SETTLING INTO THE NEW YEAR

School is well under way; I have my help all hired with one yet to start. He was suppose to come by today but I haven’t seen him yet. Maybe he’s changed his mind…? When I get that one taken care then I can turn my thoughts to training all the new hires. In the meantime we have already held one class for students on using our databases, and have freshmen orientation at the library next week.

HOW DO I USE YOUR LIBRARY?

Our Library Handbooks finally got printed, assembled and distributed. It never fails to befuddle me when a junior or senior student walks in and something happens to the student – like a fine – and they reply “I didn’t know that!” (e.g. reserves have to be back in by such and such time or you get fined.) Students are required to read the Library Handbook every year and turn in a signed slip to the effect. Makes you wonder how much they actually read and how much they skim. But then I have the faculty handbook to read. How often have I skimmed that????.... (Hmmm, human nature strikes again!)

WORKDAY

We have a Workday every fall and every spring. Tuesday the 19th was the one for this Fall. We got a lot accomplished at the library: Men’s bathroom painted, benches out front painted, flowers planted in the planter, two out side doors painted and the start of the look of two pillars, one on each side of the front door – a little “Trump Loi Façade.” Turns out that is going to take a lot longer than I anticipated. It looks so much better out front of the library. It’s rather understated as it is. So this should help.

ORGANIZE IT!

I have been getting into the organizing mood recently. I bought some modular shelving units at a home improvement store and brought them to work. Its three units with three shelves each. So I have nine “cubby holes” for storage. It did wonders for getting “stuff” up off the floor behind my chair at the desk. It makes it look much neater and gets them up off the floor as well. I hope this ‘mood’ holds over long enough for me to get the money needed to do some of this at home as well.

CONSTITUTION DAY

This is something new for us and many others as well. The library was to come up with a display. So we bought a poster, found books on the constitution, bill of rights and the founding fathers and put them on display. We also had a DVD that played at the front desk on a laptop. In chapel Constitution facts were passed out, the pledge to the flag recited and patriotic songs sung along with instrumental accompaniment besides the piano. It was interesting to see what other places did. There was a large variety from what I learned from other Christian librarians as to how the day was celebrated.

RAIN/SUNSHINE

We have one individual on this campus that is very blunt and could care less that he is. (Guess there has to be at least one, in everyone’s life.) Today I got up extremely tired from my foray of shopping and staying up late yesterday, then not getting much sleep during the night. I get to work and boom – right off the bat – I get an email “IN-FORM-ING – me” such and such! For a moment there I was afraid my whole day was going to be like that and the way I felt it did not imply there would be a good outcome. This was not the day I needed any confrontation. But as it turned out my day went much better than expected. "In every life a little rain must fall." Otherwise, how could we appreciate the sunshine if that’s what we had all the time? Besides – too much sun dries everything up.


Here’s some stress relievers you may want to try:

Bubble wrap
Puzzle (I heard that Friday, Sept 22nd is “Elephant Appreciation Day”!!!!????)
Coloring on line


I think I’ll go check out the bubble wrap. That always gets me laughing again!!