lunchtime, I observed an interesting phenomena... At each place were all the usual things, silverware, napkin, glass, etc. but also a Peppermint Patty and a toothpick with a paper American flag attached. As soon as we sat down, at least half of the people picked up their "flag" and stuck it in their Peppermint Patty. As lunch progressed, others followed suit, until nearly every patty had a little flag sticking out of it. WTF?! Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Sounds crazy, right? It's not. Oreos -- along with 40% of the food on grocery store shelves -- contain trans fats, artificial fats which are being linked to heart disease, increasing harmful cholesterol, and insulin resistance. You can find out more from this article and this website. Monday, May 12, 2003
Friday, May 09, 2003
Thursday, May 08, 2003
Wednesday, May 07, 2003
And for those of you who missed it the first time...Are You A Freak? Tuesday, May 06, 2003
 Harry Potter in the news:
Anxiously awaited Harry Potter novel found in field... Harry Potter books ordered back into Arkansas school (links from Evan) Monday, May 05, 2003
"The important thing in education, however, is that we make sure that K-12 students have lots of standardized tests so that when we stick the graduated label on them one can be sure that they conform to quality standards and specifications." David Dillard, Temple University Libraries Sunday, May 04, 2003
I am dying to find a job like this. Do you know if any of the libraries here in town need a bibliotherapist? Saturday, May 03, 2003
Just for fun, I'm picking Peace Rules to win in the Derby. (10:27 am, CST) Thursday, May 01, 2003
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
Sunday, April 27, 2003
I love this time of the year. The flowering trees are just gorgeous. The pink one is a Red Bud tree and the white one is a Dogwood tree. (These are on Evan's street, just around the corner from James' house.) Friday, April 25, 2003
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
You can't read the article without a NYT login, so to save you the trouble, I will summarize. New York City has recently instituted a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars. Dana Blake, a boucer at the upscale bar Guernica, asked two customers to put out their cigarettes. The two men argued with Blake, and he tried to eject them. They started fighting with him, and a couple that was with them joined in. In the scuffle, one of the original two stabbed Blake, and he later died from his injuries. Blake's family is blaming the new law for causing his death. What do you think? Sunday, April 13, 2003
So, Todd got an email from his friend Ben (that I met last summer when I visted Todd in Daytona Beach): Ok, I told some of you this and some I did not. In short, I was asked by some lady customer, in the restaurant where I work, if I was a model. I said 'no'. She said 'Do you want to be?' and so on and so forth. She was the principal of Manchester Model Agency.    Thursday, April 10, 2003
Tuesday, April 08, 2003
Jesus of...Shingo? (link from Angela) A USB powered electric toothbrush (link from Mitch) Monday, April 07, 2003
Umm...why is there a picture of a little asian girl in a cheongsam on the box for this educational cd-ROM set? Maybe they are trying to say, "Buy this, and your child will be smart like a Chinese kid!" Wednesday, April 02, 2003
"Having trouble coming up with a catchy name for your new virtual reference service? Update There were many, many other suggestions posted to the listserv: * KickAsk - cool librarians * KickYourAsk - mean librarians (Bob Paolino) * WhoopAsk (Jessica Chaiken) * FatAsk - when you want to get a lot of information within the timeframe required * FastAsk - for the wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am school of librarians * SlowAsk - librarians who take their time in the reference interview (Betsy Aldridge) * PhatAsk (Kay Blakeman) * WhyDoYouAsk? - for rhetorical questions [or nosy librarians -- Kate] (Bill Drew) * PieceOfAsk - for librarians who only answer part of the question (Judy Pitchford) * LameAsk - for nerdy librarians * DeadAsk - for librarians who have wandered away from their desk and don't respond * BrokeAsk - for librarians who are underpaid to begin with and won't get any extra money for adding virtual reference to their jobs (Rebecca Schreiner) * Don'tAsk - the burnt out librarian (Carol Anshien) * TightAsk - anal retentive librarian (Linda Slater) * WiseAsk (Buffy Francisco) * KissMyAsk - for librarians who ALWAYS get the right answer (Rebecca Rose) * RichAsk * BlackAsk - as in "They can kiss my..." (Bobbie J. Williams) * AskBackward - dyslexic librarians (Buff Hirko) * AskYouLikeIt [for Shakespeare questions? --Kate] (Linda J. White) * AskMuchen - VR in Munich Germany * AskHolistic - VR that covers all the bases (Judy Pitchford) * AskNotWantNot (Bill Drew) * AskHole - the void left when VR goes down * BigAsk - for the really big questions * TinyAsk - for life's little mysteries * PainInTheAsk - "It hurts when I do this..." * WickedAsk - Only open Oct 31st (Jessica Chaiken) * HairyAsk - bad hair day or...? * AskNot - busy librarian * AskLite - beginning librarian (Barbara Pearson) * BetYourAsk - for settling bets (Tom Vajdik) * SorryAsk - when there is a training issue...because those answers are really sorry (Rebecca Schreiner) * AskWipe - when the question is erased * HorsesAsk - for zoology/veterinary students * Talk&Ask - better know as T&A * ChapsMyAsk - for VoIP service, and you answered so many questions you need chapstick * BurnsMyAsk - when your question goes up in flames [Or when the question pisses you off! --Kate] (Todd Quinn) * InfoBrokeHerAsk (there was just sooo much... If that's not too cryptic....:-) Mary Wolcott * HardAsk - for the tougher questions (Bernie Sloan) *TooMuchToAsk (Mark W. Arneson) * SweetAsk - for the politely phrased question * MyAskisGrass - for the horticulturalists (Jane C. Neale) * BareAsk - just the facts, and nothing more (Connie Johnson) * KissAsk -- for obsequious users * HalfAsked -- for the user with the partial question * CandyAsk -- for the confectionary industry * CheapAsk -- sort of like Google Answers, but for those not willing to spend more than a dollar for an answer (Bernie Sloan) * WhineyAsk - for those folks with no sense of humor (Mary Anne Hansen) * AskInine - for silly questions * AskRisk - ask if you dare * AskRoid - VRS for astronomy students * BackAskWard - answers given to questions before they're even asked * MyAsk - personalized VRS * HumorAsk - for jokes * MonAskTic - VR done in seclusion * MonotheAskTic - for those who believe that there's only one right answer to the question * JackAsk - VRS equivalent of "You Don't Know Jack" (Gary Payne) * SpanishAsk (Omar Vélez Restrepo, Colombia) * AskAholic - for answering bar betsn (Herrick Heitman) * Ask-ew - slightly strange questions (Ronda Glikin) * bASKalibrarian - librarians answering questions from the beach (Betsy Aldridge) * ASKytext [or ASKiitext] - questions that come to you in email format! (Mary Anne Hansen) * sASKatchewan - the Canadian version (Britt S. Baker) * NASKCAR - in honor of ACRL in Charlotte next week * cASK-IT - for when the VRS system crashes (Daniel Coffey) * FatAsk - nutrition librarians * HaulAsk - trucking librarians * BreakAsk - orthopedic librarians * KissAsk - management librarians * WhoopAsk - sports librarians * GrabAsk - Kirby Puckett's librarian (Jerry Baldwin) * alASKa (R. in San Jose) * "Ask, and it will be given to you." for librarians in religious seminaries and colleges sponsored by church denominations * AKS - for those with hip hop clients (Bill Drew) * He/she doesn't know his Ask from a hole in the ground - for the librarian who's not very good at it * Make an Ask out of yourself - for the librarian in training (Irmgarde Brown) * cheeseASK * DamASK - for a fashion library (Susan Marcin) * 'Each VRS name was great; "Butt," I was just pondering as to why each suggested name has to take place in the Ask?' (James Smith) * ASK-over-teakettle - the patron trips while entering the reference room; or you answer questions during coffee break (Donna Dinberg) * ASKsimilate - the librarian's learning curve when switching subject fields (Maureen E. Festa) Or for a VRS at a BORG library (David Hook) * ASCUS - reference for mycologists (Mary E. Moulton) * bASKing shark - a librarian who charges on the side for the service * And there has to be something to do with Damascus - or is that skirting dangerously close to topicality? (Tess Frost) * AskAgain (Liene Sorenson) * ASKterminate - for Dalek libraries (David Hook) * ASKDownUnder - for all those questions from the ASK end of the world (Susan Bentley, Australia) * ASKance -- in fond memory of those who have unsubscribed... or are about to! (Stephen MacLeod) * Ask-eroso -- for Spanish-speaking librarians who need a bath [if you don't understand this one, ask your friendly neighbor Latina/o librarian] (Olivia Olivares) * GraciASK - grateful, Spanish speaking librarians (Susan D. Barb) * ASKance - when the librarian distrusts the question asked in the reference interview (Vincent Munch) * AskKisser - for the user trying to get ahead at work (Mary Anne Hansen) Tuesday, April 01, 2003
Iraqi Liberation (link from David) Monday, March 31, 2003
I have a computer now, it's a Dell server that Evan ordered and set up for me. I'm going to keep it at James' house, since I don't have a phone line, and I spend all my time there anyway. Saturday was eight weeks since James and I met, he surprised me with some flowers first thing in the morning. Sunday, March 30, 2003
Friday, March 28, 2003
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Saturday, March 22, 2003
************************************ Are you a freak? I'm 59% freak!! Thursday, March 20, 2003
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
Sunday, March 16, 2003
Friday, March 14, 2003
2. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone? Robin. A friend of my boyfriend. 3. About how many telephones do you have at home? I don't have a landline, just my cell phone. 4. Have you encountered anyone who has really bad phone manners? What happened? All the time. The most frequent example is people who carry on another conversation while calling the library. The phone rings, I pick it up, I say hello, and all I hear is this conversation at the other end. I say hello again, and there have been times that the person was so involved in their conversation, that they never hear me, so I hang up on them. They usually call back all pissed off, but I'm not going to sit there going, "Hello? Hello?" all day, while other people are waiting for me to help them. < rant > Oh, and also all the people who make and take calls on their cell phones in the library. Why is it that people talk so loudly while on a cell phone? It's not two tin cans on a string people, you can talk in a normal tone of voice and be heard just fine at the other end! < /rant > 5. Would you rather pick up the phone and call someone or write them an e-mail or a letter? Why or why not? It depends. Sometimes, if something is kind of long and complicated to get across, I prefer the phone, because I can say it quicker than typing it, and I can clarify things right there on the spot if the other person has any questions. Sometimes, I know that the person that I need to contact will ramble on and keep me on the phone too long, I will email instead. Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Does it get any more petty and stupid than this? Sunday, March 09, 2003
How bored am I here at work today? I'm grabbing random bits of hair, holding the ends up to catch the light, and snipping off any visible split ends. Friday, March 07, 2003
Wednesday, March 05, 2003
Tuesday, March 04, 2003
Monday, March 03, 2003
That's a phrase that I have read in various forms hundreds of times, and it never fails to irk me. I just read it in a book today, and it irritated me anew. To me, you nod your head for yes, and shake your head for no. To me shaking is more of a side to side motion. Do you agree? Or am I just nuts? Saturday, March 01, 2003
 Well, I'm 30 today. (The Hello Kitty necklace was one of my presents.) I'm not stressed about it -- the last few months of 29 have been pretty darn good, and things just seem to keep getting better. Today is also one month since James and I met at Rocky Horror Picture Show, and we are going to go there again tonight to celebrate.
Update: Rocky was cancelled, yet again, and this time they didn't even bother to give a reason. Well, we'll try again at the end of the month... It's probably for the best, as James is sick, and was insisting on going anyway. Friday, February 28, 2003
2. What is your favorite novel? Pride and Prejudice. My favorite nonfiction would probably be Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. 3. Do you have a favorite poem? (Share it!) I'm not much into poetry, but I like Baudelaire's L'Invitation au Voyage, and there was a poem that I liked by Yeats called Brown Penny, in which the guy describes himself as being "looped in the loops of her hair." Aha! found it: Brown Penny 4. What is one thing you've always wanted to read, or wish you had more time to read? The Terry Pratchett Discworld series, and too many others to list. 5. What are you currently reading? A Girl Named Zippy, for a book discussion group. Thursday, February 27, 2003
James told me that he "might" stop by and see me after work, but stressed that he really had to get home and get everything together for tonight's gaming session, so it seemed like he probably wouldn't make it. Well, when five o'clock rolled around, my boss told me that I could go ahead and leave, since I had come in early. I hesitated, thinking about James coming by, but thought, "Surely he would have been here by now..." And I was REALLY ready to get out of there and start my long weekend, so I left. I called James' answering machine and left a message -- getting a bad feeling when he didn't answer...he should have been home by that time. And, of course, he showed up at my work minutes later...with flowers and a balloon and a teddy bear, because Saturday's my birthday. Damn! So, I'm cruising down the road, and James calls, asking me where I'm at. I explain to him that I got to leave early, and I figured that he wasn't coming since it was so late, etc. He's obviously put out, but at this point, I don't know about the flowers and the teddy bear and the balloon... About a half-hour later when I'm at dinner with Todd, I get a text message on my phone telling me about the surprise...I felt like such a heel. Now, I'm here blogging when I should be doing homework, and James is gaming at a friend's house... *sigh* Monday, February 24, 2003
Update: Here are some smaller versions of the pics -- James Casey Sunday, February 23, 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
2. What item, that you currently own, have you had the longest? I have several items from my childhood, such as a stuffed rabbit given to me by my mother's godmother when I was born. 3. Are you a packrat? Yes. I get it from my dad, who is a major packrat, but I'm trying to accumulate and keep less stuff. 4. Do you prefer a spic-and-span clean house? Or is some clutter necessary to avoid the appearance of a museum? Clean is preferable, but I hate it when a place is so perfect that you feel uncomfortable. 5. Do the rooms in your house have a theme? Or is it a mixture of knick-knacks here and there? My apartment has two rooms -- the themes would be messy and messier. I just have stuff everywhere. Friday, February 21, 2003
As an INTP, you are Introverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, Perceiving. Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Having one of my little bouts of insomnia, so I'm online instead of in bed. I don't think that I really have insomnia, it's just that sometimes my mind gets so busy and preoccupied with something, that I find sleeping impossible. Our blissful, snowbound, long weekend is drawing to a close, and I don't want it to end... *sigh* Well, back to bed to try to sleep a bit before getting up at 6. Monday, February 17, 2003
Sunday, February 16, 2003
Blogging this morning from James' house. We had a sort of an ice storm last night; church was cancelled this morning, and the cars are frozen shut, covered in a sheet of ice. Good thing neither of us have to be anywhere until Tuesday morning. |
